Scientific Areas of Expertise: Cancer Genomics, Somatic Cell Evolution, Structural Variation
For innovative contributions to defining the genetics and evolution of normal and cancerous cells including leveraging large-scale cancer genome sequencing technologies to develop cutting-edge computational tools capable of analyzing cancer genomic datasets, characterizing tumor mutational burden, and informing how best to improve the clinical management of cancer patients.
A globally recognized leader in cancer genomics, Dr. Campbell’s pioneering research has repeatedly reset how the field understands the genetic architecture of evolution of tumors. Using large‑scale whole‑genome sequencing coupled to innovative computational analyses, he has fundamental models of genome change, including chromothripsis, a catastrophic shattering and reassembly of chromosomes, and kataegis, ocalized hypermutation often linked to genomic rearrangements, both of which have redefined models of oncogenesis. Dr. Campbell helped establish the modern framework of mutational signatures, connecting characteristic DNA damage and repair patterns to etiologies and therapeutic vulnerabilities. As a leading figure in the Pan‑Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes consortium, he co-shaped population-scale catalogs of drivers, timing, and structural variation across dozens of tumor types, setting community standards for calling and interpreting somatic events. In hematologic malignancies, his contributions span the molecular taxonomy and evolutionary trajectories of leukemias and myeloproliferative neoplasms, informing contemporary approaches to diagnosis, risk stratification, and clinical study design.
Building on his cancer genome research, Dr. Campbell extended cancer genomics into normal human tissues that showed not only that somatic mutations accrue throughout life in every organ studied, but also that clonal expansions are common even in histologically normal tissue. Using high-resolution sequencing, Dr. Campbell illuminated when and where mutational processes act, how frequently driver mutations arise in normal cells, and which clones progress. These insights have reframed early cancer development, aging, and the boundary between health and disease and have direct implications for early detection, risk assessment, and precision prevention. Across discovery, methods, and consortia leadership, Dr. Campbell’s conceptual frameworks and landmark discoveries continue to guide basic and translational oncology by charting tumor evolution from the first mutational events to clinically actionable vulnerabilities.
Selected Awards and Honors
2022 Elected Member, National Academy of Medicine, Washington, DC
2021 Elected Fellow, The Royal Society, London, United Kingdom
2019 Elected Fellow, Academy of Medical Sciences, London, United Kingdom
2018 Elected Associate Member, European Molecular Biology Organization, Heidelberg, Germany
2010 Future Leaders in Cancer Research Prize, Cancer Research UK, London, United Kingdom
[Institutional affiliations listed for Fellows reflect those held at the time of their induction into the AACR Academy.]