Professor George Don Jones

BSc (Hons), Chemistry with Biochemistry, University of Leicester (1982)

MSc (Carbohydrate Chemistry - by research), University of Birmingham (1984)

PhD (Radiation Chemistry), University of Leicester (1987)

Postdoctoral Research Scientist, MRC Radiobiology Unit, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon (1987-1991)

Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Division of Radiation Biology, Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California USA (1991-1994)

Visiting Research Scientist, Radiobiology Program, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, Alberta Canada (1994-1995)

Centre Research Fellow, Centre for Mechanisms of Human Toxicity & Honorary Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester (1995-2000)

Lecturer, Department of Oncology, University of Leicester (2000-2002)

Senior Lecturer, Department of Oncology, University of Leicester (2002-2007)

Reader in Radiation Research, Department of Cancer Studies, University of Leicester (2007-2016)

Professor of Cancer Radiation Research, Leicester Cancer Research Centre, University of Leicester (2016-2020)

Professor Emeritus, Leicester Cancer Research Centre, University of Leicester (2020 - to date)

My research interests be summarised as: "Mechanisms, Measurement, Enhancement and Consequences of Radiation-, Oxidatively- and Drug-Induced Damage to DNA".

Radiotherapy and chemotherapy used either singly or in combination, are two of the principal modalities for the treatment of cancer. For radiation and many chemotherapeutic drugs, genomic DNA is the primary cellular target for the biological effects of these agents; indeed it is the DNA damage induced which is thought to be responsible for killing the of the cancer cells by these agents.

To better understand, judge and improve treatment efficacy, the purpose of my research is to explore mechanisms to enhance these damaging interactions and to develop methods and biomarkers for the accurate measurement of DNA damage in vitro and in vivo. Emphasis is placed on studying clinically relevant doses (avoiding the uncertainty of extrapolation from higher doses) and on translational research themes with anticipated patient benefit.

I have over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts & articles accepted for publication in journals & books.

Selected recent publications

Cooper CR, Jones D, Jones GDD, Petersson K. FLASH irradiation induces lower levels of DNA damage ex vivo, an effect modulated by oxygen tension, dose, and dose rate. Br J Radiol. 2022; 95: 20211150.

Shih BB, Farrar MD, Vail A, Allan D, Chao MR, Hu CW, Jones GDD, Cooke MS, Rhodes LE. Influence of skin melanisation and ultraviolet radiation on biomarkers of systemic oxidative stress. Free Radic Biol Med. 2020 Nov 20;160:40-46.

Alhegaili AS, Ji Y, Sylvius N, Blades MJ, Karbaschi M, Tempest HG, Jones GDD, Cooke MS. Genome-Wide Adductomics Analysis Reveals Heterogeneity in the Induction and Loss of Cyclobutane Thymine Dimers across Both the Nuclear and Mitochondrial Genomes. Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Oct 15;20(20):5112

Tabasso AFS, Jones DJL, Jones GDD, Macip S. Radiotherapy-Induced Senescence and its Effects on Responses to Treatment. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2019 May;31(5):283-289. 

Abbas HHK, Alhamoudi KMH, Evans MD, Jones GDD, Foster SS. MTH1 deficiency selectively increases non-cytotoxic oxidative DNA damage in lung cancer cells: more bad news than good? BMC Cancer. 2018 Apr 16;18(1):423. 

McDermott N, Meunier A, Mooney B, Nortey G, Hernandez C, Hurley S, Lynam-Lennon N, Barsoom SH, Bowman KJ, Marples B, Jones GD, Marignol L. Fractionated radiation exposure amplifies the radioresistant nature of prostate cancer cells. Sci Rep. 2016 Oct 5;6:34796. 

Sabir SR, Sahota NK, Jones GD, Fry AM. Loss of Nek11 Prevents G2/M Arrest and Promotes Cell Death in HCT116 Colorectal Cancer Cells Exposed to Therapeutic DNA Damaging Agents. PLoS One. 2015 Oct 26;10(10):e0140975.

Wood JP, Smith AJ, Bowman KJ, Thomas AL, Jones GD. Comet assay measures of DNA damage as biomarkers of irinotecan response in colorectal cancer in vitro and in vivo. Cancer Med. 2015 Sep;4(9):1309-21. 

Bowman KJ, Al-Moneef MM, Sherwood BT, Colquhoun AJ, Goddard JC, Griffiths TR, Payne D, Singh S, Butterworth PC, Khan MA, Summerton DJ, Steward WP, McKelvey-Martin VJ, McKeown SR, Kockelbergh RC, Mellon JK, Symonds RP, Jones GD. Comet assay measures of DNA damage are predictive of bladder cancer cell treatment sensitivity in vitro and outcome in vivo. Int J Cancer. 2014 Mar 1;134(5):1102-11.

As an Emeritus staff member, I continue to supervise my remaining PhD student who is investigating the mechanisms underpinning FLASH radiotherapy.

As an Emeritus member of staff, I contribute a series of lectures to MSc entitled "Cancer Molecular Pathology & Therapeutics" run by the Leicester Cancer Research Centre.

Radiation 
Radiation Biology
Radiotherapy

Vice-President Elect, Vice-President, President & Past-President, Radiation Research Society (2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021 & 2021-2022)

Vice-President, President & Past-President, European Radiation Research Society (2011-2012, 2013-2014 & 2015-2016)

Vice-President & President, Association for Radiation Research (2006-2008 & 2008-2010)

68^th Presidential Award, awarded by the Radiation Research Society "For exemplification of the ideal and idea for which the Radiation Research Society exists and for the recognition of his contributions to the Society" (2021)

Honorary Member, awarded by the Association for Radiation Research (2021)

Honorary Member, awarded by the Royal College of Radiologists for "Notable contributions made to Clinical Oncology in the United Kingdom" (2012)