Staff Profile

Roles and Responsibilities

Principal Investigator, Paediatric Brain Tumour Group, NU Centre for Cancer.

Director of Postgraduate Research, TCRI

Co-chair, Quality of Survival Group; International Society of Paediatric Oncology (Brain Tumour Group)

Qualifications

PhD (molecular genetics) 2009, Newcastle University

BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences (molecular biology), 2003, University of Edinburgh

Previous positions

2019-2022: Newcastle University Research Fellow,

2014 - 2019: Faculty Fellow / Senior Research Associate, Paediatric Brain Tumour Group, NU Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University.

2004-2014; Researcher to Faculty Fellow; John Walton Neuromuscular Disease Centre, Institute of Human Genetics, Newcastle University.

Honours and Awards

Best "Basic and Translational Science" research at International Society of Paediatric Oncology, Lyon, 2019

Newcastle University Research Fellowship awarded in 2019 in molecular cancer survivorship.

Newcastle University Faculty Fellowship awarded in June 2013 by the Faculty of Medical Sciences in recognition of academic leadership potential.

Elsevier award for best oral presentation. 18th Congress of the World Muscle Society, Asilomar, California, October 2-6, 2013.

Poster selected from >200 for presentation in ‘highlights’ session, 15th Congress of the World Muscle Society, Kumamoto, Japan, October 12-16, 2010.

Elsevier Award for best oral presentation. 13^th Congress of the World Muscle Society, Newcastle, UK, October 17-20, 2008.

Student Supervision

PhD: Lead supervisor on 2 current PhD studentships. Named co-supervisor of two other PhD students (2012-2016)

Erasmus traineeship: Lead supervisor, April-August 2018

MRes (Medical Genetics/Cancer studies); 16 students (2011-current)

BSc Biomedical Sciences: 20 students (2010-current)

Memberships

UK Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG)

International Society for Paediatric Oncology; SIOPE-Brain Tumour Group Quality of Survival, Embryonal Tumours and Biology working groups.

British Association for Cancer Research

European Association for Cancer Research

Google Scholar: Click here.

Research Interests

Cancer ‘Survivorship’ is defined as starting at the time of diagnosis and lasts throughout the lifespan and as such encompasses both treatment-related acute toxicities and long-term sequelae (‘late effects’) involving reproductive, cardiac, respiratory, endocrine, metabolic and neurological systems.

Perhaps the most devastating impacts of the reduced quality of survival (QoS) that follows brain tumour treatment are the neurocognitive deficits (IQ, attention, executive functions, etc) which render childhood survivors feeling ‘left-behind’ compared to their peers and at a disadvantage entering their teenage and adult years. Despite the huge advances in molecularly-driven risk-stratification, classification, and therapeutics in childhood cancers, equivalent advances have not been made with reference to survivorship outcomes, with a particular paucity in paediatric brain tumour research. The huge unmet need of these childhood cancer survivors (~300,000 – 500,000 across Europe) is becoming increasingly recognised.

My work involves molecular pathology studies in medulloblastoma to enable biomarker discovery and improved risk-stratification and also aims to reduce the disease/treatment-associated burden in medulloblastoma survivors by understanding the key clinico-molecular correlates of late effects, developing/ assessing reduced intensity therapies, and advancing drug and rehabilitation strategies.

