Our Medical Advisory Board

Our Medical Advisory Board (MAB) comprises a specialist multidisciplinary team of GIST and tissue banking experts from leading medical and academic institutions around the UK. They are the principal advisory group offering insight, scientific direction, and expertise for GIST Cancer UK’s research grant and infrastructure initiatives.

The MAB advises the GIST Cancer UK Trustees regarding:

  • The long-range strategy of GIST Cancer UK for achieving its mission to improve treatments and finding a cure for GIST Cancer.
  • Proposals for new research grants.
  • Other matters upon which the GIST Cancer UK trustees request advice and recommendations.

The MAB typically consists of up to ten members, including a Chairman, who meet a minimum of twice a year. The initial term of appointment of each member is three years with the option of renewing.

They collaborate with GIST experts and researchers world-wide to ensure the most up to date knowledge and perspectives on treatments for GIST patients and the ongoing work of GIST Cancer UK.

Meet the Team:

Dr V. Ramesh Bulusu - GCUK MAB Chair

Dr Ramesh BulusuConsultant Clinical Oncologist MD, MRCP, MSc, FRCR (Oncology)

Dr Bulusu is a national expert on gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST). Working with other specialists in this area, he has developed the national guidelines for the management of this tumour and has lectured, presented and published extensively on the subject.

He is actively involved in numerous clinical trials as a principal and co investigator and has been the consultant clinical lead for PAWS-GIST since its inception in November 2010.

Professor Ian Judson

Professor Ian Judson- FRCP, Royal College of Physicians, London
- MD, University of Cambridge
- BA (Hons), Natural Sciences, Univesity of Cambridge
- MB, BChir, University of Cambridge

Professor Judson has specialised in the management of sarcomas for the past 20 years and has made a particular study of gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST). He was a principal investigator in the Phase I/II trial of imatinib for GIST in 2000/1 and has been actively involved in research into the treatment of this disease since that time.

Professor Judson served as GCUK's MAB chair from 2015 until 2022. We are very grateful that having stepped down as chair he will remain a member of the GCUK MAB board.

Professor Andrew Hall

Professor Andrew HallMBBS,MRCP,PhD,FRCPath

- Retired Director, Northern Institute for Cancer Research
- Retired Director, Newcastle Biomedicine Biobank
- Designated Individual for Human Tissue Act Research Licence for Newcastle University
- Professor of Experimental Haematology
- Honorary Consultant Haematologist, Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust
- Pathology Lead, NCRI Confederation of Cancer Biobanks

Professor Hall has been instrumental in setting up of the National GIST tumour bank.

Dr Palma Dileo

Dr Palma DileoConsultant Medical Oncologist on the Sarcoma Unit at University College Hospital, UCLH NHS Trust, specialising exclusively in the management (chemotherapy and radiotherapy) of soft tissue and bone sarcomas. The Sarcoma Unit at UCLH, together with the Sarcoma Unit at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, is the London Sarcoma Service (www.londonsarcoma.org) which offers a comprehensive clinical service to patients of all ages with sarcoma at all sites of the body. She has continued to provide patient care since 1996 (general oncology), with more emphasis on sarcoma and rare tumors starting from 1998.

Dr Dileo completed her training at the Istituto Nazionale Tumori of Milan, Italy and at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, USA. From 2006 to 2010 she has been Associate Physician, Medical Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan working in the Sarcoma Team. She has a strong interest in early phase clinical trials and is a co-investigator for a number of clinical trials in sarcoma. She is a member of the EORTC Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma Group and ASCO.

Dr Newton Wong

Dr Newton WongConsultant Histopathologist - BSc MRCP , MBChB, FRCPath, MD

Areas of interest:
- Molecular diagnostics;
- Gastrointestinal pathology;
- GIST

Professor Robin Jones

Dr Robin JonesMedical oncologist specialising in the treatment of bone and soft tissue sarcomas. He has experience in conducting Phase I, II and III trials, as well translational studies in sarcoma. He trained in medical oncology at the Royal Marsden Hospital and between 2010 and 2014 he was Head of the Sarcoma Program at the University of Washington / Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. His main research interest focuses on clinical trials of novel agents and immunotherapy in sarcoma.

Dr Phillippe Tanniere

Dr Phillippe TanniereConsultant in Histopathology at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Medical School, Birmingham, with a special interest in gastro-intestinal and pancreatico-biliary pathology.

Dr Ruth Casey

Consultant Endocrinologist - MB BCH BAO, FRCPI

Dr Casey is a consultant in Endocrinology at Cambridge University NHS Foundation Trust. Dr Casey has a specialist clinical interest in hereditary endocrine neoplasia and endocrine cancer. Her research has focused mainly on the role of succinate dehydrogenase gene mutations in tumorigenesis and has a strong translational focus. Her interest in succinate dehydrogenase deficient tumours has led to her collaboration with PAWS-GIST.

Dr Olivier Giger

Honorary Consultant in Molecular Histopathology and University Lecturer - MD, PhD

Dr Giger completed his medical and speciality training in Switzerland and was awarded an MD at the University of Zurich. He received a PhD from the University of Liverpool for his research on epigenetic changes in the tumour stroma. He is now a University Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in Molecular- and Histopathology working in the Department of Pathology and the Haematopathology & Oncology Diagnostic Service (HODS) at Addenbrookes’ University Hospital in Cambridge.His area of expertise lies in gastrointestinal pathology and molecular pathology of solid tumours. His research interests include the tumour microenvironment, gastrointestinal stromal tumours and colorectal cancer. He also enjoys teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Dr Fiona McRonald

Genomics Programme Manager, National Disease Registration Service, Public Health England - BMedSc, PGDip (Genomic Medicine), MSc, PhD

Fiona is a scientist specialising in cancer genetics. She undertook her scientific qualifications at the Universities of Birmingham and Liverpool, and trained as a genetic counsellor at St. Mary’s Hospital / Manchester University. Fiona has diverse experience in academic medical research, covering a broad range of areas in clinical trials, laboratory-based science, and qualitative and psychosocial fields.

Fiona joined Public Health England in July 2015, to develop a new workstream focusing on genetics, genomics and molecular diagnostics data. Her work spans both the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS) and the National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service (NCARDRS).