One of the leading experts in cancer therapeutics will be joining the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute to lead its Drug Discovery Unit.

Professor Caroline Springer, who is currently at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London, will take up her appointment in October this year, following the retirement in April of its former head, Dr Donald Ogilvie.

Professor Springer has led a multidisciplinary team focusing on the discovery of a wide range of novel therapeutics. She has developed gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT), a suicide gene therapy treatment that can be used in a wide range of cancer types, as well as leading four antibody-directed clinical trials. A key area of research has been to discover panRAF inhibitors for use in melanoma and colorectal cancers in collaboration with Institute Director Professor Richard Marais.

She said 'I am delighted to take on this new role leading the CRUK Manchester Institute Drug Discovery Unit. My drug discovery collaborations with Prof Richard Marais have already resulted in a clinical trial with further preclinical projects in the pipeline. It will be really exciting to expand these drug discoveries and work with other Institute faculty on their targets.’