Charlotte Milton

Project Lead for a preclinical cancer vaccine programme and senior translational immunologist. Key contributions include: - Leading the immunological evaluation and prioritisation of tumour-specific antigens identified through mass spectrometry–based discovery pipelines - Driving cross-functional collaboration with molecular biology to design and functionally validate next-generation vaccine constructs - Identification and characterisation of tumour antigen–specific TCRs using single-cell TCR sequencing - Establishing and scaling bulk TCR sequencing workflows to enable translational immunogenicity profiling in clinical samples

Delivered single cell sequencing data to characterize cell therapy products and understand key product requirements for therapeutic efficacy. Implemented a new in-house assay to determine single-peptide reactive TCR clonotypes, requiring close collaboration with data science, sequencing and immunology experts

Led the development of multi-parameter flow cytometry and cell-based killing assays to drive forward process development of novel precision T cell therapies Worked collaboratively to develop a protocol to generate patient derived organoid (PDO) models from lung tumours and trained team members in this assay

Completed a study to characterize peripheral immune responses in chemotherapy resistant patients with TNBC, resulting in a publication in Clinical Cancer Research. Worked closely with scientists and clinicians to coordinate patient data and samples. Developed a multi-parameter flow cytometry assay to characterize primary patient tumor material and established in vitro and in vivo models of chemotherapy resistant breast cancer to further explore the underlying biological mechanisms of resistance.

Completed multiple synthetic lethal CRISPR screens in pancreatic cancer cell lines and nominated key genes responsible for modulating drug response to PI3K inhibition in PDAC. Used genome editing techniques to explore the role of hit genes in PDAC and nominate promising therapeutic strategies for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

President of the student committee (2016-2017), ISPCC poster presenter (2015 and 2016), Supervised a work experience placement student (10 day placement), Student representative (Academic Board, Research Degrees committee and ICR conference planning committee), Student confidant, Community outreach (including the Royal Holloway science festival)