Felicity Downing

• CDT Doctoral Researcher (Aligned) Supervisor: Dr Ute Jungwirth
• Email: F.A.Downing2@newcastle.ac.uk
• Project title:Targeting oncogene-induced replication stress in squamous cell carcinoma

Institution: Newcastle University

Project summary: This project investigates whether Hippo pathway effectors YAP/TAZ drive resistance to radiotherapy and RAS-targeted treatments in HPV-negative HNSCC (Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma), and whether targeting TEAD can overcome this resistance. Using cell lines and patient-derived 2D/3D models, the study aims to identify new therapeutic strategies for this difficult-to-treat disease.