Mark Cragg, PhD

Chair in Experimental Cancer Biology at University of Southampton

Speaker

Mark Cragg is Professor of Experimental Cancer Biology in the Cancer Sciences Unit of Southampton University Faculty of Medicine. He obtained his PhD in 1998 and did his postdoctoral studies in Southampton with Martin Glennie and Melbourne, Australia with Andreas Strasser before returning to the UK to start his own group in 2007. His research concerns how therapeutics result in tumour regression with a focus on antibodies and small molecules. The aim is to understand how these therapeutics delete tumour cells, how resistance occurs and how it might be overcome. Over the last decade, he has investigated many different therapeutic reagents such as rituximab, bexxar, imatinib, gefitinib, cetuximab and tarceva and has been involved in the development of next generation antibody reagents such as ofatumumab and obinutuzumab, as well as first in class novel antibodies such as BI-1206. Throughout the strategy undertaken is highly translational with iterative cycling between in vitro experiments, appropriate in vivo model systems and primary clinical material. He sits on the advisory board for several charities and institutes and has published over 140 research papers.