Ruth Travis is a molecular epidemiologist, whose main research interests are the molecular and lifestyle determinants of common non-communicable diseases, particularly cancer. Her work involves combining the resources of established large cohort studies and international consortia with study designs that take advantage of new technology, both in terms of ‘omics’ and electronic data linkage.

She leads a programme of research on prostate cancer aetiology funded by Cancer Research UK, with a particular focus on the role of blood proteins and metabolic factors in the development of aggressive disease. Ruth is Chair of the Prostate Cancer Working Group for the Europe-wide EPIC study, co-ordinates the Endogenous Hormones, Nutritional Biomarkers and Prostate Cancer Collaborative Group, which aims to conduct individual pooled analyses of the relationship between circulating biomarkers and prostate cancer risk from cohort studies from around the world, and leads prostate cancer epidemiological research in UK Biobank.

She represents EPIC as a member of the PRACTICAL international cancer genetics consortia. Ruth also leads research on the effects of shift work and circadian disruption on chronic disease within the Million Women Study, EPIC-Oxford and UK Biobank cohorts. She joined the Cancer Epidemiology Unit in 2001 after studying Biological Anthropology (University of Cambridge, 1997-2000) and Epidemiology (LSHTM, 2000-01), and obtained a DPhil in Cancer Epidemiology (University of Oxford) in 2005.