Growing research capacity is central to our mission to find a cure for all types of brain tumour and is a key pillar of our new research strategy, From Discovery to a Cure: 2026-2030.
By funding PhD students through our Centres of Excellence awards, we are not only driving forward research into innovative treatments, but also developing the next generation of scientists dedicated to improving outcomes for patients.
Elliot Kearney recently completed his PhD in schwannoma biology at our Centre of Excellence at the University of Plymouth. He is now a postdoctoral research assistant working on meningioma, accelerating our understanding of the role the immune system plays in these tumours.
We caught up with Elliot to find out more about his PhD, what he discovered, and what comes next.
What inspired you to pursue a PhD in research into brain tumours, and why did you choose to focus on schwannoma tumours?
The inspiration really came from my Master's degree. Although most of it was lecture based, I spent three months working in a laboratory and absolutely loved it. It was my first experience of independent research, and it made me realise that lab science was what I wanted to do.
When I finished my Master's, I started looking for laboratory jobs, but many required years of experience that I didn't have.
“I hadn't really considered a PhD because I thought they were all self-funded and simply weren't accessible to me. Then I discovered PhD opportunities funded by Brain Tumour Research.”
The project in Plymouth immediately stood out. I hadn't heard of schwannoma before, but the research sounded fascinating. It was also linked to the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence in Plymouth, and I had some personal family experience of brain tumours, so it felt like a meaningful area to work in.
What was the focus of your PhD research, and why is it important for patients?
Schwannomas are usually slow-growing, non-cancerous tumours. While they can develop on any nerve within the body, they commonly develop on the nerves connecting the brain to the ears causing hearing loss, balance problems and, in some cases, facial weakness if they grow large enough.
My research focused on immune cells called macrophages. We already knew that large numbers of macrophages are found within schwannoma tumours and influenced how aggressive the tumour is, but we didn't really understand what they were doing there.
To investigate this, I used mouse models of schwannoma and reduced the number of macrophages present. This allowed us to study how tumour growth changed when those immune cells were removed. The aim was to understand whether macrophages help the tumour develop and whether they could potentially become a target for future treatments.
What did you discover?
One of the most important things we found was that macrophages appear to play different roles depending on what stage the tumour is at.
When we reduced macrophage numbers very early in tumour development, we saw much lower tumour growth. However, when we removed them later, after tumours were already established, we didn't see a change in tumour growth itself. Instead, we saw a major reduction in the formation of new blood vessels within the tumour.
Our work suggests that macrophages are particularly important in helping schwannomas create the blood vessel network needed to support continued tumour growth and may also influence how tumours develop during their earliest stages.
What was the most exciting or unexpected finding from your PhD?
The most unexpected finding was definitely seeing such a strong reduction in tumour growth when macrophages were depleted early in tumour development.
That discovery came right towards the end of my PhD. We'd spent a long time experimenting with different doses and treatment schedules, and it was only when we started treating earlier that we saw this really striking effect.
It showed that macrophages aren't doing the same thing throughout the lifetime of a tumour. Their role appears to shift as the schwannoma develops, which was really interesting to uncover.
How could your research one day benefit people living with schwannoma tumours?
At this stage, the work helps validate macrophages as a potential therapeutic target. Rather than only targeting tumour cells directly, future treatments could potentially target the immune cells that help support tumour growth.
“Current treatment options for schwannoma patients are limited and can include surgery, radiotherapy or drugs that don't work for everyone and can cause significant side effects. Our findings help lay the groundwork for exploring alternative treatment approaches in the future.”
It's still early-stage research, but understanding the biology of these tumours is an essential first step towards developing better treatments.
How important was Brain Tumour Research funding in helping you develop as a researcher?
Without Brain Tumour Research funding, I simply wouldn't have been able to do the PhD. I didn't know funded PhD programmes existed, and I wouldn't have been able to support myself financially while carrying out the research.
The funding not only supported me personally, but also provided the resources and consumables needed to carry out the work. Without that support, this research would never have happened.
Now that your PhD is complete, what research are you working on next?
I'm now a postdoctoral research assistant funded by the Children’s Tumor Foundation. I’m working on meningioma research under Dr Liyam Laraba, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre of Excellence, who was also previously funded by Brain Tumour Research.
We are focused on developing humanised mouse models that contain components of a human immune system, allowing us to study how immune cells interact with meningioma tumours in a much more realistic way.
We're also investigating immunotherapy approaches and have already identified promising potential targets. Ultimately, we're hoping this work will help create more clinically relevant models and open the door to new treatment strategies, including cancer vaccine approaches.
Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable, long-term research through its network of Centres of Excellence, helping researchers like Elliot build careers dedicated to finding new treatments and, ultimately, a cure for brain tumours.
If you want to help us continue funding research into all types of brain tumours, there's still time to get involved in Walk of Hope. Come along to Chatsworth on Saturday 26th September or set up your own walk wherever you are.
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