Lecturer on Biomolecular Research in Health and Disease

• Articles

  • Schwalbe EC, Lindsey JC, Danilenko M, Hill RM, Crosier S, Ryan SL, Williamson D, Castle J, Hicks D, Kool M, Milde T, Korshunov A, Pfister SM, Bailey S, Clifford SC. Molecular and clinical heterogeneity within MYC-family amplified medulloblastoma is associated with survival outcomes: A multicenter cohort study. Neuro-Oncology 2025, 27(1), 222-236.
  • Keeling C, Davies S, Goddard J, Ramaswamy V, Schwalbe EC, Bailey S, Hicks D, Clifford SC. The clinical significance of sub-total surgical resection in childhood medulloblastoma: a multi-cohort analysis of 1100 patients. eClinicalMedicine 2024, 69, 102469.
  • Kohe S, Bennett C, Burte F, Adiamah M, Rose H, Worthington L, Scerif F, MacPherson L, Gill S, Hicks D, Schwalbe EC, Crosier S, Storer L, Lourdusamy A, Mitra D, Morgan PS, Dineen RA, Avula S, Pizer B, Wilson M, Davies N, Tennant D, Bailey S, Williamson D, Arvanitis TN, Grundy RG, Clifford SC, Peet AC. Metabolite profiles of medulloblastoma for rapid and non-invasive detection of molecular disease groups. eBioMedicine 2024, 100, 104958.
  • Castle J, Shaw G, Weller D, Fielder E, Egnuni T, Singh M, Skinner R, Von Zglinicki T, Clifford SC, Short SC, Miwa S, Hicks D. In vivo modeling recapitulates radiotherapy delivery and late-effect profile for childhood medulloblastoma. Neuro-Oncology Advances 2024, 6(1), vdae091.
  • Goddard J, Castle J, Southworth E, Fletcher A, Crosier S, Martin-Guerrero I, Garcia-Ariza M, Navajas A, Masliah-Planchon J, Bourdeaut F, Dufour C, Ayrault O, Goschzik T, Pietsch T, Sill M, Pfister SM, Rutkowski S, Richardson S, Hill RM, Williamson D, Bailey S, Schwalbe EC, Clifford SC, Hicks D. Molecular characterisation defines clinically-actionable heterogeneity within Group 4 medulloblastoma and improves disease risk-stratification. Acta Neuropathologica 2023, 145, 651–666.
  • Danilenko M, Zaka M, Keeling C, Crosier S, Lyman S, Finetti M, Williamson D, Hussain R, Coxhead J, Zhou P, Hill RM, Hicks D, Rand V, Joshi A, Schwalbe EC, Bailey S, Clifford SC. Single-cell DNA sequencing identifies risk-associated clonal complexity and evolutionary trajectories in childhood medulloblastoma development. Acta Neuropathologica 2022, 144, 565–578.
  • Williamson D, Schwalbe EC, Hicks D, Aldinger KA, Lindsey JC, Crosier S, Richardson S, Goddard J, Hill RM, Castle J, Grabovska Y, Hacking J, Pizer B, Wharton SB, Jacques TS, Joshi A, Bailey S, Clifford SC. Medulloblastoma group 3 and 4 tumors comprise a clinically and biologically significant expression continuum reflecting human cerebellar development. Cell Reports 2022, 40(5), 111162.
  • Richardson S, Hill RM, Kui C, Lindsey JC, Grabovksa Y, Keeling C, Pease L, Bashton M, Crosier S, Vinci M, Andre N, Figarella-Branger D, Hansford JR, Lastowska M, Zakrzewski K, Jorgensen M, Pickles JC, Taylor MD, Pfister SM, Wharton SB, Pizer B, Michalski A, Joshi A, Jacques TS, Hicks D, Schwalbe EC, Williamson D, Ramaswamy V, Bailey S, Clifford SC. Emergence and maintenance of actionable genetic drivers at medulloblastoma relapse. Neuro-Oncology 2022, 24(1), 153-165.
  • Hicks D, Rafiee G, Schwalbe EC, Howell CI, Lindsey JC, Hill RM, Smith AJ, Adidharma P, Steel C, Richardson S, Pease L, Danilenko M, Crosier S, Joshi A, Wharton SB, Jacques TS, Pizer B, Michalski A, Williamson D, Bailey S, Clifford SC. The molecular landscape and associated clinical experience in infant medulloblastoma: prognostic significance of second-generation subtypes. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 2021, 47(2), 236-250.
  • Crosier S, Hicks D, Schwalbe EC, Williamson D, Leigh Nicholson S, Smith A, Lindsey JC, Michalski A, Pizer B, Bailey S, Bown N, Cuthbert G, Wharton SB, Jacques TS, Joshi A, Clifford SC. Advanced molecular pathology for rare tumours: A national feasibility study and model for centralised medulloblastoma diagnostics. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 2021, 47(6), 736-747.
  • Hill RM, Richardson S, Schwalbe EC, Hicks D, Lindsey JC, Crosier S, Rafiee G, Grabovska Y, Wharton SB, Jacques TS, Michalski A, Joshi A, Pizer B, Williamson D, Bailey S, Clifford SC. Time, pattern, and outcome of medulloblastoma relapse and their association with tumour biology at diagnosis and therapy: a multicentre cohort study. The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health 2020, 4(12), 865-874.
