Dr Morven Shuttleworth

My name is Morven Shuttleworth. I first came to the University of Dundee to study Biomedical Sciences in 2010 before specialising and earning a 2:1 honours degree in Pharmacology and Physiological Sciences. I then graduated with Distinction from the MRes Cancer Biology programme at the University of Dundee in 2015, where I first became interested in improving treatment options for cancer patients during my research project in Professor Gareth Inman’s lab.

After completion of the MRes course, I was offered a PhD studentship funded by the Ninewells Cancer Campaign in Professor Russell Petty’s Medical Oncology group. The focus of my PhD project was to try and understand why some patients respond better than others to chemotherapy in a type of oesophageal cancer. I tried to identify molecular biomarkers of chemotherapy response, which could be targeted with other drugs in combination with chemotherapy to try and improve treatment outcomes.

The funding that the Ninewells Cancer Campaign provided for my PhD project meant that I was able to stay in Dundee, which has now become my home. I was able to continue research in a subject area I was passionate about, surrounded by leading scientists in their respective fields, with plenty of opportunity for public engagement activities. I am very grateful for the support of the Ninewells Cancer Campaign in the development of my research career.