Staff Profile

Positions:

Research Associate - Paediatric Brain Tumour Group, Newcastle University (2023 to present)

Education:

PhD, Molecular Paediatric Oncology - Newcastle University (2023)

MRes, Biomedical Science with specialisation in Molecular Genetics - University of Glasgow (2018)

BSc (Hons), Genetics - University of Glasgow (2017)

Honours and Awards:

Faculty of Medical Sciences Doctoral Thesis Prize 2024 - Newcastle University

Poster award for 'scientific excellence in the field of paediatric neuro-oncology' - International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology (ISPNO 2022)

Newcastle University Doctoral College Enhancement Fund Award

BACR Non-Student Travel Award

BACR Student Travel Award

Memberships:

British Association for Cancer Research (BACR)

European Association for Cancer Research (EACR)

I am a Research Associate working in the Newcastle University Paediatric Brain Tumour Group. The main focus of my research involves understanding the molecular pathology of medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumour in children, utilising multi-omic profiling approaches to develop novel and risk-adapted therapies.

Newcastle Paediatric Brain Tumour Research Page

Research focus:

Molecular pathology of medulloblastoma

Biomarker discovery

Research theme:

Precision Medicine, Genomics and Informatics

Teaching:

Biochemistry (BGM1002) - Seminar leader

Supervision:

BSc Biomedical Sciences project supervisor

MRes Cancer Studies project supervisor

• Articles

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

• 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.
  • Goddard J, Castle J, Southworth J, Crosier S, Martin-Guerrero I, Garcia-Ariza M, Navaja A, Bourdeaut F, Dufour C, Goschzik T, Pietsch T, Williamson D, Bailey S, Schwalbe E, Clifford S, Hicks D. EMBR-25. Genome-wide genetic and epigenetic assessment of Group 4 medulloblastoma for improved, biomarker driven, prognostication and risk-stratification. In: Abstracts from the Society for Neuro-Oncology’s 6th Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Basic and Translational Research Conference. 2021, Neuro-Oncology.