Research
Cancer - Immune Interactions
Research Interests:
Immune cells, Macrophages, Metastasis, Pancreatic cancer, Immuno-Oncology
Research Summary:
Our research focuses on how immune cells adapt to different tissue environments, and how this process becomes dysregulated in diseases such as pancreatic cancer. In healthy tissues, immune cells - including macrophages - maintain homeostasis and support repair, but in cancer they can be reprogrammed to promote tumour growth, spread, and immune evasion.
We are particularly interested in how pancreatic cancer metastasises to the liver and how immune cell behaviour evolves throughout this process. Tumours can pre-condition distant sites by forming pre-metastatic niches, where systemic signals reshape immune composition and metabolism to favour tumour seeding.
We extend this work to the metastatic tumour microenvironment, examining how immune cells adapt once metastases are established. In the liver, a naturally tolerogenic environment becomes further immunosuppressed, enabling tumour persistence and therapy resistance. We aim to define the mechanisms driving this immunosuppressive niche, with a focus on tissue-specific signals and metabolic constraints.
Our goal is to understand how these maladaptive immune states develop across disease progression and to identify the next generation of diagnostic and therapeutic tools to disrupt them and restore anti-tumour immunity.
To achieve this, we combine experimental models, computational analysis, and patient-derived samples to ensure clinical relevance.
You can also watch a video about our research here In the Lab with Dr Michael Schmid
Funding:Medical Research Council; North West Cancer Research; Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund; Royal Society
Explaining our research
Research grants
Liverpool ECMC (LECMC)
CANCER RESEARCH UK (UK), DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
April 2023 - March 2028
Whole Transcriptome Spatial Pro ling in Conjunctival Melanoma
THE PATHOLOGICAL SOCIETY (UK)
April 2024 - June 2026
Trans-venous occlusion of incompetent pelvic veins as a treatment for chronic pelvic pain in women: a randomised control trial
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE (UK)
May 2015 - April 2017
Assessing Gas6+ neutrophils in the blood of pancreatic cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy to generate evidence for targeting Gas6/AXL signalling in patients
THE CLATTERBRIDGE CANCER CENTRE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST (UK)
September 2023 - August 2025
Studying immune escape of disseminated cancer cells in pancreatic cancer
ROYAL SOCIETY (CHARITABLE)
March 2015 - March 2016
Role of monocytes in the metastatic process: identification of novel molecular targets to fight pancreatic cancer
PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH FUND (UK)
July 2015 - June 2019
Impact of targeting myeloid PI3Kg on the pancreatic tumour stroma compartment and the response to chemotherapy
MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
March 2014 - March 2017
Impact of tumour-associated myeloid cells on cancer stemness and chemotherapy-resistance
NORTH WEST CANCER RESEARCH FUND
March 2013 - December 2016
Development of BH3 profiling to assess tumour sensitivity to cancer chemotherapeutic agents
NORTH WEST CANCER RESEARCH INCORPORATING CLATTERBRIDGE CANCER RESEARCH (UK)
November 2014 - November 2016
European Study Group for Pancreatic Cancer Trial 5F prospective sample collection - ESPAC-5FT
CANCER RESEARCH UK (UK)
September 2014 - December 2018