An update from Petra Hamerlik, The Brain Tumour Charity’s Chair of Translational Neuro-oncology
In 2022, Professor Petra Hamerlik was appointed as The Brain Tumour Charity’s Chair of Translational Neuro-oncology, at the University of Manchester’s Cancer Research Centre.
By Lucy Grist
Professor Petra Hamerlik’s research focuses on early detection and intervention for people diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Brain tumours are often diagnosed too late, with devastating consequences. This delay is largely due to the nature of the symptoms and the limited experience of primary care practitioners, who rarely encounter such cases in their daily practice. Last year, The Brain Tumour Charity sponsored a symposium, hosted by Professor Hamerlik, on improving brain tumour diagnosis.
To tackle this critical issue, Professor Hamerlik was awarded a research grant to support two innovative lines of study aimed at changing the way brain tumours are detected and monitored. You can read more about this research here[link to be added once project page is published].
How Petra Hamerlik is approaching research into brain tumours
Professor Hamerlik’s approach focuses on the use of liquid biopsies to identify biomarkers that could allow for earlier, more accurate, and non-invasive diagnosis of brain tumours.
With her collaborators, Petra has successfully launched a multi-centre biomarker study that is currently being carried out across five sites in the UK. This research has the potential to transform outcomes for people diagnosed with a brain tumour by enabling earlier detection and better monitoring of brain tumours.
Our research aims to enhance the quality of life for patients who currently suffer due to the challenges in diagnosing brain tumours. We are driven by two primary objectives: firstly, to improve patient outcomes through early diagnosis, ensuring they receive the timely answers and care they deserve rather than facing uncertainty and dismissal. Secondly, we aim to develop advanced tools that will empower clinicians (GPs in particular) to better support their patients in the process of getting a diagnosis.
-Professor Petra Hamerlik, The Brain Tumour Charity’s Chair of Translational Neuro-oncology
Professor Petra Hamerlik's innovative work in early detection and intervention of brain tumours holds the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes. The use of liquid biopsies and biomarkers is a promising approach to diagnosing brain tumours earlier, more accurately, and less invasively. This research could help to transform how we identify and monitor brain tumours, ultimately saving lives. It is a vital step forward in addressing one of the most critical challenges in neuro-oncology.
Dr Simon Newman, Chief Scientific Officer at The Brain Tumour Charity
