Mr Alastair Lamb

Dr Alastair Lamb

MA, MBChB, PhD, FRCS
Senior Clinical Lecturer, Barts Cancer Institute
Visiting Associate Professor, Oxford University
Honorary Consultant Urological Surgeon, Guy's and St Thomas'​ NHS Foundation Trust
Group Leader

Bluesky: @lambalastair.bsky.social

YouTube: @AlastairDLamb

Email
Twitter
Research Focus

Our lab focusses on Spatial Prostate Assessment and the Circulating Environment (aka the SPACE Group). We use cutting edge spatial molecular techniques to unpack clonal dynamics in the development of localised prostate cancer. Alongside this we seek to identify scalable “windows” into clonal lethality using machine learning approaches applied to histology and MRI images as well as ‘liquid biopsy’ of circulating tumour cells (CTCs). Our aim is to transform decision-making in clinical management of prostate cancer so that the right men get the right treatment at the right time.

Key Publications
  • Clonal phylogenies inferred from bulk, single cell, and spatial transcriptomic analysis of epithelial cancers.  PLoS One. (2025) Jan 3;20(1):e0316475. PMID: 39752458
  • Clinical Implications of Basic Research: Exploring the Transformative Potential of Spatial 'Omics in Uro-oncology.  Eur Urol. (2025) Jan;87(1):8-14.  PMID: 39227262
  • Spatial transcriptomic analysis of virtual prostate biopsy reveals confounding effect of tissue heterogeneity on genomic signatures.  Mol Cancer. (2023) Oct 3;22(1):162. PMID: 37789377
  • Spatio-temporal analysis of prostate tumors in situ suggests pre-existence of treatment-resistant clones. Nat Commun. 2022 Sep 17;13(1):5475. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-33069-3. PMID: 36115838
  • Spatially resolved clonal copy number alterations in benign and malignant tissue. Nature. (2022) Aug;608(7922):360-367. PMID: 35948708
Major Funding
  • 2025–2029 - Cancer Research UK. Advanced Clinician Scientist Fellowship. SPACE-X Study. CI. £1.64M
  • 2023–2025 - John Fell Trust. Field activated magnetic nanoparticles to capture CTCs. PI. £40k.
  • 2021-2025 - John Black Foundation. TRANSLATE Trial sample collection funding. PI. £200K.
  • 2021-2025 - National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment (HTA). TRANSLATE Trial. Co-CI. NIHR131233. £1.53M.
  • 2017-2024 - Cancer Research UK Clinician Scientist Fellowship. SPACE Study. CI. £1.15M
Other Activities
Themes/Keywords
Bioinformatics Cancer Evolution and Genomics Metastasis and Invasion Tumour Microenvironment Prostate Centre for Cancer Evolution
Other Activities
Major Funding
  • 2025–2029 - Cancer Research UK. Advanced Clinician Scientist Fellowship. SPACE-X Study. CI. £1.64M
  • 2023–2025 - John Fell Trust. Field activated magnetic nanoparticles to capture CTCs. PI. £40k.
  • 2021-2025 - John Black Foundation. TRANSLATE Trial sample collection funding. PI. £200K.
  • 2021-2025 - National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment (HTA). TRANSLATE Trial. Co-CI. NIHR131233. £1.53M.
  • 2017-2024 - Cancer Research UK Clinician Scientist Fellowship. SPACE Study. CI. £1.15M
  • 2014-2017 - Prostate Cancer UK Pilot Award. PI. £36k
  • 2014-2017 - Academy of Medical Sciences Clinical Lecturer’s Starter Grant. PI. £30K
  • 2013-2016 - MRC Confidence in Concepts. Co-applicant. £64K
  • 2007-2011 - National Institute for Health Research/GSK Clinical Research Fellowship, 3yr funding. PhD. £180K
  • 2007-2009 - Prostate Research Campaign; grant awarded for IHC analysis of TRUS biopsies in BPH. PI. £3K
Team
 
  • Alumni
    • Wencheng Yin, Postdoc – now postdoc in Kennedy Institute
    • Andrew Erickson, Postdoc – now group leader in Helsinki
    • Hasim Bakbak, summer student – completing medical studies at Koc University
    • Ying Cui, histopathology technician
    • Alicia Kayes, histopathology technician
    • Lois Vesty-Edwards, research nurse and tissue collection coordinator
Biography

Alastair Lamb is a Cancer Research UK-funded clinician scientist & urologist based at Barts Cancer Institute and Guys Hospital in London. He runs a scientific group called SPACE (Spatial Prostate Assessment and the Circulating Environment) whose main interest is the molecular basis of localised prostate cancer. His lab interrogate spatial clonal biology to unpack prostate cancer heterogeneity, with a focus on identifying and defining clonal lethality. The longer term objective is to change the paradigm of prostate cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment. The first part of this work was published in Nature in 2022 (see our video summary on YouTube) with a follow up analysis in Molecular Cancer in 2023.

Alastair is also involved in clinical trials research, as co-Chief Investigator of the TRANSLATE Trial, and a local Investigator for the ATLANTA, PROMOTE and FINESSE Trials. Alongside this he set up the QUANTUM Biobank at Oxford to facilitate tissue collections complementing research into urological malignancies.

Clinically, he manages patients across the full spectrum of localised prostate cancer from PSA counselling, through diagnosis, surveillance and robotic prostatectomy. He introduced LATP prostate biopsy to Oxford as well as a prostatectomy planning meeting to ensure robust discussion of all cases and a consensus approach to operative steps, on the basis that intentionality and teamwork matters in complex surgery.