Dr Marie Boyd – Reader in Translational Biology
Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences (SIPBS)

Dr Marie Boyd joined the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences (SIPBS) in July 2009 as a SULSA Reader in Translational Biology, following a prestigious CRUK Senior Cancer Research Fellowship awarded in 2005. Her fellowship-supported work focused on the development of targeted radionuclide therapies for cancer. Since then, her research has continued to advance the field of radiopharmaceuticals and external beam radiotherapy for cancer, with a particular emphasis on expanding its application across multiple hard to treat tumour types, through the development of novel radiopharmaceuticals, novel radiation targets, gene therapy platforms, and molecular targeting strategies.

Dr Boyd leads an ambitious multidisciplinary collaborative research programme investigating cellular and molecular responses to radiotherapy collaborating with molecular and cellular biologists, medicinal and analytical chemists, physicists, formulation scientists, clinicians and Industry.  A key focus of her group is the rational combination of radiotherapy with novel and repurposed drugs, nanoparticles, and novel drug and gene delivery systems. Her team employs innovative cutting-edge techniques in gene therapy, systems biology, and multi-omics approaches to interrogate cell signalling and optimise therapeutic responses. In particular, more recent research has been the development of therapy resistant cancer cell lines, their interrogation and the development of potential therapies to treat cancers which are resistant to first line therapies.  The group’s translational focus has resulted in several therapeutic schemes progressing to clinical trials, including  targeted radionuclide therapy for the childhood cancer neuroblastoma and her team is also developing an Industry led novel gene therapy platform for glioblastoma, which is progressing toward a Phase I clinical trial.

Since joining Strathclyde, Dr Boyd has significantly expanded her collaborative and translational research activity. She has played leading roles in major national and international consortia, including the Children’s Brain Tumour Drug Delivery Consortium and Gliomodel (https://gliomodel.org.uk/), and works closely with both clinical and industrial partners. Her research explores the complex interactions between different types of radiation (e.g., varying in linear energy transfer, dose, and dose rate) and their biological effects, particularly in the context of optimising  combination therapies and reducing treatment side effects.

Dr Boyd’s interdisciplinary collaborations  span the globe and she actively contributes to institutional strategic priorities through the Health and Wellbeing Strategic Theme (https://www.strath.ac.uk/workwithus/healthwellbeing/) and Health and Care Futures  (https://www.strath.ac.uk/workwithus/healthcarefutures/) initiatives at the University of Strathclyde. Her work is characterised by a commitment to co-creation, innovation, and the development of  ethically robust and sustainable precision cancer therapies. She has secured substantial research funding, published over 100 research outputs including patent submissions and established a strong track record of global, impactful, translational outcomes. A central strand of her research investigates tumour-versus-normal tissue responses to radiation, including radiation-induced bystander effects as emerging therapeutic targets.

In addition to her research leadership, Dr Boyd is Course Director of the novel MSc in Cancer Therapies (https://www.strath.ac.uk/courses/postgraduatetaught/cancertherapies/), a postgraduate programme she designed to integrate core elements of translational cancer research, including drug discovery and development, radiobiology, medicinal chemistry, formulation science, and business engagement. The programme provides students with a comprehensive foundation in modern cancer therapy development and delivery with a patient centred prospective. Dr Boyd is passionate about science outreach and Knowledge exchange, engaging in opportunities to communicate her research  and enthuse children and adults via supporting accessible and equal STEM education.

Through her leadership of a dynamic, international research team, Dr Boyd continues to deliver high-impact translational cancer research utilising both research and knowledge exchange pathways to support her research. Her extensive collaborations, clinical translation successes, and passionate dedication to researcher development and people-orientated leadership, positions her as a leader in advancing cancer treatment and  in preparing the next generation of world-class cancer scientists.

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