Oxford China Academics
Oxford In China > Oxford China Academics > Xin Lu
Xin Lu is Professor of Cancer Biology at Nuffield Department of Medicine and Director of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at the University of Oxford, and a Supernumerary Fellow of Magdalen College. The main goal of her research is to identify molecular mechanisms that suppress tumour growth and metastasis. Professor Xin Lu, who recently spoke at the ‘Healthcare 2030’ panel during the Oxford Alumni Weekend in Asia, is engaged in a number of research collaborations with scientists in China. She is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists, a Member of European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO), and a Fellow of both the Biological Society and the Academy of Medical Sciences.
After earning BS and Master’s Degrees in China, I received a competitive research training fellowship from the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and moved to the UK to complete my PhD and postdoctoral training. After
that, I established my own research group as a member of the Ludwig Institute
for Cancer Research. My work largely revolved around the identification of molecular
switches that determine cell fate—whether any given cell lives or dies—a choice
essential to pretty much every aspect of human biology, from development to
cancer. Early in my career, I helped lay the foundations of our understanding
of the tumour suppressor protein p53, which is mutated in half of all cancers
and is known today as “the guardian of the genome.” More recently, my team illustrated
how the tumour suppressive function of p53 might be restored to kill cancer
cells through our pioneering discovery and characterisation of the ASPP family
of proteins. These proteins serve as new biomarkers and could be excellent
targets for the development of novel cancer therapies.

Why I chose to come to Oxford: A
major challenge to effective anti-cancer therapy is tumour cell heterogeneity.
The overarching focus of the Ludwig Oxford is, therefore, to identify key
molecular switches that drive cancer progression and cellular heterogeneity
with the aim of benefitting patients. We
have recruited teams with strong overlapping interests in the identification of
molecular switches in cell fate determination and improvement of cancer
therapeutics, so that Ludwig Oxford would have a coherent research strategy yet
maintain sufficient diversity to enable cross-pollination of ideas and
technologies.
We are located at the heart of the University of Oxford’s Old Road Campus, which houses over 1,000 biomedical scientists, including those of the Wellcome Trust Institute for Human Genetics, Cancer Research UK and Medical Research Council Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Institute of Biomedical Engineering and the Target Discovery Institute. This location thus gives our researchers an excellent opportunity to interact with other institutes and departments working in areas that are relevant to cancer, or that complement our focus. Further, Ludwig Oxford is only a few miles from the University’s main science campus, which houses many departments, including the Departments of Biochemistry, Chemistry, Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics and Sir William Dunn School of Pathology. We have long worked productively with groups in these departments. I am very pleased with the outcome of our move. There are certainly many good things about being here—the rich academic and intellectual environment, and the high quality of the students and postdoctoral fellows who come here, to name a few.

The Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, an international not-for-profit organization dedicated to research into the prevention and treatment of cancer, was established in 1971 with financial support from the late American businessman Daniel K. Ludwig, who was then among the world’s richest men. Today, Mr. Ludwig’s resources support research conducted at several Ludwig Institute locations globally, as well as Ludwig Centers that are based in six U.S. institutions. Together, this international network of cancer researchers is known today as Ludwig Cancer Research. Oxford seemed the ideal place mainly because of the quality of its scientists and students.
What I find most exciting about my work is discovery. Our lab mainly works
on the causes of cancer at the molecular level. The discoveries of basic cancer
research often reveal a lot about fundamental biological processes. They also inform
translational medicine and illuminate new approaches to treating diseases. For
example, cancer is a disease marked by uncontrolled cell growth. This contrasts
with neural degenerative diseases, such as dementia, which are caused by
uncontrolled cell loss. So a deep understanding of common pathways that control
cell fate has wider implications for human cancer and regenerative medicine. Such
fundamental research is, however, complex and time-consuming. The long term, secured
support from Ludwig has been an essential part of our success and our
discoveries.

