Leukaemia research pioneers share £0.6 million fellowship funding

Worth £150,000 each, the fellowships are presented each year to notable early career researchers seeking to develop innovative ideas to advance clinical practice for leukaemia and related cancers.  

The winners’ research spans three types of blood cancer - Burkitt lymphoma (BL) which is one of the most aggressive types of cancer, T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL) mostly affecting children and young adults and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) which has a five-year survival rate of just 22%.  

This year’s recipients are: Dr Yang Li from University College London, studying the TAL1 protein; Dr Giorgia Chiodin from the University of Southampton, studying Burkitt lymphoma (BL), a rare and aggressive type of B-cell cancer; and Cambridge university academics Drs Cecile Lopez and Eliza Yankova, who will focus on AML – with Lopez investigating the role of the ERG protein and Yankova studying the METTL1 gene, known to lead to the progression of cancers including AML.

Chiodin said: “I am so fortunate to have received this fellowship which will help me carry out such important research into this type of blood cancer. Current treatments for BL are incredibly toxic and have low success rates. I hope my work in this field will expand on our knowledge of this disease and ensure those diagnosed can access kinder and more effective treatments.” 

Leukaemia UK chief executive Fiona Hazell welcomed the opportunity to award fellowships to innovative projects focussed on improving outcomes for particularly aggressive forms of blood cancer.

“Spearheaded by pioneering early career researchers, these vital insights could unlock the better, kinder and more targeted treatments desperately needed to transform outcomes for patients,” she said.

In addition to dedicated funding, the 2024 fellows will be mentored in their projects, helping them to progress vital discoveries from the laboratory to clinical practice.  

As well as boosting the effectiveness of therapies and delivering less traumatic treatments for blood cancers, the fellowships provide a valuable platform for the personal career development of researchers.  

Yankova, who along with her fellow recipients, welcomed the contribution of the awards to combatting cancers, highlighted the benefits.

“Receiving the John Goldman Fellowship means that I can take an important step forward in my research to provide more effective treatments for AML, which is one of the most aggressive types of blood cancer. It also supports my personal development so that I can progress further towards becoming an independent researcher,” she explained. 

Chief executive Hazell acknowledged also the role of Leukaemia UK supporters who helped to fund research, “allowing us to accelerate progress and improve the lives of people affected by leukaemia both today and in the future”. 

Cancer patient Jake Andrade (left) was 13 when diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and suffered a relapse at 19. He underwent four rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant before a regular blood test showed that his leukaemia has returned. After three more rounds of chemotherapy and another bone marrow transplant, he has been in remission for two years.

However, the side effects of his treatment include Graft Vs Host Disease from the transplants and avascular necrosis, where bone tissue dies due to a lack of blood supply.  

Andrade urged: “I am grateful to have reached over two years in remission, but I hope that in the future, there will be less gruelling treatments with fewer side-effects to treat those with leukaemia. That’s why these projects are very important to me as we need as much funding and as much research as possible to ensure future leukaemia patients are treated with minimal harm." 

The John Goldman Fellowships commemorate Professor John Goldman, the renowned haematologist, oncologist, medical researcher who was a founder of Leuka, the charity which later became Leukaemia UK. 

For more information on the John Goldman Fellowships, and Leukaemia UK, click here.