We are delighted to announce that Richard White, Professor of Genetics from the Oxford branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, has been awarded an Academy of Medical Sciences Professorship.
This highly prestigious award supports outstanding biomedical and health researchers who have recently taken up a Full Professor position in the UK, and forms part of a broader national effort to attract and retain world-leading scientific talent. Richard relocated from the USA to Ludwig Oxford in 2022, following his tenure at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
Richard’s research focuses on modelling cancer using zebrafish and human stem cells. He aims to understand how programmes used during embryonic development are co-opted in cancer, with a particular focus on melanoma. These programmes induce cellular plasticity, allowing cells to take on new characteristics above and beyond their DNA alterations, influencing the likelihood of their becoming cancerous and metastasising. Through this work, he aims to understand why, when and where tumours appear on the body, and to generate insights that can be translated into new therapeutic opportunities for cancer treatment and the prevention of metastasis.
Speaking about the award, Richard said:
“Cancers are notoriously plastic - they can rapidly change their behaviours to enable metastasis and resist therapy. In my AMS Professorship, I will determine whether the biophysical aspects of melanoma - temperature, electrical coupling and mechanical force - endow these cells with such plasticity. Our goal is to define how the physical environment of tumour cells may offer new therapeutic opportunities to prevent the spread of the disease.”
Richard is one of three researchers to receive this year’s Professorships, alongside Professor Philip Shaw and Professor Marc Dewey. The awards recognise world-class researchers whose work connects across disciplines, sectors and borders to advance health and biomedical innovation.
Reflecting on significance of the awards, Professor James Naismith FRS FRSE FMedSci, Vice President (Non-Clinical), Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “The AMS Professorships are an investment in people – in the kind of leaders who make science truly global. By supporting researchers who collaborate internationally, mentor generously and think beyond traditional boundaries, we’re strengthening the UK’s scientific voice and ensuring that discovery and innovation benefit everyone, everywhere.
“These awards recognise and invest in scientific leadership. They give talented individuals the freedom and stability to think ambitiously, collaborate widely and drive health innovation that delivers tangible global impact. Congratulations to the awardees, they represent the very best of UK medical science – creative, outward-looking and committed to improving lives.”
UK Science Minister Lord Vallance FMedSci said: "These awards from the Academy of Medical Sciences will help make sure that the next great breakthroughs in mental health, tackling heart disease, and the fight against cancer continue to be made in the UK. Improving the lives of all citizens is at the heart of their research.
"The UK is one of the few places blessed with the infrastructure, skills base, world-class institutions and international ties needed to incubate brilliant ideas, and turn them into innovations that change and save lives. Anchoring these three awardees' work here will only bolster the UK, as the natural home of progress in medical science."
We warmly congratulate Richard on this achievement.
About the award
The Academy of Medical Sciences Professorship is a five-year award that provides up to £500,000 in flexible research funding and access to the Academy’s extensive network of mentors and collaborators. It recognises world-class researchers who are strengthening the UK’s biomedical and health research landscape.