BSc (Hons), PhD, FRCPath, FHEA
Chair in Molecular Oncology
- About
-
- Email Address
- valerie.speirs@abdn.ac.uk
- Office Address
Foresterhill
Institute of Medical Sciences
4.32 (office) / 4.42 (lab)
Aberdeen AB25 2ZD
- School/Department
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition
Biography
Prof Valerie Speirs is Chair in Molecular Oncology. Following postdoctoral spells at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, and the universities of Liverpool and Hull, she started her independent research career at the University of Hull, before moving to Leeds. She obtained a Personal Chair in Experimental Pathology & Oncology at the University of Leeds in 2012, relocating to her alma mater in July 2018 and is visiting Professor at Leeds.
As a cancer biologist, she focuses mainly on breast cancer but has growing interest in glioblastoma and uses digital pathology in her work. Past/current funding includes: Cancer Research UK, MRC, NC3Rs, Yorkshire Cancer Research, Breast Cancer Now, Breast Cancer UK, Animal Free Research UK, Pathological Society and Friends of Anchor.
As part of a consortium which recognised that scientists required access to human breast tissue to help accelerate research, she helped establish the Breast Cancer Now Tissue Bank (www.breastcancertissuebank.org/). She leads the Aberdeen centre and is co-PI nationally. She established SEARCHBreast, a virtual resource aimed at sharing materials which are often surplus following animal studies on breast cancer, thus reducing the numbers of animals used in research (www.searchbreast.org).
Ongoing work includes establishing the Aberdeen Cancer Centre, bringing together a team of scientists and clinicians working collaboratively to deliver patient-centred research. This bench to bedside approach aims to translate new laboratory findings into the clinic with the goal of directly improving patient outcomes.
Outside of work she enjoys spending time hiking in the beautiful Aberdeenshire countryside.
Qualifications
- BSc Zoology1986 - University of Aberdeen
- PhD Cancer Biology1990 - University of Glasgow
Memberships and Affiliations
- Internal Memberships
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Research Committee, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition
Education Steering Committee, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition
- External Memberships
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Honorary Secretary, British Association for Cancer Research
Chair, Meetings & Training Committee, British Association for Cancer Research
Member, British Breast Group
Member, Breast Cancer Now Tissue Bank Advisory Council
Member, National Cancer Research Institute’s Cellular Molecular Pathology (CM-Path)
Chair, CM-Path consenting subgroup
Member, Pathological Society of Great Britain & Ireland
Member British & European Associations for Cancer Research
Latest Publications
Advances in Raman spectroscopy for characterising oral cancer and oral potentially malignant disorders
Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine, vol. 26, pp. 1-12Contributions to Journals: ArticlesTrends in incidence, prevalence, and survival of breast cancer in the United Kingdom from 2000 to 2021
Scientific Reports, vol. 14, no. 1, 19069Contributions to Journals: ArticlesA novel Nav1.5-dependent feedback mechanism driving glycolytic acidification in breast cancer metastasis
Oncogene, vol. 43, pp. 2578–2594Contributions to Journals: ArticlesAffimer reagents enable targeted delivery of therapeutic agents and RNA via virus-like particles
iScience, vol. 27, no. 8, 110461Contributions to Journals: ArticlesPlatelet-derived microvesicles isolated from type-2 diabetes mellitus patients harbour an altered miRNA signature and drive MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cell invasion
PloS ONE, vol. 19, no. 6, e0304870Contributions to Journals: Articles
Prizes and Awards
Personal
- Breast Cancer Now award for Outstanding Contribution to Breast Cancer Research (2011)
As project supervisor
- BACR – Hamilton-Fairley Young Investigator Award at the 10th NCRI Cancer Conference, Liverpool, 2-5 2014 for presentation entitled: ‘Insulin like Growth Factor Binding Proteins and Tamoxifen Resistance in Breast Cancer’, Y Hawsawi, C Twelves, V Speirs, J Beattie
- Journal of Pathology Prize at the Pathological Society of GB & Ireland annual conference, Edinburgh, June 18-21, 2013 for presentation entitled: ‘Developing and Characterising a Novel 3D in vitro Model of Normal Breast for Cancer Initiation Studies’, C Nash, D Holliday, G Mavria, D Tomlinson, A Hanby, F Berditchevski, V Speirs
- British Journal of Surgery Prize at the Association of Breast Surgery annual conference, Manchester, 21 May 2013, for presentation entitled: ‘The Prognostic Significance of Tumour-Stromal Ratio in Oestrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer’, CL Downey, SA Simpkins, J White, DL Holliday, JL Jones, LB Jordan, SS Rajan, HH Thygesen, S Pollock, AM Hanby, V Speirs
- Research
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Research Overview
Research in my group focuses mainly on investigating the biology of breast cancer, using tissue-based approaches to understand the disease and its progression. We study biomarkers and how these might influence clinical outcome, oestrogen receptor biology (in particular the regulation and expression of oestrogen receptor β) and are exploring the breast cancer microenvironment, notably tumour-stroma interactions, and how this might be influenced by endocrine disrupting agents, including oestrogenic substances found in the environment. We use a range of tools to address this, including bepsoke 3D cell culture models, digital pathology, Raman spectrocopy and fast-field cycling MRI.