The thing that excites me most about our work is that our curiosity about the details of molecular and cellular processes often leads to unexpected rewards. The smallest chink opened by a discrete finding can open an entirely new landscape for further exploration. For example, our recent attempt to understand how molecules on which we focus—the ASPP family of proteins—get into the nucleus of the cell led us to the discovery of a protein code that defines a novel nuclear import pathway we have named RaDAR pathway, which was published in Cell, May 2014. The RaDAR pathway is used by many proteins encoded by the human genome that have diverse biological functions, and this discovery is likely to have broad implications for our understanding of biology and a variety of other human diseases.
My links with China: I have been very interested in forging ties with Chinese researchers and research institutions, and
helped Cancer Research UK (CRUK) establish its China Fellowships programme. I
am also very active in the scientific community in China. I am a founding
member of the international review committee of the Chinese Academy of
Sciences, Tsing Hua University School of Life Sciences and a co-organiser of
three Sino-British workshops. I was also a Chairman of the UK Chinese Life
Science Society (CLSS), and in that capacity facilitated many interactions
between British and Chinese scientists. My group has lately been working with colleagues
in China to identify the molecular causes of oesophageal and stomach cancers,
aiming to improve treatment efficacy and to develop cancer prevention
strategies. Finally, I have trained a number of Chinese PhD students and postdoctoral
fellows, and hosted many Chinese visiting scientists.

Such partnerships can be good for both global health and cancer research. Age related diseases such as cancer are among the most important challenges of the 21st century. Cancer may not recognise national or political boundaries, but its incidence does vary between different people and parts of the world. Some cancers, such as nasopharyngeal, oesophageal and stomach cancers are often referred to as Asian cancers, since they have the highest incidence in China and other Asian countries. The cancer also strikes Asians differently, primarily arising in the upper oesophagus. In Western populations, oesophageal cancers often strikes nearer the stomach. A better understanding of the fundamental causes of such geographic and anatomical differences could help improve cancer therapies and prevention strategies.
My experience as a woman involved in biomedical research and my tips for young women who would like into get into medical research: I grew up in China and, at least in my experience, women were in general treated as fairly as men in the workplace and at home. My mother was a professor. The director of the most prestigious cancer institute in China—the Academy of Medical Sciences—where I got my Master’s degree, was a woman, and half the principle investigators were as well. I was very fortunate to have been mentored for my PhD by a woman, and to have met many successful women researchers over the course of my training. So gender bias has not been a big part of my life. But I also owe a great deal to the steady support provided by my father and my husband, who always has shared at least equally in attending to household responsibilities. In short, I have been fortunate not to have encountered any hindrance in my career that I would say had anything to do with my gender. I would suggest to any woman interested in medical research that she do what any smart researcher does—find what fascinates you, learn new techniques, collaborate widely, share resources and reciprocate such support. Beyond that, I would say: have confidence that you are as capable as any man—if you need to be reminded of that.
Article prepared in May 2014
My experience as a woman involved in biomedical research and my tips for young women who would like into get into medical research: I grew up in China and, at least in my experience, women were in general treated as fairly as men in the workplace and at home. My mother was a professor. The director of the most prestigious cancer institute in China—the Academy of Medical Sciences—where I got my Master’s degree, was a woman, and half the principle investigators were as well. I was very fortunate to have been mentored for my PhD by a woman, and to have met many successful women researchers over the course of my training. So gender bias has not been a big part of my life. But I also owe a great deal to the steady support provided by my father and my husband, who always has shared at least equally in attending to household responsibilities. In short, I have been fortunate not to have encountered any hindrance in my career that I would say had anything to do with my gender. I would suggest to any woman interested in medical research that she do what any smart researcher does—find what fascinates you, learn new techniques, collaborate widely, share resources and reciprocate such support. Beyond that, I would say: have confidence that you are as capable as any man—if you need to be reminded of that.
Article prepared in May 2014