  • Grabovska Y, Mackay A, O'Hare P, Crosier S, Finetti M, Schwalbe EC, Pickles JC, Fairchild AR, Avery A, Cockle J, Hill R, Lindsey J, Hicks D, Kristiansen M, Chalker J, Anderson J, Hargrave D, Jacques TS, Straathof K, Bailey S, Jones C, Clifford SC, Williamson D. Pediatric pan-central nervous system tumor analysis of immune-cell infiltration identifies correlates of antitumor immunity. Nature Communications 2020, 11(1), 4324.
  • Schepke E, Tisell M, Kennedy C, Puget S, Ferroli P, Chevignard M, Doz F, Pizer B, Rutkowski S, Massimino M, Navajas A, Schwalbe E, Hicks D, Clifford SC, Pietsch T, Lannering B. Effects of the growth pattern of medulloblastoma on short-term neurological impairments after surgery: Results from the prospective multicenter HIT-SIOP PNET 4 study. Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics 2020, 25(4), 425-433.
  • Sharma T, Schwalbe EC, Williamson D, Sill M, Hovestadt V, Mynarek M, Rutkowski S, Robinson GW, Gajjar A, Cavalli F, Ramaswamy V, Taylor MD, Lindsey JC, Hill RM, Jager N, Korshunov A, Hicks D, Bailey S, Kool M, Chavez L, Northcott PA, Pfister SM, Clifford SC. Second-generation molecular subgrouping of medulloblastoma: an international meta-analysis of Group 3 and Group 4 subtypes. Acta Neuropathologica 2019, 138, 309-326.
  • Stock A, Mynarek M, Pietsch T, Pfister SM, Clifford SC, Goschzik T, Sturm D, Schwalbe EC, Hicks D, Rutkowski S, Bison B, Pham M, Warmuth-Metz M. Imaging Characteristics of Wingless Pathway Subgroup Medulloblastomas: Results from the German HIT/SIOP-Trial Cohort. American Journal of Neuroradiology 2019, 40(11), 1811-1817.
  • Goschzik T, Schwalbe EC, Hicks D, Smith A, zur Muehlen A, Figarella-Branger D, Doz F, Rutkowski S, Lannering B, Pietsch T, Clifford SC. Prognostic impact of whole chromosomal 1 aberration signatures in standard-risk non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma: a retrospective molecular analysis of the HIT-SIOP-PNET4 clinical trial. The Lancet Oncology 2018, 19(12), 1602-1616.
  • Schwalbe EC, Lindsey JC, Nakjang S, Crosier S, Smith AJ, Hicks D, Rafiee G, Hill RM, Iliasova A, Stone T, Pizer B, Michalski A, Joshi A, Wharton SB, Jacques TS, Bailey S, Williamson D, Clifford SC. Novel molecular subgroups for clinical classification and outcome prediction in childhood medulloblastoma: a cohort study. The Lancet Oncology 2017, 18(7), 958-971.
  • Schwalbe EC, Hicks D, Rafiee G, Bashton M, Gohlke H, Enshaei A, Potluri S, Matthiesen J, Mather M, Taleongpong P, Chaston R, Silmon A, Curtis A, Lindsey JC, Crosier S, Smith AJ, Goschzik T, Doz F, Rutkowski S, Lannering B, Pietsch T, Bailey S, Williamson D, Clifford SC. Minimal methylation classifier (MIMIC): A novel method for derivation and rapid diagnostic detection of disease-associated DNA methylation signatures. Scientific Reports 2017, 7, 13421.
  • Harris E, Topf A, Barresi R, Hudson J, Powell H, Tellez J, Hicks D, Porter A, Bertoli M, Evangelista T, Marini-Betollo C, Magnusson O, Lek M, MacArthur D, Bushby K, Lochmuller H, Straub V. Exome sequences versus sequential gene testing in the UK highly specialised Service for Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases 2017, 12(151), -.
  • Izquierdo E, Yuan L, George S, Hubank M, Jones C, Proszek P, Shipley J, Gatz SA, Stinson C, Moore AS, Clifford SC, Hicks D, Lindsey JC, Hill RM, Jacques TS, Chalker J, Thway K, O'Connor S, Marshall L, Moreno L, Pearson A, Chesler L, Walker BA, De Castro DG. Development of a targeted sequencing approach to identify prognostic, predictive and diagnostic markers in paediatric solid tumours. Oncotarget 2017, 8(67), 112036-112050.
  • Clifford SC, Lannering B, Schwalbe EC, Hicks D, O'Toole K, Nicholson SL, Goschzik T, Zur-Mühlen A, Figarella-Branger D, Doz F, Rutkowski S, Gustafsson G, Pietsch T. Biomarker-driven stratification of disease-risk in non-metastatic medulloblastoma: Results from the multi-center HIT-SIOP-PNET4 clinical trial. Oncotarget 2015, 6(36), 38827-38839.
  • Clifford SC, Lannering B, Schwalbe EC, Hicks D, O'Toole K, Nicholson SL, Goschzik T, zur Muhlen A, Figarella-Branger D, Doz F, Rutkowski S, Gustafsson G, Pietsch T, SIOP-Europe PNET Grp. Biomarker-driven stratification of disease-risk in non-metastatic medulloblastoma: Results from the multi-center HIT-SIOP-PNET4 clinical trial. Oncotarget 2015, 6(36), 38827-38839.
