Mutagenesis in Medicine
Early Cancer Institute, University of Cambridge

Dr Ramsay Bowden

Locum Assistant Professor and Honorary Consultant in Medical Genetics

Ramsay studied medicine at the University of Cambridge. After qualifying, she was appointed to an academic foundation programme in the East of England. Alongside core medical training she undertook a Masters in Translational Medicine and Therapeutics. A research placement at the Wellcome Sanger Institute sparked her interest in cancer genomics. In 2014, she started specialty training in clinical genetics and was subsequently awarded a Wellcome Clinical Research Fellowship. Her PhD was supervised by Professor Steve Jackson at the Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge. During her doctoral research, she developed a novel gene editing approach for large scale genetic screens, focusing on mechanisms of DNA damage and repair. She obtained a grant from the Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust to extend her research, investigating targeted treatments for the ultraviolet hypersensitivity disorder Xeroderma Pigmentosum.

Ramsay returned to clinical training in 2021 as a Clinical Lecturer. In 2023 she was appointed Locum Assistant Professor and Honorary Consultant in Medical Genetics. Working with Professor Serena Nik-Zainal, her research aims to maximise the clinical utility of cancer whole genome sequencing data. She has a particular interest in hereditary cancer predisposition, DNA repair disorders and early detection. Ramsay uses mutational signature analysis to develop tools for prognostication and treatment targeting.

Ramsay is also passionate about inspiring the next generation of clinical academics. She is a Fellow at Jesus College, Cambridge and NIHR Clinical Research Network Genetics Specialty Representative for Early Career Researchers.

Contact Us

Prof. Serena Nik-Zainal
Early Cancer Institute
University of Cambridge
Hutchison Research Centre
Box 197
Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Cambridge
United Kingdom
CB2 0XZ

sn206@cam.ac.uk