Dr Alex Gibbs

(he/him)

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Biography

I began my academic journey at Cardiff University, completing a BSc in Biomedical Sciences (2014 - 2018). During this time, I undertook a Professional Training Year (2016 - 2017) in Dr. Neil Rodrigues’ lab at the European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute (ECSCRI), where I explored therapeutic strategies in acute myeloid leukaemia. My thesis, “Targeting of Pre-Leukemic and Leukemic Stem Cells in Acute Myeloid Leukaemia through a Novel GATA-2 Inhibitor, K7174”, sparked my interest in translational cancer research.

In my final year, I shifted focus to imaging technologies, working with Dr. Geraint Parfitt on my project “Expansion Microscopy: A New Approach for High-Resolution Imaging of the Mouse Mammary Gland”. This experience broadened my appreciation for innovative methodologies in biomedical research.

I continued at ECSCRI with a Master of Research (MRes, Biosciences; 2018 - 2019) under Prof. Girish Patel, where my thesis, “Defining the Role of Beta-HPV in Skin Cancer”, deepened my expertise in cancer biology and viral oncology. This led naturally into my PhD (2019 - 2024), also supervised by Prof. Girish Patel, where I investigated the Role of CD200 in Basal Cell Carcinoma. My doctoral research combined molecular biology with bioinformatics, solidifying my transition into computational biology.

After completing my PhD, I joined the Wales Cancer Research Centre (2023 - 2025) as a Senior Core Bioinformatician, funded by the Cancer Research Strategy catalytic funding (CReSt). In this role, I supported cancer researchers across Wales with their bioinformatics needs, ranging from teaching and pipeline development to direct data analysis, and established the Wales Cancer Bioinformatics Network (WCBN) to foster collaboration across the research community.

Currently, I work as a Bioinformatician at the Wales Kidney Research Unit (WKRU, 2025 - present). Here, I focus on developing pipelines for multi-omics integration and spatial analysis, supporting researchers and clinicians in generating meaningful insights from complex datasets. I am passionate about translational bioinformatics, bridging the gap between big data and clinical application, and I am always open to collaboration across academia, healthcare, and industry.