Nick James - Overview

My main research is focussed on urological cancers and I have tried to integrate the running of clinical studies with links into the laboratory. These links have worked in both directions, thus I have been key to setting up clinical studies in gene therapy arising out of the laboratory programme in the Institute in which I am also an active member (Latham J et al 2000). In the other direction, I have utilised material from clinical trials to study the molecular pathology of bladder cancer (Cooke PW, James ND et al, 1999; Cooke PW, Dunn J, et al, 2000; Cooke PW, James ND et al, 2000). Both strands of research are further linked by my interest in patient information. Improved information contributes to better patient care and can support patient entry into trials. I am co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of the leading patient website CancerHelp UK (www.cancerhelp.org.uk) the development of which has been underpinned by an ongoing research programme into the acceptability and usefulness of the Internet as an information source (Tweddle SJ et al 1998; James C et al 1999; Tweddle SJ et al 2000). Finally, although not directly linked to my other research interests, I am a key member of a collaborative project with the Department of Physics developing a novel accelerator source for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). (Allen DA, et al 1999).