Dr Vinton Cheng BSc MBBS MRCP PGDip DPhil

Dr Vinton Cheng

Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences
Associate Clinical Professor
Honorary Consultant in Medical Oncology

Contact details

Email
v.w.t.cheng@bham.ac.uk
Twitter
@vwcheng
View my research portal
Address
Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences
College of Medical and Dental Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT

Dr Vinton Cheng is an Associate Clinical Professor and Honorary Consultant in Medical Oncology with a clinical focus on the holistic management of adult patients with primary and metastatic brain tumours, including through the delivery of systemic therapies. Dr Cheng's research interests are in developing systemic therapy trials for brain tumour patients and studying the progression of cancer in the brain. He also has a strong background in pre-clinical models of brain tumours, having developed orthotopic and advanced brain metastasis syngeneic/xenograft models. He is particularly interested in interdisciplinary research and innovation.

Qualifications

Associate Clinical Professor/Honorary Consultant in Medical Oncology:

  • DPhil in Oncology, University of Oxford 2019
  • MRCP (Medical Oncology), 2015
  • PGDip in Health Research, University of Leeds, 2013
  • MBBS, Queen Mary University of London, 2009
  • BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Engineering, Queen Mary University of London, 2006

Biography

After graduating from medical school, Dr Cheng joined the Academic Foundation Programme in the North West Deanery. He undertook a 4 month research post in Respiratory Medicine, where he participated in a clinical study to collect exhaled volatile organic compounds in breath samples for early diagnosis of lung cancer and a qualitative study to design a diagnostic tool for vocal cord dysfunction. Following completion of foundation training, Dr Cheng progressed to an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust. Here, he joined the Translational Neuro-oncology group, initially headed by Dr Sean Lawler (now Associate Professor at Brown University, USA) then by Professor Susan Short (Professor of Clinical Oncology and Neuro-Oncology), at the Leeds Institute of Medical Research. During his ACF, he studied the microRNA profile of glioblastoma (GBM) and also GBM invasion using 3D tumour spheroid models.

For his higher research training Dr Cheng joined the CRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology where as a Clinical Research Training Fellow, under the supervision of Professor Nicola Sibson (Professor of Imaging Neuroscience) and Professor Mark Middleton (Professor of Experimental Cancer Medicine), he studied the interaction between VCAM-1 and VLA-4 for the molecular imaging of brain metastasis and as a strategy to prevent metastatic seeding of cancer in the brain. 

On completion of his DPhil, Dr Cheng returned to Leeds to take up an Academic Clinical Lectureship and Honorary Specialty Registrar position. Through funding by CRUK and in collaboration with Dr Mihaela Lorger (Associate Professor), he investigated the pre-metastatic vascular niche in the brain to better understand why certain cancers, such as breast cancer, have a higher tendency to spread to this organ. During the Clinical Lectureship, he also undertook a project funded by the Focused Ultrasound Foundation in the Focused Ultrasound (FUS) group at the University of Virginia, USA. Working as a Visiting Scholar under the supervision of Professor Richard Price (Professor of Engineering and Applied Sciences) and Professor Tim Bullock (Professor of Pathology), he investigated the utility of image guided-FUS to enhance immunotherapy response again melanoma brain metastasis.

After the ACL, Dr Cheng briefly worked as a Locum Consultant in Medical Oncology (breast/neuro) in the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, before his current position as Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Birmingham. At Birmingham, his aim is to develop a novel therapeutic platform study that will build on the Tessa Jowell BRAIN MATRIX study led by Professor Colin Watts (Professor of Neurosurgery). He also aims to establish a greater presence of medical oncologists in brain tumour care and he contributes to the Genomics Tumour Advisory Board to deliver precision medicine for adult brain tumour patients.

Postgraduate supervision

Dr Cheng is happy to be contacted about any PhD opportunities. Please email Dr Cheng a copy of your CV and a covering letter outlining your research interests.

Dr Cheng is actively involved in mentoring clinical trainees and medical students.

Research

Research Interests

  1. Systemic therapy clinical trials in adult (primary and metastatic) brain tumour patients
  2. Focused ultrasound for blood-brain barrier opening and enhancing immunotherapy
  3. Biology of the brain tumour invasive margin and the pre-metastatic niche
  4. Pre-clinical (in vitro, in vivo, ex vivo) models of brain tumours
  5. Interdisciplinary techniques to study and deliver brain tumour care
  6. Observational studies in primary and metastatic brain cancer patients

Other activities

Current Roles:

  • Editorial Scholar, Society of Neuro-Oncology (2023 – present)
  • UKRI Talent Peer Review College (PRC) member (2023 – present)
  • Co-Principal Investigator: PROgesterone as a Steroid SParing agent against oEdema occurring with secondary bRain cancers. EME Award (NIHR130966) (CIs: Prof Chris Twelves, Mr Paul Chumas) (2022 – present)
  • Senior Board member for British Oncology Network for Undergraduate Students (2022 – present)

Previous Roles:

