Services

Expertise across science and data

Six specialist services in two practices, each led by active researchers. Engage us for a single study or as an extension of your own team.

Laboratory and translational science

Assays, drug testing and diagnostics, led by researchers with four decades of cancer biology experience.

Laboratory and translational science

DNA Damage and Repair

We detect, visualise and quantify DNA damage caused by radiation, chemicals and environmental stressors, and study the repair pathways that respond to it: base excision repair, nucleotide excision repair, homologous recombination and non-homologous end joining.

This work supports drug development and biomarker discovery for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Damage and repair assays

  • DNA damage induction
  • Single- and double-strand breaks
  • Mismatch and crosslink repair
  • DNA damage signalling

DDR deficiency disorders

  • Ataxia telangiectasia
  • Xeroderma pigmentosum
  • Fanconi anaemia
  • Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer
  • Lynch syndrome

Genomic instability

  • Mutation signatures
  • Chromosomal abnormalities
  • Replication stress
  • Microsatellite instability

Led by: Prof Chris Parris · Dr Hussein Al-Ali

Related publications
The PARP-1 inhibitor Olaparib suppresses BRCA1 protein levels, increases apoptosis and causes radiation hypersensitivity in BRCA1+/- lymphoblastoid cellsJ Cancer, 2017Enhanced γ-H2AX DNA damage foci detection using multimagnification and extended depth of field in imaging flow cytometryCytometry A, 2015
Laboratory and translational science

Drug Development and Testing

We help translate research findings from bench to bedside. Our in vitro work provides a robust foundation for therapeutic development, from cell-based assays and screening to efficacy testing, and we provide expert in vivo guidance as candidates progress.

Our directors advanced an antibody therapeutic from in vitro testing to Phase Ib clinical trials, and we bring that experience to every project.

Research

  • Cell-based assays and drug screening
  • Efficacy and dose-response testing
  • Mechanism-of-action studies
  • Target identification

Data and imaging

  • Microscopy and image analysis
  • Flow and imaging flow cytometry
  • Statistical analysis
  • Reports with clear recommendations

Across the pipeline

  • Research and development
  • Pharmacovigilance
  • Clinical research
  • Regulatory compliance

Led by: Prof Chris Parris · Dr Hussein Al-Ali

Related publications
A therapeutic antibody targeting annexin-A1 inhibits cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivoOncogene, 2024Unlocking the potential of targeting the angiotensin II type 1 receptor in cancerOncogene, 2025
Laboratory and translational science

Disease Diagnosis and Detection

We apply technologies such as imaging flow cytometry to identify disease markers accurately and early, supporting personalised treatment.

Every method is tested for consistency and reliability, drawing on more than twenty years of experience in the field.

Biomarkers

  • Circulating tumour cell detection
  • Cell-specific biomarkers including ctDNA
  • DNA damage biomarkers
  • Predicting drug and radiotherapy response

Validation

  • Blinded, randomised designs
  • Sensitivity and specificity
  • Reproducibility and cross-validation
  • Method optimisation

Towards patients

  • Standardised testing and screening
  • Point-of-care approaches
  • Personalised treatment

Led by: Dr Hussein Al-Ali · Prof Chris Parris

Related publications
Enhanced γ-H2AX DNA damage foci detection using multimagnification and extended depth of field in imaging flow cytometryCytometry A, 2015

Data, statistics and population health

Statistics, bioinformatics, epidemiology and study delivery, for biomedical and non-biomedical questions alike.

Data, statistics and population health

Statistics, Bioinformatics and Data Science

We turn complex data into reliable answers. Our statisticians support projects from experimental design and power calculations to analysis and interpretation, using methods that make findings robust and reproducible.

Our bioinformatics and data science work spans genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic data, large cohort and health-record datasets, and reproducible analysis pipelines. Many of these methods apply equally outside biomedicine.

Statistics

  • Study design and sample size
  • Descriptive and inferential analysis
  • Regression and predictive modelling
  • Longitudinal and survival analysis

Bioinformatics

  • Sequence and variant analysis
  • Gene and protein expression
  • Genomic medicine datasets
  • Open-source analysis pipelines

Data science

  • Data cleaning, linkage and curation
  • Reproducible workflows
  • Visualisation and reporting
  • Training for your team

Led by: Dr Timothy Hearn · Dr Sarah Assaad · Dr Shabina Hayat

Related publications
Data, statistics and population health

Study Design and Implementation

Our epidemiologists specialise in the design, delivery and quality assurance of large cohort studies, strengthening the methods and operations behind population health research.

That includes SOPs, training and accreditation systems, data-quality monitoring and harmonised measures, so datasets are robust, comparable and relevant to policy.

Design

  • Protocol development
  • Sampling and participant selection
  • Questionnaires and assessments
  • Ethics and research governance

Delivery

  • SOPs and fieldwork management
  • Interviewer training and accreditation
  • Data-quality monitoring
  • Linkage with health records

Harmonisation

  • Cross-national cognitive assessment (HCAP)
  • Dementia outcome ascertainment
  • Comparable, policy-relevant data
  • Evaluation frameworks

Led by: Dr Shabina Hayat · Dr Sarah Assaad

Related publications
A study evaluation framework for measuring cognition: lessons learned in cross-national contexts from four English-speaking aging cohortsEur J Epidemiol, 2026

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