

Turning Genomic Insights into Breakthrough Therapies | Peter Campbell, CSO of Quotient Therapeutics
19 snips May 28, 2025
Peter Campbell, CSO of Quotient Therapeutics, discusses his journey from a traditional medical background in New Zealand to becoming a pioneer in cancer genomics. He shares insights from his time at the Sanger Institute, highlighting groundbreaking cancer sequencing projects and the evolution of genomic research. Campbell emphasizes the importance of understanding genetic mutations for personalized medicine, collaborations with Pfizer for innovative therapies, and how adaptive mutations impact cell regeneration. His passion for translating genomic insights into real-world applications is truly inspiring.
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Early Academic Challenges to Genomics
- Peter Campbell hated the early years of medical school because it felt intellectually unsatisfying and irrelevant.
- He realized he lacked the patience for bench work but found his calling in computational genomics.
Somatic Evolution in Normal Cells
- Somatic cells evolve through Darwinian principles: competition, heritable variation, and phenotypic differences.
- Mutations accumulate in normal cells and shape how they adapt to different environments and diseases.
Detecting Key Mutations in Diversity
- Genetic diversity within an individual's cells is immense, with every genomic base mutated thousands of times in T cells.
- Important mutations are identified by spotting genes with more mutations than expected due to clonal expansion.