Thomas Helleday
Advisory Committee
Sierra Oncology
Canada
Biography
Dr. Helleday is the Torsten and Ragnar Söderberg Professor of Translational Medicine and Chemical Biology at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Professor Helleday heads a large multidisciplinary translational research group at Karolinska Institute focusing on understanding basic DNA repair and DNA-damage and developing novel drugs for anti-cancer treatments. The group was first to demonstrate a novel concept for treating cancer called “synthetic lethality” established by the selective killing of BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutated breast and ovarian cancers by PARP inhibitors (now EMA/FDA approved). The research covers both basic and translational work including academic-driven clinical trials, based on basic science findings in his laboratory. Dr. Helleday has published extensively on the ATR/CHK1 pathway, and has established a cancer specific synthetic lethal relationship between Atr and Chk1 inhibition. Professor Helleday received a degree in molecular biology (1995) and in Business Administration and Economics (1996) from the Stockholm University. He received a PhD from Stockholm University in 1999 for his studies on homologous recombination in mammalian cells. Professor Helleday has been awarded numerous eminent international grants and awards in recognition of his research accomplishments including the Eppendorf-Nature Young European Investigator Award (2005) for outstanding contribution within the field of biomedical science by the journal Nature and two prestigious ERC advanced grants (2010 and 2016).
Research Interest
Oncology
