John Mason

I studied Biochemistry at Cardiff University, graduating with a 1^st class BSc (Hons) in 2007. Following this, I stayed in Cardiff to complete my medical training, graduating with honours in 2012. Throughout medical school I undertook research with Professor Wyn Lewis, investigating the use of novel prognostic indicators in patients with newly diagnosed oesophageal cancer.  

I was subsequently appointed as an Academic Foundation Doctor in Surgery, working in North Bristol as well as undertaking a period of clinical research with Professor Jane Blazeby at the Bristol Surgical Trials Centre. Following this I was awarded a NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship in General Surgery at the University of Oxford. During this time I undertook clinical jobs in general surgery and urology, completing the Diploma for Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons in England (MRCS) in 2015.

In 2015-16, I spent two days per week at the Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, where I was based in Professor Ian Tomlinson’s lab, investigating POLE exonuclease mutations in colorectal carcinogenesis. In 2017, I moved to the Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics to work with the Goberdhan Group, undertaking research on a novel exosome signalling pathway in colorectal cancer tumorigenesis. This preliminary work resulted in the award of a CRUK Clinical Research Training Fellowship and Royal College of Surgeons in England Surgical Research Fellowship to support my DPhil entitled “The pathophysiological role of exosome switching in colorectal cancer progression and metastasis”.