Ian Kunkler Research Group

Research in a Nutshell 

I lead national and international clinical/translational trials assessing the impact of adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) on loco-regional recurrence, quality of life and health economics after mastectomy (BIG 2.04 MRC SUPREMO), and, in older patients, after breast conserving surgery (BCS) [PRIME 2] on local control in early breast cancer . I am CI for the UK arm of BIG 3-07 DCIS boost trial evaluating the role of additional radiation after breast conserving surgery  and postoperative breast radiotherapy  for non low risk DCIS.

I am interested in drug-radiation combinations targeting pH regulatory mechanisms (eg CA1X, NHE1) of breast cancer cells  as PI in METOXIA, an EU (FP7) project on translating the hypoxic microenvironment,(IMPACT- Implantable Microsystems for personalised anti-cancer treatment) led by Professor Alan Murray (Engineering) developing real time ‘lab-on-chip’ biosensors of tumour biology to identify areas of hypoxia in murine and veterinary animal models to enable selective delivery of  radiation dose to hypoxic subregions to improve local control (www.nutshell-videos.ed.ac.uk/alan-murray-sensors-in-tumours/) in partnership with ECRC, Chemistry, Roslin Institute, Innogen Institute and Heriot Watt University.

I am  interested in understanding outcomes of  rare cancers in Europe as co-PI for the EU funded RARECARE (FP6) and RARECARENet (FP7).

1. Kunkler IH, Williams L, Jack WJL, Cameron DA, Dixon JM (2023). Breast-Conserving Surgery with or without Irradiation in Early Breast Cancer. N Engl J Med. Feb 16;388(7);585-594. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2207586.
2. Williams L, Kunkler IH, Dunlop J, Piper T, Caldwell J, Jack W, Loane JF, Elder K, Bartlett JMS, Dixon JM, Cameron DA (2024). Thirty-year update of the Scottish Breast Conservation Phase III Randomised Controlled Trial of post-operative radiotherapy in women with early operable breast cancer. Lancet Oncol. Sep;25(9):1213-1221. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(24)00347-4. Epub 2024 Aug 7.
3. EPSRC programme grant (IMPACT project): Professor Alan Murray (CI) and Professor Anthony Walton (Electronic Engineering). Partners are Chemistry [Prof Mark Bradley, Prof Andy Mount), Biology [Prof David Argyle, Roslin Institute, Dr Carol Ward, Dr Simon Langdon,Mr Mark Gray (ECRC)], Signal processing (Prof Steve McLaughlin, Heriot Watt University) and Value Systems (Prof Joyce Tait, Innogen Institute).
4. BIG 2.04 MRC/EORTC SUPREMO trial: Dr Nicola Russell (EORTC, Netherlands Cancer Institute);Dr Geertjan Van Tienhoven, EORTC, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam; Prof John Bartlett (ECRC and Ontario Cancer Institute for Cancer Research); Dr Niall Anderson, Centre for Population Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh; Dr Jeremy Thomas (Western General Hospital, Edinburgh);Dr Martin Denvir (University of Edinburgh); Professor Mike Dixon (University of Edinburgh); Dr Angela Bowman (Western General Hospital, Edinburgh)Professor David Cameron (ECRC); Ms Kathleen Riddle (SCTRU, NHS Scotland); Professor Galina Velikova (University of Leeds); Professor John Cairns ( London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London); Dr Karen Venables (Northwood);Dr Kurn Hurkmans, EORTC, Brussels, Belgium; Associate Professor Boon Chua (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia); Professor Yexiong Li and Association Professor Shulian Wang (Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing.
5. BIG 3.07 DCIS boost trial: Associate Professor Boon Chua (Transtasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG),Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne,Australia); EORTC (Dr Helen Westerberg, Arnhem, the Netherlands; Professor Jacek Jassem, Gdansk, Poland); National Cancer Institute of Canada (Professor Ivo Olivotto, Professor Tim Whelan); Professor John Bartlett (ECRC and Ontario Institute of Cancer Research); Dr Linda Williams (Centre for Population Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh); Professor Sarah Pinder (King’s College, University of London); Professor Fiona Gilbert (University of Cambridge); Dr Jeremy Thomas (Western General Hospital, Edinburgh).

•  Professor David Cameron, The University of Edinburgh.
•  Professor Mike Dixon, University of Edinburgh
• Dr Niall Anderson, University of Edinburgh
• Dr Linda Williams, University of Edinburgh
• Dr Nicola Russell, Netherlands Cancer Institute
• Professor Boon Chua, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

• UK MRC
• NIHR
• Breast Cancer Now