Study leaders

The study is led by Professor Richard Houlston, Professor of Molecular and Population Genetics and Head of Division of Genetics and Epidemiology at The Institute of Cancer Research.

Professor richard houlston

Breast cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Sadly, despite the progress in early detection that has been delivered by the National screening programme and in the treatment of some breast cancers that has been achieved with hormone therapies, thousands of women still die from breast cancer every year. I feel honoured to be part of the Generations Study, continuing the work of this Study into understanding of the causes of breast cancer and being part of Breast Cancer Now’s action plan that by 2050 everyone who develops breast cancer will live.

Professor Richard Houlston, Professor of Molecular and Population Genetics and Head of Division of Genetics and Epidemiology at The Institute of Cancer Research. Professor Houlston graduated with distinction in Medicine from Imperial College London, gaining MD and PhD degrees from the University of London. Following various medical internships and Fellowships he joined The Institute of Cancer Research in 1994. He is Head of the Division of Genetics and Epidemiology. His research focuses on the identification and characterisation of genetic susceptibility to cancer. In 2017, Professor Houlston’s outstanding contributions to the field of cancer genetics were recognised with his election as a Fellow to The Royal Society.