UCL Computational Cancer Collaboratorium Seminar Series

UCL Computational Cancer Collaboratorium Seminar Series

UCL’s Computational Cancer Collaboratorium draws together the extensive and diverse expertise in UCL in the area of computational cancer, and to enhance and enable collaborative working in the area. Our new seminar series reflects this cross-disciplinary interest, bringing together leading speakers from across cancer and computational science.

Students and staff from all faculties are welcome and encouraged to join.

Upcoming Seminar

Date and time: Tuesday 21 October 2025 | 12.00pm -1:00pm (BST)

Location: Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology (LMCB), Gower Street, WC1E 6BT, Seminar Room 2.30

Speaker: Professor Sebastian Brandner

Title: Prediction of genomic and epigenetic alteration in meningiomas: a project proposal

Background: Meningiomas are mostly benign tumours of the central nervous system (CNS) originating from arachnoidal cells. Meningiomas are conventionally graded by morphological features, such as mitotic count, brain invasion, and certain histological criteria (e.g., chordoid, clear cell, papillary), into 3 WHO grades.

A limitation of the histologic grade is a relatively poor prediction of recurrence. This has improved by integrating additional molecular features, the epigenetic profile (methylation class benign, intermediate, and malignant), and the presence of specific chromosomal losses.

We and others have conducted studies to establish and validate molecular features that indicate an increased risk of recurrence. We have published a large study to understand the relationship between WHO grade, and the clinical utility of epigenetic and chromosome copy number information in better predicting recurrence risk (PMID 40356449).

A recent international guideline (PMID 39212325) has recommended that chromosome 1p loss (an established risk factor for recurrence) should result in a CNS WHO grade 2, even if the meningioma is otherwise morphologically benign. It is likely that this recommendation will be integrated in the next addition of the CNS WHO classification.

Content of presentation: Professor Sebastian Brandner will explain the concept of grading and the role of additional testing, present our own data and further explained and discussed the rationale for image detection of chromosomal losses.

Speaker biography:

Sebastian Brandner is Professor of Neuropathology at the Institute of Neurology, University College London, and Honorary Consultant Neuropathologist at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

He studied medicine in Göttingen, and in 1993 joined the Institute of Neuropathology in Zurich, where he started his research on prion disease. He discovered that prions are toxic to nerve cells but only when these express the normal PrP isoform, resulting in highly cited publications in Nature and PNAS. During his postdoctoral training, he also developed an interest in the pathogenesis of brain tumours. In 2001, he was recruited through the MRC international recruitment scheme to join the MRC Prion Unit at UCL Institute of Neurology. In 2004, he was appointed Chair of Neuropathology and Head of the Division of Neuropathology at Queen Square.

In the field of neurodegenerative research, he conducted three major studies, funded by Public Health England, to screen the prevalence for the presence of vCJD prions in the UK. These findings had important implications for the management of blood and blood products and for the handling of surgical instruments. He discovered that amyloid beta, one of the proteins aggregating in Alzheimer’s disease can be transmitted through medical procedures, published in Nature and Acta Neuropathologica. His research on brain tumours resulted in publications in EMBO Journal, Cancer Research, and Oncogene. He showed how stem- and progenitor cells of the adult brain can give rise to brain tumours and how these tumours relate to human disease.

Professor Brandner is Training Programme Director in Diagnostic Neuropathology for London, Chair of the Specialty Advisory Committee and Chair of the Working Group of Cancer Services at the Royal College of Pathologists.

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