Research group leader Chair of Cancer Biology Head of Department
Professor Michael Schmid is a research group leader and the Head of the Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, UK. He received his PhD from the University of Basel, Switzerland, and completed his postdoctoral training at the Moores Cancer Center, UCSD, USA. Professor Schmid’s lab performs a research programme on the tumour microenvironment in pancreatic cancer metastasis. The main goal of his team is to gain a better understanding of where, when and how host immune cells enhance or suppress metastatic progression in pancreatic cancer, with the ultimate aim of identifying new therapeutic possibilities to defeat pancreatic cancer.
Tumour-stroma-immune interactions in pancreatic cancer metastasis
Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related death. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) frequently metastasises to the liver and liver metastasis is accompanied by the formation of an inflammatory-fibrotic metastatic microenvironment that supports the colonisation and outgrowth of disseminated cancer cells. Cytotoxic chemotherapy is the standard of care treatment for patients with advanced disease. However, how the microenvironment in PDAC liver metastases reacts to chemotherapy and its role in metastatic disease progression post-treatment remains poorly understood. In this session, Michael will discuss his recent findings which may offer new therapeutic opportunities in the treatment of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.
Video of Keynote Talk Coming Soon