OZ CANCER SPECIALIST IS ‘PROUD TO BE IN GLASGOW’ FOR HIS WORK

Dr Bryant will be taking part in Race For Life At Home to help raise cash for crucial research

AGLASGOW cancer scientist who uses artificial intelligence to track the disease is inspiring people to Race For Life At Home and carry on the fight against the disease in these unprecedented times.

Dr Dave Bryant leads a group of researchers working to better understand why some cancers spread, and some do not, at the city’s Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute.

This month would have seen people from across the city unite behind scientists like Dave and his team to raise vital funds for life-saving cancer research at the Race For Life on Glasgow Green.

But Scotland’s biggest Race For Life is among events organisers Cancer Research UK have postponed amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

As the nation continues on lockdown, undeterred supporters of the charity are already vowing to carry on and complete a Race For Life At Home challenge.

Dave and husband Zachary Claudino, 33, who live in Strathbungo, are joining them.

They are setting themselves a Race for Life at Home challenge to run for 30 minutes every day together during their daily exercise with their dog, Lucy.

Dave said: “Zach, Lucy and I are proud to support Race For Life at Home. The world has stopped for Covid-19, but cancer has not.

“Research will find new and better treatments for cancer, and funds raised by the Race For Life are vital for research like ours to continue.

“That’s why we are signing up to run every day for our Race For Life At Home challenge.

“As a cancer scientist, I know first-hand the impact the disease has on individuals and their families, so it feels good to plan something positive to do together and help people who are going through cancer right now.”

Dave and his team of scientists at the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute are building prostate, ovarian and bowel cancer “avatars”: three-dimensional models of cancer cells that they can study using time-lapse microscopy to find out how they spread.

Dave said: “We use artificial intelligence techniques to analyse the patterns of cancer cell spread.

“Then we can genetically alter the cancer cells to identify which genes cause them to spread.

“Our hope is that this information could help us find and test drugs that could stop cancer from spreading, or to use genetic testing in the future to identify which patients are at risk of their cancer spreading.”

With the country still on lockdown, Dave and his team aren’t currently able to perform experiments in their lab.

But they are carrying on with their cancer research from their homes by processing data, working on computer models and continuing to discuss their results together as a group over Zoom.

Originally from Brisbane, Australia, Dave moved to Glasgow via San Francisco in 2014.

He says it was the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute that brought him to the city.

He had job offers from laboratories in America, Australia and Canada, but the institute’s reputation as a world leader in cancer research, and the people he met in Glasgow, swung his decision.

Dave said: “We fell in love with Glasgow instantly. The chance to do high-quality science in an encouraging environment was professionally what we wanted to do but, outside of work, the friendliness and openness of the people of Glasgow made us really interested in being here. That’s why we’re proud to support the Race For Life in Glasgow during this difficult time.”

Cancer Research UK’s Race For Life, in partnership with Tesco, raises millions of pounds every year to help beat cancer by funding crucial research like that carried out by Dave and his team, through a series of 5K, 10K, Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids events.

Last year, the events raised £501,525 to support vital research.

Many of the scientists and researchers funded by Cancer Research UK are currently being redeployed to help in the fight against Covid-19, including assisting with testing.

Around a quarter of the scientist volunteers manning the Glasgow Lighthouse Lab Covid-19 testing centre led by Glasgow University at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital are from the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute.

Dr Victoria Steven, Cancer Research UK’s spokeswoman in Scotland, said: “At a time when it feels like everything is at a standstill, there is one thing that hasn’t stopped – cancer.

“Our priority as a charity is ensuring that people affected by cancer are getting the support they need right now.

“But we are already getting people asking about doing Race For Life At Home because they don’t want to see the charity lose out on vital funding. It’s truly humbling to see the response.

“With no entry fee, people might choose to twerk, limbo, star jump, squat, skip, dance or come up with their own novel way of taking part and share it with friends.”

People can visit raceforlife.org and sign up free for ideas on how

We fell in love with Glasgow instantly