  • Zou Y, Zwolanek D, Izu Y, Gandhy S, Schreiber G, Brockmann K, Devoto M, Tian Z, Hu Y, Veit G, Meier M, Stetefeld J, Hicks D, Straub V, Voermans NC, Birk DE, Barton ER, Koch M, Bönnemann CG. Recessive and dominant mutations in COL12A1 cause a novel EDS/myopathy overlap syndrome in human and mice. Human Molecular Genetics 2014, 23(9), 2339-2352.
  • Hicks D, Farsani G, Laval S, Collins J, Sarkozy A, Martoni E, Shah A, Zou Y, Koch M, Bönnemann C, Roberts M, Lochmüller H, Bushby K, Straub V. Mutations in the collagen XII gene define a new form of extracellular matrix-related myopathy. Human Molecular Genetics 2014, 23(9), 2353-2363.
  • Hicks D, Farsani GT, Laval S, Collins J, Sarkozy A, Martoni E, Shah A, Zou Y, Koch M, Bönnemann CG, Roberts M, Lochmüller H, Bushby K, Straub V. Mutations in the Collagen XII gene define a new form of extracellular matrix related myopathy. Human Molecular Genetics 2014, 23(9), 2353-2363.
  • Foley AR, Quijano-Roy S, Collins J, Straub V, McCallum M, Deconinck N, Mercuri E, Pane M, D'Amico A, Bertini E, North K, Ryan MM, Richard P, Allamand V, Hicks D, Lamande S, Hu Y, Gualandi F, Auh S, Muntoni F, Bonnemann CG. Natural history of pulmonary function in collagen VI-related myopathies. Brain 2013, 136(12), 3625-3633.
  • Cossins J, Belaya K, Hicks D, Salih MA, Finlayson S, Carboni N, Liu WW, Maxwell S, Zoltowska K, Farsani GT, Laval S, Seidhamed MZ, WGS500 Consortium, Donnelly P, Bentley D, McGowan SJ, Muller J, Palace J, Lochmuller H, Beeson D. Congenital myasthenic syndromes due to mutations in ALG2 and ALG14. Brain 2013, 136(3), 944-956.
  • Sarkozy A, Hicks D, Hudson J, Laval SH, Barresi R, Hilton-Jones D, Deschauer M, Harris E, Rufibach L, Hwang E, Bashir R, Walter MC, Krause S, van den Bergh P, Illa I, Penisson-Besnier I, De Waele L, Turnbull D, Guglieri M, Schrank B, Schoser B, Seeger J, Schreiber H, Glaser D, Eagle M, Bailey G, Walters R, Longman C, Norwood F, Winer J, Muntoni F, Hanna M, Roberts M, Bindoff LA, Brierley C, Cooper RG, Cottrell DA, Davies NP, Gibson A, Gorman GS, Hammans S, Jackson AP, Khan A, Lane R, McConville J, McEntagart M, Al-Memar A, Nixon J, Panicker J, Parton M, Petty R, Price CJ, Rakowicz W, Ray P, Schapira AH, Swingler R, Turner C, Wagner KR, Maddison P, Shaw PJ, Straub V, Bushby K, Lochmuller H. ANO5 Gene Analysis in a Large Cohort of Patients with Anoctaminopathy: Confirmation of Male Prevalence and High Occurrence of the Common Exon 5 Gene Mutation. Human Mutation 2013, 34(8), 1111-1118.
  • Sarkozy A, Deschauer M, Carlier RY, Schrank B, Seeger J, Walter MC, Schoser B, Reilich P, Leturq F, Radunovic A, Behin A, Laforet P, Eymard B, Schreiber H, Hicks D, Vaidya SS, Glaser D, Carlier PG, Bushby K, Lochmuller H, Straub V. Muscle MRI findings in limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2L. Neuromuscular Disorders 2012, 22(s2), S122-S129.
  • Hicks D, Sarkozy A, Muelas N, Koehler K, Huebner A, Hudson G, Chinnery PF, Barresi R, Eagle M, Polvikoski T, Bailey G, Miller J, Radunovic A, Hughes PJ, Roberts R, Krause S, Walter MC, Laval SH, Straub V, Lochmuller H, Bushby K. A founder mutation in Anoctamin 5 is a major cause of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. Brain 2011, 134(1), 171-182.
  • Hicks D, Lampe AK, Laval SH, Allamand V, Jimenez-Mallebrera C, Walter MC, Muntoni F, Quijano-Roy S, Richard P, Straub V, Lochmuller H, Bushby KMD. Cyclosporine A treatment for Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy: a cellular study of mitochondrial dysfunction and its rescue. Brain 2009, 132(1), 147-155.
  • Lampe AK, Zou Y, Sudano D, O'Brien KK, Hicks D, Laval SH, Charlton R, Jimenez-Mallebrera C, Zhang R-Z, Finkel RS, Tennekoon G, Schreiber G, Van Der Knaap MS, Marks H, Straub V, Flanigan KM, Chu M-L, Muntoni F, Bushby KMD, Bonnemann CG. Exon skipping mutations in collagen VI are common and are predictive for severity and inheritance. Human Mutation 2008, 29(6), 809-822.
  • Hicks D, Lampe AK, Barresi R, Charlton RG, Fiorillo C, Bonnemann CG, Hudson J, Sutton R, Lochmüller HKM, Straub VW, Bushby KMD. A refined diagnostic algorithm for Bethlem myopathy. Neurology 2008, 70(14), 1192-1199.
  • Jimenez-Mallebrera C, Maioli MA, Kim J, Brown SC, Feng L, Lampe AK, Bushby K, Hicks D, Flanigan KM, Bonnemann C, Sewry CA, Muntoni F. A comparative analysis of collagen VI production in muscle, skin and fibroblasts from 14 Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy patients with dominant and recessive COL6A mutations. Neuromuscular Disorders 2006, 16(9-10), 571-582.