Breast cancer affects both genders and we have a long-standing interest in male breast cancer, having accrued one of the largest collections in the world, available as tissue microarrays.
We have developed several 3D in vitro models of breast cancer and continue to improve these to use as tools in our research.
Our lab is on the same campus as the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, which allows us direct access to clinical samples to use in our work. As a results we work closely with clinicians, including pathologists, surgeons, radiologist, oncologists and often host medical students for intercalated or summer projects.
Research Areas
Accepting PhDs
I am currently accepting PhDs in Biomedical Sciences.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your research ideas further.
Current Research
Functional modelling of male breast cancer (UoA Development Trust & Elphinstone scholarship)
Examining how components of the breast cancer microenvironment influence cancer cells (Elphinstone scholarship)
Breast Cancer Now Tissue Bank and Cell Culture Programme (coPI with JL Jones, QMUL/Barts; Breast Cancer Now)
Fully humanised 3D vascular perfused model for breast cancer modelling and therapeutic screening (NC3Rs)
Investigating a new approach to treeing metastatic bone disease: radiotherapy first? (with A Rieman et al; NHS Grampian)
Public Engagement in Pathology (Pathological Society of GB & Ireland)
Examining how endocrine disrupting agents may modulate activity of fibroblasts generated from breast tissue of high and low mammographic density (Animal Free Research UK & Breast Cancer UK)
Elucidating the role of ROCKII in angiogenesis and the microenvironment of breast cancer brain metastases using genetic deletion approaches. (with G Mavria, Leeds; Breast Cancer Now).
Developing an organ on a chip model to test the therapeutic efficiency of Adhirons in breast cancer (NC3Rs)
Past Research
Projects completed in the last 10 years include:
Developing Adhirons as new research tools to help understand the role of estrogen receptor β in breast cancer (funded by Breast Cancer Now)
SEARCHbreast - a virtual resource to facilitate sharing breast cancer materials and knowledge to benefit the 3Rs (funded by NC3Rs)
Exploiting male breast carcinoma transcriptomics to identify new prognostic, predictive or therapeutic targets (funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research)
Characterising the breast cancer proteome using multicellular 3D breast cancer models: a feasibility study. (funded by Breast Cancer Now)
Identification of protein biomarkers for basal-like breast cancer (funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research)
Elucidating the role of DOCK4 in tumour angiogenesis and brain metastasis using genetic deletion approaches and mouse models of human cancer (funded by Breast Cancer Now)
Exploring the function of ERβ2 in breast cancer at different sub-cellular locations (funded by Pathological Society of GB & Ireland)
Stratified Medicine Programme (funded by Cancer Research UK)
The role of miR-92 in regulating breast cancer behaviour (funded by Breast Cancer Now)
Application of the 3Rs to breast cancer: Validating novel 3-dimensional in vitro models of breast cancer as a replacement for animal experiments. (funded by Lord Dowding Fund)
Molecular profiling of breast cancers of different ethnicity. (funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research)
Investigating fibroblasts as mediators of breast tumour progression using 3D models (funded by Breast Cancer Now)
Validation and computer reconstruction of a 3D model of breast cancer (funded by Dr Hadwen Trust)
Collaborations
Prof Louise Jones, Barts Cancer Institute, London
Dr Georgia Mavria, University of Leeds
Dr Laura Matthews, University ofLeeds
Dr Darren Tomlinson, University of Leeds
Prof Cathy Merry, University of Nottingham
Supervision
My current supervision areas are: Biomedical Sciences.
