Dr Graham Pidgeon is an Associate Professor at Trinity College Dublin and a principal investigator at the Trinity Translational Medicine Institute at St. James’s Hospital. He established the MSc in Translational Oncology at TCD in 2012 and has acted as Director and Course co-ordinator for that program.

Dr Pidgeon’s research interests focus on the molecular pathways linking excess adipose tissue and visceral obesity with tumour development, progression and response to treatment in a range of solid malignancies. The group have a particular interest in the molecular pathways activated in cancer cells within the obese tumour microenvironment, including the activation of immune cell subsets in visceral adipose tissue, alterations in tumour metabolism and how obesity drives the EMT process in solid malignancies.

Other areas of interest include the role of bioactive lipid enzymes, including cycloxygenase and lipoxygenase, in tumour cell signalling pathways and metastasis. Recent research has focused on the combination of molecular targeted therapies with chemotherapy and radiation therapy in gastrointestinal cancers. Through national and international collaborations the group are investigating the potential of novel pharmacological and naturally occurring LOX inhibitors as anti-angiogenic and anti-cancer agents.

The ultimate aim of this research program is to identify novel therapeutic targets that may prevent the development and/or progression of multiple cancers, through understanding the molecular mechanisms behind the disease.