We are delighted to announce that Grant Stewart is to take up the position of Chair of Surgical Oncology from the beginning of February. In his new role, Grant will lead academic surgical oncology and ensure that Cambridge continues to be a world leader in this discipline.
Grant is an academic kidney cancer surgeon operating on around 70 patients with the disease every year. He introduced the robotic kidney cancer surgery programme in Addenbrooke’s in 2016 which significantly improves patient recovery time.
Grant also established the Cambridge Renal Cancer (CamRenCan) Collaborative, a group of over 40 clinicians, translational and basic scientists working together to optimise the management of patients with initially localised renal cancer. Under his leadership a range of new clinical trial options are now available for patients with localised kidney cancer in Cambridge and across the UK.
Grant’s translational research focus is on developing biomarkers to enable early detection of kidney cancer, identification of patients at high risk of disease recurrence, allowing improved patient follow-up, and prediction of patient response to systemic therapy.
“I am delighted to have been appointed as Professor of Surgical Oncology at the University of Cambridge," said Grant. "My aim is to undertake internationally leading surgical oncology research that will result in impactful paradigm shifts in patient care and outcomes from cancer.
"Becoming the Chair of Surgical Oncology provides a unique opportunity for me to work with clinical and research colleagues across surgical specialities, galvanising clinical, translational and basic science research into cancers beyond my immediate clinical and research niche of kidney cancer.”
Before moving to Cambridge in 2015, Grant spent seven years as a Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in the internationally renowned Department of Surgery at the University of Edinburgh where he gained experience in working across multiple surgical oncology subspecialties.
“The appointment of Grant to this important role marks the end of a long and diligent international search," said Professor Richard Gilbertson, Centre Director. "We are absolutely delighted that Grant has accepted this new role. His leadership of both clinical and research enterprises in Cambridge have been exemplary and we all look forward to working with him further across the CRUK Cambridge Centre.”
"We are absolutely delighted that Grant has accepted this important position. The role furthers our ambition to deliver translational research, linking basic science to the clinic. More specifically, this addresses our strategic development of surgical oncology across many areas of surgical practice," said Professor Andrew McCaskie, Head of Department of Surgery.