  • Member, NCRI Breast CSG Working Group 1 (Precision medicine) (2022 – 2023)
  • Michael Beverley Innovation Fellow, University of Leeds (2020 – 2021)
  • Trainee member, Screening, Prevention and Early Diagnosis (SPED) Advisory Group, National Cancer Research Institute (2018 – 2022)
  • Trainee Lead for PRIMROSE: A BCTRCG prospective study of treatment and outcomes related to CNS disease secondary to breast cancer in the UK (2018 – 2022)
  • Co-chair, Breast Cancer Trainee Research Collaborative Group (BCTRCG), NCRI Breast Cancer CSG (2018 – 2021)
  • NCRI SPED Proposal Guidance panel member (2021)
  • Doctor volunteer, Patient Liaison Group, British Medical Association (2017 – 2020)
  • NCRI Multidisciplinary Proposal Guidance panel (2020)
  • Emerging Clinical Leaders Network (eCLN) member, North West Deanery (2010 – 2011)

Innovation:

  • Merck 350th Anniversary Innovation Cup participant, Team Open Innovation, Darmstadt, Germany (2018)
  • University of Oxford IT Innovation Challenge Award: ConnectOx project (2016)
  • Project manager of BioStars (Oxford Biotech flagship bioentrepreneurship programme and business proposal competition) (2016)

Leadership:

  • Oxford Global Leadership Initiative, The Oxford Character Project (2016)

Public Engagement:

  • GRASP at ASCO2023 (2023)
  • GRASP at SABCS22 (2022)
  • GRASP Choice Award (Patient/public communication) (2021)
  • Prostate Cancer UK Undergraduate Conference (2021)
  • Otley Science Fair (2018)
  • CRUK Oxford Centre Open Day (2017)

Publications

Arora L, Assal R, Azevedo H, Baldwin J, Becker M, Bostock S, Cheng V, Egle T, Ferrari N, Schneider-Futschik E, Gerhardy S, Harzheim A, Herget T, Jauset C, Kretschmer S, Lammie C, Kloss N, Marquis-Fernandes S, Mitrofan C, Myrgorodska I, Nedbalek D, Neumann S, Paffenholz S, Pascual Ponce L, Rogell B, Savic D, Velikova G, Schumacher C, Weisshaar N, Yahya M, Yang J, Zhao G, Betz U (2023) “Game changers in science and technology - now and beyond”, Technological Forecasting & Social Change. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122588 

Kannan S & Cheng VWT (2023) “Nanoparticle drug delivery to target breast cancer brain metastasis: Current and future trends” Int J Cancer. doi: 10.1002/ijc.34542 

Lee LYW, Tilby M, Starkey T, Ionescu MC, Burnett A, Hattersley R, Khan S, Little M, Liu JKH, Platt JR, Tripathy A, Watts I, Williams ST, Appanna N, Al-Hajji Y, Barnard M, Benny L, Buckley A, Cattell E, Cheng V, Clark J, Eastlake L, Gerrand K, Ghafoor Q, Grumett S, Harper-Wynne C, Kahn R, Lee AJX, Lydon A, McKenzie H, Panneerselvam H, Pascoe J, Patel G, Patel V, Potter V, Randle A, Rigg AS, Robinson T, Roylance R, Roques T, Rozmanowski S, Roux RL, Shah K, Sintler M, Taylor H, Tillett T, Tuthill M, Williams S, Beggs A, Iveson T, Lee SM, Middleton G, Middleton M, Protheroe AS, Fittall MW, Fowler T, Johnson P; UK COVID Cancer Programme. (2022) “Association of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Antibody Vaccine Response With Infection Severity in Patients With Cancer: A National COVID Cancer Cross-sectional Evaluation”, JAMA Oncol, doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.5974

Gorick CM, Breza VR, Nowak KM, Cheng VWT, Fisher DG, Debski AC, Hoch MR, Demir ZEF, Tran NM, Schwartz MR, Sheybani ND & Price RJ (2022) “Applications of focused ultrasound-mediated blood-brain barrier opening”, Adv Drug Deliv Rev;191:114583 

Morgan JL, Cheng V, Barry PA, Copson E, Cutress RI, Dave R, Elsberger B, Fairbrother P, Hartup S, Hogan B, Horgan K, Kirwan CC, McIntosh SA, O'Connell RL, Patani N, Potter S, Rattay T, Sheehan L, Wyld L, Kim B; MARECA study research collaborative (2022) “The MARECA (national study of management of breast cancer locoregional recurrence and oncological outcomes) study: National practice questionnaire of United Kingdom multi-disciplinary decision making” Eur J Surg Oncol, S0748-7983(22)00158-5

Cheng VWT, de Pennington N, Zakaria R, Larkin JR, Serres S, Sarkar M, Kirkman MA, Bristow C, Croal P, Plaha P, Campo L, Chappell MA, Lord S, Jenkinson MD, Middleton MR & Sibson NR (2022) “VCAM-1-targeted magnetic resonance imaging improves detection of the tumor-brain interface” Clin Cancer Res, clincanres.4011.2021 

Várnai C, Palles C, Arnold R, Curley HM, Purshouse K, Cheng VWT, Booth S, Campton NA, Collins GP, Hughes DJ, Kulasekararaj AG, Lee AJX, Olsson-Brown AC, Sharma-Oates A, Van Hemelrijck M, Lee LYW, Kerr R, Middleton G, Cazier JB; UKCCMP Team (2022) “Mortality Among Adults With Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy or Immunotherapy and Infected With COVID-19” JAMA Netw Open;5(2):e220130.

