Dr Lindsay Spender
Postdoctoral Research Assistant
Molecular and Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine
Contact
Biography
Lindsay is the senior postdoctoral scientist and lab manager in Professor Russell Petty’s lab in Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Ninewells Medical School working on drug resistance mechanisms in oesophageal cancer. Lindsay’s work is supported by the Ninewells Cancer Campaign and Chief Scientist Office. See Courier article- Research on forgotten cancer
Research
Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma is a type of cancer of the oesophagus associated with social deprivation and poverty, and a key public health concern for Scotland where the incidence in women is the highest in the world. Current treatments are not very effective and most patients die within 1 year. Our previous research suggests that patients who have tumours with increased levels of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) benefit from drugs which specifically block EGFR activity Gefitinib and EGFR Gene Copy Number Aberrations in Esophageal Cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2017 Jul 10;35(20):2279-2287.
This research lays the foundations for personalised precise treatment. However, all OSCC tumours eventually become resistant to anti-EGFR drugs and tumours regrow. We are studying potential mechanisms of resistance to chemotherapy in OSCC to provide the data needed to deliver clinical trials to accelerate the development of effective treatments for OSCC patients.