In a career spanning more than 25 years, Professor Sansom has made major contributions to understanding some of the key molecular drivers of cancer.

He has been instrumental in determining the molecular hallmarks of colorectal cancer, including defining the roles of the tumour suppressor protein APC and the WNT signalling pathway and the involvement of intestinal stem cells in tumourigenesis.

His laboratory uses both in vivo and 3D in vitro models to recapitulate colorectal, liver and pancreatic cancers to investigate the molecular mechanisms underpinning tumourigenesis and identify novel drug targets.

Professor Sansom has been Director of the CRUK Scotland Institute since 2017 and is more broadly involved in driving cancer research strategy in Scotland. He was instrumental in the formation of the CRUK Scotland Centre, which aims to translate findings from the laboratory into the clinic for the benefit of cancer patients, and which he co-directs.

In 2021, Professor Sansom was appointed Director of the National Mouse Genetics Network, an investment of more than £20 million by the Medical Research Council to accelerate our understanding of human disease, including cancer, and improve diagnosis and treatments.