Caroline Dive, CBE, PhD, FBPhS, FMedSci, Director of the CRUK Manchester Institute Cancer Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, has been recognized by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) with the Mary J. Matthews Pathology/Translational Research Award. The award recognizes an IASLC scientist for a lifetime achievement in pathology and translational research in thoracic malignancies.
Dr. Dive is currently President of the European Association for Cancer Research. She was awarded the Pasteur-Weizmann/Servier International Prize in 2012 for her biomarker research, the AstraZeneca Prize for Women in Pharmacology in 2016, and the 2019 Heine H. Hansen Lectureship Award by IASLC. She was also awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for her services to cancer research. Her research interests span tumor biology, biomarker discovery, preclinical pharmacology, and biomarker assay validation and qualification.
Caroline Dive, CBE, PhD, FBPhS, FMedSci
Past and Future of the Field
Dr. Dive’s accomplishments include the development of circulating tumor cell (CTC)-derived mouse models, called CTC–patient-derived explant (CDX) models—a landmark for small cell lung cancer research. “Biopsies are tough in small cell lung cancer. We now have more tissue to study because we have shown these CDX models are patient-faithful and cover the recently established subtypes,” she said. “These models from a 10-mL blood sample can be made before and after a patient’s chemotherapy and allow us to study the chemoresistance that occurs in each patient.”
“Translational science, optimally a partnership between nonclinically and clinically trained researchers, is essential if we want to improve patient outcomes,” Dr. Dive said.
Looking to the future of the field, she acknowledged the great progress of the past decade but pointed out that most funding and time are spent on understanding late-stage disease. “One of the areas I have become increasingly interested in is the early biology and earlier detection of lung cancers,” Dr. Dive said. “A blood test for early-stage lung cancer will be utterly transformative.”