Current PhD students
Kerri Palmer: Examining how endocrine disrupting agents may modulate activity of fibroblasts generated from breast tissue of high and low mammographic density
Katie Hanna: Exploring the breast tumour microenviroment using digital pathology, Raman imagingand fast field cycling MRI
Subarnerekha Chatterji: Understanding the biology of male breast cancer: a data driven approach
Previous PhD/MD students
Leeds
Sophie Roberts: Generating a 3D cell culture model to test the efficacy of Affimers in the inhibition of HER2+ breast cancer cell growth (writing up PhD)
Aishah Alhodhodi: Oestrogen receptor (ER) expression and activity during osteogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells. PhD awarded 2018 (returned to dental practice, Saudi Arabia)
Mohammed Elmoursi: Structural and functional characterisation of placental syncytial nuclear aggregates in healthy and high-risk pregnancy. PhD awarded 2017 (returned to higher medical training, Scotland)
E Smart: The functional role of ERβ2 at different cellular locations. PhD awarded 2016 (now Postdoc, USA)
S Rajan: Investigating male breast cancer using transcriptomics and immunohistochemistry. MD awarded 2016 (returned to higher surgical training, North West Deanery)
Y Hawsawi: Role of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis in the acquisition of tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer epithelial cells. PhD awarded 2015 (associate scientist, Saudi Arabia)
W Hamilton-Burke: The role of ERβ and associated proteins in breast cancer. MD awarded 2015 (now Consultant Breast Surgeon, Huddersfield)
C Nash: Development of an organotypic model of the normal breast: A tool to investigate breast cancer initiation and progression. PhD awarded 2014 (now Senior Scientist, Charles River Laboratories)
M Charalambous: Investigating the metabolism of breast cancer cells using 1H-NMR based metabonomics. MD awarded 2013 (now Consultant Breast Surgeon, London)
W Yabsley: NMR–based metabolomic studies: towards a biomarker for breast cancer. PhD awarded 2013
H Al-Nakhale: Mechanisms of estrogen receptor β regulation in breast cancer. PhD awarded 2010 (Lecturer, Saudi Arabia)
L Maraqa: Characterisation of novel genes associated with endocrine resistance. MD awarded 2010 (now Consultant Breast Surgeon, Sheffield)
MB Peter: The prognostic significance of estrogen receptor β and its isoforms and correlation with other biological markers in breast cancer. MD awarded 2010 (now Consultant GI Surgeon, Huddersfield)
M Saleh: Characterisation of the role of CSMD1 in cancer. PhD awarded 2010 (now Postdoc, USA)
CA Green: Further defining the role of ERβ in the mammary gland. PhD awarded 2009 (now Biomedical Scientist, Leeds)
AM Waterworth: Investigating the role of fibroblasts, β-catenin and Wnt signalling in neoplastic transformation. MD awarded 2006 (now Consultant Breast Surgeon, Huddersfield)
K Munot: Gene silencing in breast cancer: is there evidence for an epigenetic phenotype? MD awarded 2005 (now Consultant Breast Surgeon, York)
AT Parkes: The role of estrogen receptor and their associated coregulators in the development of antiestrogen resistance in breast cancer. PhD awarded 2004 (now Clincal Trials Coordinator, Australia)
Hull
AR Green: Regulatory factors in human breast cancer: Cytokines and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase.
