Prof. Ketan J. Patel
Scientist and Investigator at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB), University of Cambridge
Ketan J (KJ) Patel trained in medicine in the University of London and is a senior scientist at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge one of the premier research institutes in the world. He is also a fellow of Gonville and Caius college and Professor of molecular medicine and stem cell genomics at the University of Cambridge. KJ’s research investigates the molecular basis of inherited genome instability and its impact in the biology of the stem cells that produce blood.
His research has led to new insights into how toxic molecules released from metabolism can damage the DNA of stem cells, particularly in those that produce blood. Studies carried out by his laboratory have uncovered how the body defends itself against these toxic metabolites through a dual protection mechanism that involves degradation of these metabolites and a specific form of DNA repair, the Fanconi anaemia DNA repair pathway. An important aspect of this work has also shown how the toxic by-product of alcohol metabolism, acetaldehyde, damages DNA and may contribute to diseases associated with ethanol exposure, such as fetal alcohol syndrome, bone marrow dysfunction and certain cancers.
He has received prestigious awards and prizes for his work. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), a member of EMBO and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences UK (FMedSci).