College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences

Alexander Raven, an early career researcher from the School of Cancer Sciences, has been awarded one of UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) flagship Future Leaders Fellowships.

The award – which will be used to help investigate the early establishment of cancer in the liver – will use clinical samples and preclinical models of liver disease to better understand why some pre-cancerous cells progress into tumours and other pre-cancerous cells remain dormant and fail to form tumours.

Dr Raven and their team will aim to identify the key features of a diseased liver that enables tumour formation, and then use that information to develop strategies and tests that aim to improve cancer detection and early clinical intervention.

The awards are part of the £120 million Future Leaders Fellowships fund to lead vital research, collaborate with innovators and develop their careers as the research and innovation leaders of the future.

The fund allows universities and businesses to develop talented early career researchers and innovators and attract new people to their organisations, including from overseas.

The Future Leaders Fellowship scheme provides long-term (up to seven years) of Fellowship support to early career researchers to enable them to tackle ambitious programmes or multidisciplinary questions, and new or emerging research and innovation areas and partnerships.

In order to support excellent research and innovation wherever it arises and to facilitate movement of people and projects between sectors, FLF fellows are based in the most appropriate environment for their projects, be that universities, businesses, charities, or other independent research organisations.

The Fellowship allows the individual to devote their time to tackle challenging research and innovation problems and to develop their careers as they become the next wave of world-class research and innovation leaders.

The Fellowship also allows recipients access to the FLF Development Network, which providing specialised leadership training, access to networks, workshops, mentors, one-to-one coaching, and opportunities for additional seed-funding for collaborative projects.

Alexander Raven said: "It is incredibly exciting to have been awarded the UKRI Future Leader Fellowship. The significant length and resources of this award will enable us to make important advances in our understanding of liver cancer that will benefit patients here in the UK and also across the globe.

“This research is timely, as liver cancer incidence and mortality are increasing in the UK, and particularly in Scotland, and therefore improving our ability to detect liver cancer earlier and improve treatment options will have an large impact on this growing health problem."

Frances Burstow, Director of Talent and Skills at UKRI, said: "UKRI’s Future Leaders Fellowships provide researchers and innovators with long-term support and training to embark on large and complex research programmes, to address key national and global challenges.

“The programme supports the research and innovation leaders of the future to transcend disciplinary and sector boundaries, bridging the gap between academia and business.

“The fellows announced today demonstrate how UKRI supports excellence across the entire breadth of its remit, supporting early-career researchers to lessen the distance from discovery to real world impact."

UKRI Chief Executive, Professor Sir Ian Chapman, said: “UKRI’s Future Leaders Fellowships offer long-term support to outstanding researchers, helping them turn bold ideas into innovations that improve lives and livelihoods in the UK and beyond. These fellowships continue to drive excellence and accelerate the journey from discovery to public benefit. I wish them every success.”

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nquiries: ali.howard@glasgow.ac.uk or elizabeth.mcmeekin@glasgow.ac.uk

First published: 16 September 2025