Frontiers of Science: Prof. Paul Timpson

Frontiers of Science

16th April 2026 at 12:00
Onsite event
in Presidentti auditorium, BioCity
Spring 2026 program

Prof. Paul Timpson, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Australia
Intravital imaging of cancer and drug responses

Host: Johanna Ivaska (joivaska@utu.fi)

Coffee and sandwich served at 11:45, first come first serve!

Six PhD researchers and early-career postdocs are welcome to have a lunch and discuss with Prof. Timpson after the seminar. This is a great possibility to learn hosting skills in a friendly environment and create connections for future. Everyone is welcome to join, BioCity Turku will offer the lunch.

If you got interested, please send an email to biocityturku@bioscience.fi

Cancer invasion and metastasis occur in a complex three-dimensional environment, with reciprocal feedback from the surrounding host tissue and stroma governing cancer cell behaviour. Understanding this behaviour in an intact host setting allows us to examine – in a more physiological context – the aberrant regulation of critical events that lead to the dissemination and spread of the primary tumour. Intravital (in vivo) imaging is providing new insights into how cells behave in their native microenvironment, thereby improving our understanding of disease progression.

Timpson lab uses novel state-of-the-art intravital imaging approaches and new fluorescent biosensor mouse models to uncouple the metastatic process into key stages, in order to pinpoint critical events that drive tumour invasion and metastasis. Their approach allows real-time imaging, ranging from whole body tumour progression to single-cell invasion events. This helps to understand how tumour cell dissociation, invasion or progression are controlled and how this regulation is linked to the development of invasive or metastatic cancer.

Timpson lab also explores properties of the three-dimensional tumour microenvironment that contribute to poor drug targeting, in order to pinpoint critical barriers that impair treatment. The team then employs combination therapy aimed at counteracting these barriers, to enhance drug penetrance and efficiency in vivo, and improve overall drug delivery outcomes.

Selected publications

Chambers CR, Watakul S, Schofield P, Howell AE, …, Wang Y, Joshua AM, Chantrill L, Evans TRJ, Gill AJ, Morton JP, Pajic M, Christ D, Herzog H, Timpson P, Herrmann D. 2025. Targeting the NPY/NPY1R signaling axis in mutant p53-dependent pancreatic cancer impairs metastasis. Sci Adv. 2025 Mar 14;11(11):eadq4416.

Pereira BA, Ritchie S, Chambers CR, Gordon KA, …, Herrmann D, Cox TR, Timpson P. 2024. Temporally resolved proteomics identifies nidogen-2 as a cotarget in pancreatic cancer that modulates fibrosis and therapy response. Sci Adv. 2024 Jul 5;10(27):eadl1197.

Bhattacharyya ND, Kyaw W, McDonald MM, Dhenni R, Grootveld AK, Xiao Y, Chai R, Khoo WH, Danserau LC, Sergio CM, Timpson P, Lee WM, Croucher PI, Phan TG. 2023. Minimally invasive longitudinal intravital imaging of cellular dynamics in intact long bone. Nat Protoc. 2023 Dec;18(12):3856-3880.

Chitty JL, Yam M, Perryman L, Parker AL, Skhinas JN, Setargew YFI, …, Australian Pancreatic Cancer Matrix Atlas (APMA); Pajic M, Timpson P, Jarolimek W, Cox TR. 2023. A first-in-class pan-lysyl oxidase inhibitor impairs stromal remodeling and enhances gemcitabine response and survival in pancreatic cancer. Nat Cancer. 2023 Sep;4(9):1326-1344.

Conway JRW, Warren SC, Lee YK, McCulloch AT, …, Papa A, Haigh JJ, Nobis M, Timpson P. 2023. Monitoring AKT activity and targeting in live tissue and disease contexts using a real-time Akt-FRET biosensor mouse. Sci Adv. 2023 Apr 28;9(17):eadf9063.

General information

• Registration is not needed, participation list is circulated in the audience
• If you are a student and later wish to get a certificate of attendance from the Frontier of Science seminars, print out the seminar diary and after the seminar ask the BioCity coordinator to sign it https://seafile.utu.fi/f/0cd08ce7e61b419b88cb/
• Please note that any audio or video recording of the seminars is strictly forbidden.
• Spring 2026 image credits to Jan Kaslin: Motor neurons (green) and newly produced cells (red) are organized around the central canal (blue cells surrounding channel that crosses the image) in the adult zebrafish spinal cord. Image taken using Leica SP8 confocal microscope.