• Book Chapters

  • Bushby KMD, Collins J, Hicks D. Collagen Type VI Myopathies. In: Progress in Heritable Soft Connective Tissue Diseases. Dordrecht: Springer, 2014, pp.185-199.
  • Bushby KMD, Collins J, Hicks D. Collagen type VI myopathies. In: Jaroslava Halper, ed. Progress in Heritable Soft Connective Tissue Diseases. Dordrecht: Springer, 2014, pp.185-199.
  • Hicks D, Collins JC, Bushby KMD. Collagen type VI myopathies. In: Royce PM, Stenmann B, Wiley-Liss, ed. Connective Tissue and its Heritable Disorders. Springer Verlag, 2013.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

  • Mateos M, Williamson D, Danilenko M, Goddard J, Crosier S, Fletcher A, Schwalbe E, Hicks D, Bailey S, Clifford S. MDB-64. Novel transcripts associate with survival in childhood medulloblastoma. In: 2024 International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology (ISPNO). 2024, Philadelphia: Oxford University Press.
  • Keeling C, Davies S, Goddard J, Ramaswamy V, Schwalbe E, Bailey S, Hicks D, Clifford S. MDB-31. The clinical significance of sub-total surgical resection in childhood medulloblastoma: a multi-cohort analysis of 1100 patients. In: Abstracts from the 2024 International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology (ISPNO). 2024, Philadelphia: Oxford University Press.
  • Goddard J, Castle J, Southworth E, Fletcher A, Crosier S, Martin-Guerrero I, Garcia-Ariza M, Navajas A, Masliah-Planchon J, Bourdeaut F, Dufour C, Goschizk T, Pietsch T, Richardson S, Hill R, Williamson D, Bailey S, Schwalbe E, Clifford S, Hicks D. MEDB-71. Molecular characterisation of Group 4 medulloblastoma improves risk-stratification and its biological understanding. In: 20th International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology (ISPNO 2022). 2022, Hamburg, Germany: Oxford University Press.

• Letters

  • Penisson-Besnier I, Saint-Andre JP, Hicks D, Sarkozy A, Croue A, Hudson J, Lochmuller H, Dubas F. Myopathy caused by anoctamin 5 mutations and necrotizing vasculitis. Journal of Neurology 2012, 259(9), 1988-1990.
  • Hicks D, Lampe A, Laval S, Allamand V, Jimenez-Mallebrera C, Walter M, Muntoni F, Quijano-Roy S, Richard P, Straub V, Lochmuller H, Bushby K. Response to letter from Bernardi. Brain 2009, 132(10), e122.

• Online Publication

  • Lampe A, Flanigan K, Bushby KMD, Hicks D. Collagen Type VI-related disorders. 2012. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1503/.