Munoz Pinto MF, Campbell SJ, Karali CS, Johanssen V, Bristow C, Cheng VWT, Zarghami N, Larkin JR, Pannell M, Hearn A, Chui C, Nunez BB, Bokma E, Holgate R, Anthony DC, Sibson NR (2021) “Selective blood-brain barrier permeabilisation of brain metastases by a type-1 receptor selective tumour necrosis factor mutein” Neuro Oncol, ePub doi: 10.1093/neuonc/noab177

Lee LYW, Cazier J-B, Starkey T, Briggs SEW, Arnold R, Bisht V, Booth S, Campton N, Cheng VWT, Collins G, Curley H, Earwaker P, Fittall MW, Gennatas S, Goel A, Hartley S, Hughes DJ, Kerr D, Lee AJX, Lee RJ, Lee SM, Mckenzie H, Middleton CP, Murugaesu N, Newsom-Davis T, Olsson-Brown AC, Palles C, Powles T, Protheroe EA, Purshouse K, Sharma-Oates A, Sivakumar S, Smith AJ, Topping O, Turnbull CD, Várnai C, UK Coronavirus Cancer Monitoring Project Team, Briggs ADM, Middleton GM & Kerr R (2020) “COVID-19 incidence and mortality and effect of primary tumour subtype and patient demographics: a prospective cancer cohort study (UK CCMP)” Lancet Oncol, 21(10): 1309–1316.

Best J, Starkey T, Chatterjee A, Fackrell D, Pettit L, Srihari N, Tween H, Olsson-Brown A, Cheng V, Hughes DJ, Lee AJX, Purshouse K, Arnold R, UK Coronavirus Cancer Monitoring Project Team, Sivakumar S, Cazier J-B & Lee LYW (2020) “Coronavirus Disease 2019: The Pivotal Role of UK Clinical Oncology and the UK Coronavirus Cancer Monitoring Project” Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol), ePub

Pickles OJ, Lee LYW, Starkey T, Freeman-Mills L, Olsson-Brown A, Cheng V, Hughes DJ, Lee A, Purshouse K & Middleton G (2020) “Immune checkpoint blockade: releasing the breaks or a protective barrier to COVID-19 severe acute respiratory syndrome?” Br J Cancer, 16:1-3. 

UK Coronavirus Cancer Monitoring Project team (2020) “The UK Coronavirus Cancer Monitoring Project: Protecting Patients with Cancer in the Era of COVID 19” Lancet Oncol, 21(5):622-624

Cheng VWT, Heetun A, Robinson T, Coles CE, Palmieri C, Rea D & Copson ER (2019) “The Breast Cancer Trainees Research Collaborative Group: A New Multidisciplinary Network to Facilitate Breast Cancer Research” Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol), 32(1):e16-e18

Cheng VWT, Sarmiento Soto M, Khrapitchev AA, Perez-Balderas F, Zakaria R, Jenkinson MD, Middleton MR & Sibson NR (2019) “VCAM-1 targeted magnetic resonance imaging enables detection of brain micrometastases from different primary tumours” Clin Cancer Res, 25, 533-543

Cheng V & Talbot D (2018) Metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung, Chp 4, S2, in: Velikova G, Fallowfield L, Younger J, Board RE & Selby P (eds.) Problem Solving in Patient-Centred and Integrated Cancer Care, EBN Health, Oxford, UK 

Cheng V, Turner N & Short S (2016) Use of Radical Radiotherapy in a Patient with a Brain Tumour and Deafness, Chp 30, S2, in: Ring A, Harari D, Kalsi T, Mansi J & Selby P (eds.) Problem Solving in Older Cancer Patients, EBN Health, Oxford, UK 

Cheng V, Brüning-Richardson A, Estevez F, Chakrabarty A, Cockle J & Short S (2015) “High-content analysis of tumour cell invasion in three-dimensional spheroid assays” Oncoscience, 14, 596-606 

Fowler S, Thurston A, Chesworth B, Cheng V, Constantinou P, Vyas A, Lillie S & Haines J (2015) “The VCD5 and VCDQ Questionnaires for Diagnosis and Treatment Monitoring in Vocal Cord Dysfunction” Clin Exp Allergy, 45, 1406-11 

Cheng VWT & Screen HRC (2007) “The micro-structural strain response of tendon” J Mater Sci, 42, 8957-8965.

View all publications in research portal