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Dr Graham Pigeon

Dr. Graham Pidgeon is an Associate Professor and the Director of the MSc in Translational Oncology in the Trinity Translational Medicine Institute (TTMI) at St. James’s Hospital and Trinity College Dublin. Dr. Pidgeon’s research interests include the molecular pathways linking excess adipose tissue and visceral obesity with tumour progression and response to treatment. The group are studying the complex microenvironment of tumours and how adipose tissue may activate pathways in tumours regulating the host tumour-immune response, tumour metabolism and tumour aggressiveness by activating epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in solid malignancies. The group are also interested in how obesity may impact on treatment response in cancer patients and are examining the role of the mTOR/PI3K pathway in obesity driven malignancy and exploring the potential of inhibitors of this pathway in overcoming chemotherapy and radiotherapy resistance in cancer patients.

Other areas of interest include the role of bioactive lipid enzymes, including cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase, in tumour metabolism, angiogenesis and metastasis of oesophageal, colorectal, lung and breast cancer. Through national and international collaborations, the group are investigating the potential use of novel pharmacological and natural lipoxygenase inhibitors as anti-angiogenic and anti-cancer agents. The group focus on translational cancer research using patient material from biorepositories, explant tissue culture and clinical trials as a focal point for much of their research. In the last 5 years, Dr. Pidgeon has mentored and supervised 112 postgraduates during their MSc in Translational Oncology. He has published over 40 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and has supervised 5 MD and 9 PhD students in recent years.