We are pleased to host Professor Zoë Walters who is Professor of Translational Epigenomics in the School of Cancer Sciences at the University of Southampton, where she co-leads the Innovation for Translation Research Group (ITRG) with Professor Tim Underwood.
The ITRG is committed to improving the outcomes of patients with solid tumours of unmet clinical need by delivering better, less harmful and more precise treatments, via a combination of clinical and scientific excellence. Central to this mission is the Strategic Oversight Team (SOT), a group comprising patients, carers and relatives of patients, and a high-performance coach, who work closely with the ITRG at all stages of research to ensure that patient experience, priorities and perspectives remain at the heart of the programme.
Prof Walters’ research focuses on the genomics and epigenomic regulation of paediatric and adult solid tumours, with a particular emphasis on paediatric and adult soft tissue sarcomas, and oesophageal adenocarcinomas. She leads multiple national and international collaborations that integrate molecular biology, tumour microenvironment analysis, and machine learning to identify new therapeutic vulnerabilities and improve clinical decision-making. Her programme of research spans epigenetic therapies, immunotherapy development, spatial biology, and computational modelling of high-risk cancers, and has contributed to the development of preclinical strategies now informing translational research and clinical trial design.
Alongside her research, Prof Walters plays an active leadership role within the University of Southampton as Deputy Head of School (Education) and serves on numerous strategic committees. She also contributes widely to the cancer research community through her service on grant review panels, editorial boards, and international clinical and scientific working groups for paediatric sarcoma and neuroblastoma. Prof Walters is committed to training the next generation of cancer researchers, having supervised over 35 postgraduate students across MSc and PhD programmes.