Professor Helen E Bryant

School of Medicine and Population Health

Professor of Cancer Therapeutics

Head of The DNA replication and repair group

h.bryant@sheffield.ac.uk

GU11, G Floor, The Medical School

Full contact details

Professor Helen E Bryant
School of Medicine and Population Health
GU11, G Floor
The Medical School
Beech Hill Road
Sheffield
S10 2RX

Profile: For enquiries please contact - SMPH-West-Operational@sheffield.ac.uk

Qualifications

1991 – 1995: BSc Medical Biochemistry, University of Glasgow

1996 – 1999: PhD, MRC Virology Unit, Glasgow

2010 – 2012: Postgraduate certificate in Learning and Teaching

Research interests

Professor Bryant is an internationally recognised expert in genome biology, whose work over the past two decades has reshaped our understanding of how cells maintain the fidelity of DNA replication—and what happens when those systems break down in cancer. Her multidisciplinary team of chemists, biologists, and clinicians works at the interface of discovery science and therapeutic innovation.

By identifying the key molecular distinctions between tumour and normal cell division, Professor Bryant has played a central role in developing therapies that selectively target cancer-specific weaknesses. This includes her contribution to PARP inhibitor development, a major advance in personalised cancer medicine that has transformed treatment options for patients with DNA repair defects.

In parallel, the lab is pioneering the design of novel photo-activated therapeutics. In collaboration with Professor Julia Weinstein, Professor Bryant develops transition-metal photodynamic therapy agents that bind DNA but trigger damage only when exposed to defined wavelengths of light—offering extraordinary precision and control.

The lab’s research is built around five intersecting themes:

The cellular response to replication stress.
Improving radiotherapy response.
Defining cancer-relevant gene-expression changes.
Leveraging these alterations for targeted drug development.
Synthesising new therapeutic agents with an emphasis on PDT technologies.

These programmes span multiple tumour types, including bladder, breast, NSCLC, HNSCC and neuroblastoma.

