Stephanie McKeown

Weiss Medallist 2013

Professor Stephanie McKeown graduated in 1973 from Oxford University with a BA in Natural Sciences (Biochemistry). She then worked for 8 years in the Department of Neuropathology, Queen’s University Belfast (QUB). During this time she researched the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and completed a PhD on this subject in 1977. After a career break she returned to QUB in 1989 to a research post in cancer and radiobiology where she developed an interest in tumour hypoxia and the role of the tumour microvasculature in treatment response. In 1991 she moved to the University of Ulster where she continued this interest over the next 20 years, researching and teaching in radiobiology, cancer biology and pharmacology. More recently this has led to a focus on understanding tumour microenvironmental responses to treatment in prostate cancer. The work of her laboratory provided the preclinical data that underpinned the development of a novel hypoxia activated prodrug, AQ4N. She showed that targeting hypoxic cells with AQ4N, in combination with radiation and/or chemotherapy, could enhance anti-tumour responses; this led to several clinical trials. She is now working on a novel analogue – codenamed OCT1002 - in collaboration with a new UK company, OncoTherics.
Professor McKeown has served on a number of national and international committees / organisations including: Association for Radiation Research (chair 2004 – 2006), Cancer Recognised Research Group NI (Chair 2005 – 07 & 2007 – 09), International Association for Radiation Research (Council member, 2005 - 2009), Irish Radiation Research Society (Chair 2007 – 09), Royal College of Radiologists, specialist examiner in radiobiology, Prostate Cancer UK Research Advisory Committee (2010 – present). In 2009 she was elected to a Fellowship of the Society of Biology.

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