London Festival of Genomics and Biodata

Posted on: 13 February 2024 by Piotr Darski in February 2024

Piotr Darski is a PhD student in the department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine. He recently attended the London Festival of Genomics & Biodata and told us about his trip.

My research

I am a cancer biology PhD student in Professor Keith Hunter's lab in the Liverpool Head and Neck Centre. My research focuses on the genetic causes of treatment resistance in head and neck cancers. I aim to discover genes causing resistance through experiments on in-vitro models of radiation and cisplatin resistance, RNA sequencing, analysis of tissue samples and large-scale genomic and clinical data patterns obtained from patients with head and neck cancers. Other research themes in the Hunter lab focus on tumour microenvironment, clinical pathology and biology of cancers and potentially malignant disorders of the oral cavity and oropharynx.

London Festival of Genomics and Biodata 2024

Thanks to a travel grant from the Institute's Douglas Endowment Fund, I was able to attend the London Festival of Genomics and Biodata 2024. The event showcased the latest innovations and discoveries in genomics and bioinformatics research, as well as highlighting the current state and future for incorporating personalised medicine into NHS and European healthcare systems.

There were presentations from scientists and clinical leaders from all four national health service boards, industry experts in genomics and sequencing such as Illumina, 10X Genomics and Oxford Nanopore, as well as academic experts driving translational research in British and global institutions.

The festival highlighted translational applications of biodata and possible pipelines of next-generation sequencing. There were also case studies of the great value that genomics and bioinformatics can add to results of clinical research, as well as interactive workshops showcasing different methods of genome sequencing. This knowledge was especially useful in providing additional knowledge and context for sequencing and large data analysis in my PhD project.

Ultimately, the integration of genomics and biodata into research not only offers new avenues for medical intervention but also deepens our understanding of life and disease complexities, allowing us to shape the future of healthcare and biomedical research.