Malaysian scientist Dr Serena Nik-Zainal has been awarded the Dr Josef Steiner Cancer Research Prize 2019 for her work titled “Accelerating holistic cancer genome interpretation towards the clinic”.

She is the principal researcher in a team, that also comprises Dr Paul Calleja and Dr Ignacio Medina, whose work has enabled the acceleration of holistic cancer genome interpretation towards clinical practice.

Serena is part of the University of Cambridge's Medical Genetics Department and Medical Research Council Cancer Unit.

According to the university, her research work allows for mutations in cancer tumours to be analysed using new bio-informatic methods, which in turn enabled new approaches to targeted therapies.

The prize will be awarded tomorrow, at the university during which Serena will present her work.

Steiner was a Swiss pharmacist who devoted 52 years of his life to his pharmacy.

Following his death at the age of 94 in 1983, in accordance with his will, a yearly prize is awarded for outstanding contributions in the field of cancer research.