Fellow of Corpus Professor Sam Behjati has been recognised for his outstanding contributions to cancer research by the Royal Society, the UK’s national academy of sciences.

Professor Behjati was awarded the Francis Crick Medal and Lecture for his discoveries on the developmental origins of childhood cancers. His research combines single-cell transcriptomics and cancer genomics to unravel the identity and origin of cancer cells, specifically childhood cancer, with the aim of improving diagnostics and treatments. 

Professor Behjati is a Wellcome Senior Research Fellow at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Clinical Professor of Paediatric Oncology at the University of Cambridge and practising consultant at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. 

In his clinical research role, he ensures that every child with a solid tumour in his region receives whole-genome sequencing, which allows for more precise diagnoses and targeted therapies.

“I am humbled and grateful to be awarded this prize by the Royal Society. I am very fortunate to have been supervised by two masters of the trade, Mike Stratton and Peter Campbell. I would not be where I am today without their teaching and support. I now have a team of inventive, driven and kind people from different corners of the world, all united by a love of collaborative discovery science. It is a delight to see our group's basic research into childhood cancer genetics recognised as worthy of this honour.” Professor Behjati.

The Royal Society is a self-governing Fellowship of many of the world’s most distinguished scientists drawn from all areas of science, engineering, and medicine. The Society’s fundamental purpose, as it has been since its foundation in 1660, is to recognise, promote, and support excellence in science and to encourage the development and use of science for the benefit of humanity.