PhD awarded 1997 (now Associate Professor, University of Nottingham)
Funding and Grants
Grants awarded (from 2015)
2019-24 Breast Cancer Now Tissue Bank and cell culture Programme. Breast Cancer Now £7M (coPI with JL Jones, QMUL/Barts; Aberdeen component ~£300 000)
2019-21 Fully humanised 3D vascular perfused model for breast cancer modelling and therapeutic screening. NC3Rs, £74 999
2019-20 Investigating a new approach to treating metastatic bone disease: radiotherapy first? NHS Grampian, £12 000 (with A Rieman et al)
2019 Animal Free Research UK vacation scholarship, £2000
2019 Friends of Anchor vacation scholarship, £2000
2019 Sponsorship of BACR Special Conference on Breast Cancer. Pathological Society of GB & Ireland, £3000
2018-21 Examining how endocrine disrupting agents may modulate activity of fibroblasts generated from breast tissue of high and low mammographic density (PhD studentship). Animal Free Research UK/Breast Cancer UK (jointly funded), £90 000
2017-20 The MUC-ST/Singlec-9 innate check point axis in cancer: prevalence, prognostic significance and potential therapeutics. MRC, £275 000 (with J Burchell, KCL)
2017-20 Elucidating the role of ROCKII in angiogenesis and the microenvironment of breast cancer brain metastases using genetic deletion approaches. Breast Cancer Now, £238 080 (with G Mavria Leeds et al).
2016-19 Developing an organ on a chip model to test the therapeutic efficiency of Adhirons in breast cancer. NC3Rs, £90 000
2016 Dr Hadwen Trust vacation scholarship, £2000
2015-17 Breast Cancer Now Tissue Bank (Leeds). Breast Cancer Campaign, £1.1M
2015-18 Identification of biomarkers that predict recurrence of DCIS after breast conserving surgery from the Sloane Project. Breast Cancer Now, £238 080 (with E Sawyer KCL et al)
- Teaching
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Teaching Responsibilities
Undergraduate
PA3802: Mechanisms of Disease & Principles of Chemotherapy
BC4314: Biochemistry Option 2
Postgraduate
MB5525: MRes Extended Research Project
MB5903: MSc Research Project
Non-course Teaching Responsibilities
Postgraduate Research Development Coordinator
- Publications
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Advances in Raman spectroscopy for characterising oral cancer and oral potentially malignant disorders
Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine, vol. 26, pp. 1-12Contributions to Journals: ArticlesTrends in incidence, prevalence, and survival of breast cancer in the United Kingdom from 2000 to 2021
Scientific Reports, vol. 14, no. 1, 19069Contributions to Journals: ArticlesA novel Nav1.5-dependent feedback mechanism driving glycolytic acidification in breast cancer metastasis
Oncogene, vol. 43, pp. 2578–2594Contributions to Journals: ArticlesAffimer reagents enable targeted delivery of therapeutic agents and RNA via virus-like particles
iScience, vol. 27, no. 8, 110461Contributions to Journals: ArticlesPlatelet-derived microvesicles isolated from type-2 diabetes mellitus patients harbour an altered miRNA signature and drive MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cell invasion
PloS ONE, vol. 19, no. 6, e0304870Contributions to Journals: ArticlesBrain endothelial cells promote breast cancer cell extravasation to the brain via EGFR-DOCK4-RAC1 signalling
Communications Biology, vol. 7, 602Contributions to Journals: ArticlesExploring the One Health Paradigm in Male Breast Cancer
Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia, vol. 29, 8Contributions to Journals: ArticlesA single-cell atlas enables mapping of homeostatic cellular shifts in the adult human breast
Nature Genetics, vol. 56, no. 4, pp. 652-662Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-024-01688-9
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/23344/1/Reed_etal_NG_A_Single_Cell_VOR.pdf
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Prediction models for hormone receptor status in female breast cancer do not extend to males: further evidence of sex-based disparity in breast cancer
Breast Cancer, vol. 9, no. 1, 91Contributions to Journals: ArticlesEngaging undergraduate medical and dental students with academic medicine: the Aberdeen INSPIRE summer school
PloS ONE, vol. 18, no. 11, e0293633Contributions to Journals: Articles