Ian Hampson

Overview

Professor Ian N. Hampson was appointed senior lecturer and head of the newly formed University of Manchester Gynaecological Oncology laboratories at St Mary’s Hospital in 1997. Since their commissioning the gynaecological oncology Laboratories have expanded and are currently staffed by one lecturer, 5 post-doctoral scientists and 9 PhD students. The groups’ main research goal is to provide new understanding of mechanisms of viral carcinogenesis and it now has a unique collection of human tumour virus oncoproteins for this purpose. The group has extensive experience in many aspects of both molecular and cellular biology in order to investigate gene function, gene regulation and gene expression. Molecular cloning, plasmid construction, quantitative PCR, protein immuno-detection, yeast two hybrid, targeted gene silencing and gene transfer, are techniques in common use in the laboratories. In recent years, the portfolio of the gynaecological oncology group has expanded to encompass work on other tumour viruses such as polyoma, HBV/HCV and HTLV1. The interests of the group are thus quite broad with the general theme to exploit the results of basic research to develop new approaches for both the diagnosis and treatment of viral infections and their associated cancers. This is best exemplified by the publicity surrounding the groups discovery of the potential new use for the orally admnistered HIV drug lopinavir as a topical treatment for human papilloma virus related disease of the cervix. See: BBC News 1, BBC News 2,TV Interview, Radio Interview, Daily Mail

Biography

I have had >35 years experience in cancer research since obtaining my PhD studying the biochemistry of complex carbohydrates at the University of Manchester Paterson Laboratories in 1982. Developed and interest in the pathology of angiogenesis which was best exemplied by a landmark paper in Science in 1985 "Angiogenesis induced by degradation products of hyaluronic acid" which now has >1000 citations. Bacame interested in molecular biology and moved to Professor TM Dexters group at the Paterson in 1985 where I worked to define the molecular mechnaisms underlying myelopoiesis. A high point was the development of a new method of subtractive cloning which was used, most notably, by Vogelstein''s group to clone p21 (Waf1/CIP1). In 1997 took up my current post of senior lecturer in gynaecological oncology at the University of Manchester, was promoted to Reader in 2013 and Chair of Viral Oncology in 2017. A most notable recent achievement was the discovery of a new use for the HIV drug lopinavir as a treatment for HPV related cervical dysplasia. Subsequently carried out preclinical work on this indication which resulted in a phase 1 clinical trial in Nairobi (Hampson et al 2016, PloS One)