Publications

Journal articles

Lefley DV, Jones CG, Zhou J, Bryant HE, Collis SJ, Down JM, Brown JE & Ottewell PD (2025) ATM inhibition increases the anti-tumor efficacy of radium-223 (Ra-223) against prostate cancer bone metastasis in preclinical models. JBMR Plus, 9(10). View this article in WRRO
Holmes EP, Gamill MC, Provan JI, Wiggins L, Rusková R, Whittle S, Catley TE, Main KHS, Shephard N, Bryant HE , Gilhooly NS et al (2025) Quantifying complexity in DNA structures with high resolution Atomic Force Microscopy. Nature Communications, 16(1). View this article in WRRO
Ahmed A, Cox E, Lane L, Rominiyi O, Danson S, Bryant HE, Wells G & King D (2025) Ex vivo drug screening: an emerging paradigm in the treatment of childhood cancer. Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, 47(5), e144-e154. View this article in WRRO
Gawne PJ, Bryant HE, DuBois SG, George SL, Gray J, Knox L, Matchett KB, Peet C, Vallis KA, Wallace HJ , Wan S et al (2025) Theranostics for Neuroblastoma: Making Molecular Radiotherapy Work Better. Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 66(4), 490-496.
Jones C, Martinez-Alonso M, Gagg H, Kirby L, Weinstein JA & Bryant HE (2024) Photostable iridium(III) cyclometallated complex is an efficient photosensitizer for killing multiple cancer cell lines and 3D models under low doses of visible light. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 67(18). View this article in WRRO
Saldana-Guerrero IM, Montano-Gutierrez LF, Boswell K, Hafemeister C, Poon E, Shaw LE, Stavish D, Lea RA, Wernig-Zorc S, Bozsaky E , Fetahu IS et al (2024) A human neural crest model reveals the developmental impact of neuroblastoma-associated chromosomal aberrations. Nature Communications, 15(1). View this article in WRRO
Fabbrizi MR, Nickson CM, Hughes JR, Robinson EA, Vaidya K, Rubbi CP, Kacperek A, Bryant HE, Helleday T & Parsons JL (2024) Targeting OGG1 and PARG radiosensitises head and neck cancer cells to high-LET protons through complex DNA damage persistence. Cell Death & Disease, 15(2). View this article in WRRO
Jackson CE, Doyle I, Khan H, Williams SF, Aldemir Dikici B, Barajas Ledesma E, Bryant HE, English WR, Green NH & Claeyssens F (2024) Gelatin-containing porous polycaprolactone PolyHIPEs as substrates for 3D breast cancer cell culture and vascular infiltration. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 11. View this article in WRRO
Martínez-Alonso M, Jones CG, Shipp JD, Chekulaev D, Bryant HE & Weinstein JA (2024) Phototoxicity of cyclometallated Ir(III) complexes bearing a thio-bis-benzimidazole ligand, and its monodentate analogue, as potential PDT photosensitisers in cancer cell killing. JBIC Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry, 29(1), 113-125. View this article in WRRO
Egerton K, Mitchell TA, Gravells P, Katse R, Fisher M, Muthana M, Eyers CE, Eyers PA & Bryant HE (2023) 18P AURKB inhibition radiosensitises NSCLC by altering mitotic fate. ESMO Open, 8(1), 101664-101664.
Saldana-Guerrero IM, Montano-Gutierrez LF, Hafemeister C, Stavish D, Shaw LE, Fetahu IS, Wenninger-Weinzierl A, Sturtzel C, Souilhol C, Tarelli S , Shoeb MR et al (2023) Abstract 3542: A stem cell model dissects detrimental effects of neuroblastoma-linked chromosomal aberrations on cell differentiation during neural crest development. Cancer Research, 83(7_Supplement), 3542-3542.
Grant E, Bucklain FA, Ginn L, Laity P, Ciani B & Bryant HE (2022) Progesterone receptor expression contributes to gemcitabine resistance at higher ECM stiffness in breast cancer cell lines. PLoS ONE, 17(5). View this article in WRRO
King D, Southgate HED, Roetschke S, Gravells P, Fields L, Watson JB, Chen L, Chapman D, Harrison D, Yeomanson D , Curtin NJ et al (2021) Increased replication stress determines ATR inhibitor sensitivity in neuroblastoma cells. Cancers, 13(24).
Aguilar Cosme JR, Gagui DC, Bryant HE & Claeyssens F (2021) Morphological response in cancer spheroids for screening photodynamic therapy parameters. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences, 8(11). View this article in WRRO
Aguilar Cosme JR, Gagui DC, Green NH, Bryant HE & Claeyssens F (2021) In vitro low-fluence photodynamic therapy parameter screening using 3D tumor spheroids shows that fractionated light treatments enhance phototoxicity. ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 7(11), 5078-5089. View this article in WRRO
Taher Z, Legge C, Winder N, Lysyganicz P, Rawlings A, Bryant H, Muthana M & Staniland S (2021) Magnetosomes and magnetosome mimics : preparation, cancer cell uptake and functionalization for future cancer therapies. Pharmaceutics, 13(3). View this article in WRRO
Piberger AL, Bowry A, Kelly RDW, Walker AK, González-Acosta D, Bailey LJ, Doherty AJ, Méndez J, Morris JR, Bryant HE & Petermann E (2020) PrimPol-dependent single-stranded gap formation mediates homologous recombination at bulky DNA adducts. Nature Communications, 11(1).
Halliwell JA, Gravells P & Bryant HE (2020) DNA fiber assay for the analysis of DNA replication progression in human pluripotent stem cells. Current Protocols in Stem Cell Biology, 54(1).
George SL, Lorenzi F, King D, Hartlieb S, Campbell J, Pemberton H, Toprak UH, Barker K, Tall J, da Costa BM , van den Boogaard ML et al (2020) Therapeutic vulnerabilities in the DNA damage response for the treatment of ATRX mutant neuroblastoma. EBioMedicine, 59.
Harrision D, Gravells P, Thompson R & Bryant HE (2020) Poly(ADP-Ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG) vs. poly(ADP-Ribose) polymerase (PARP) – function in genome maintenance and relevance of inhibitors for anti-cancer therapy. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences, 7.
King D, Li XD, Almeida GS, Kwok C, Gravells P, Harrison D, Burke S, Hallsworth A, Jamin Y, George S , Robinson SP et al (2020) MYCN expression induces replication stress and sensitivity to PARP inhibition in neuroblastoma. Oncotarget, 11(23), 2141-2159.
Kim HR, Santhakumar K, Markham E, Baldera D, Greenald D, Bryant HE, El-Khamisy SF & van Eeden FJ (2020) Investigation of the role of VHL-HIF signaling in DNA repair and apoptosis in zebrafish. Oncotarget, 11(13), 1109-1130. View this article in WRRO
Doherty RE, Bryant HE, Valluru MK, Rennie IG & Sisley K (2019) Increased non-homologous end joining makes DNA-PK a promising target for therapeutic intervention in uveal melanoma. Cancers, 11(9). View this article in WRRO
Aguilar Cosme JR, Bryant HE & Claeyssens F (2019) Carbon dot-protoporphyrin IX conjugates for improved drug delivery and bioimaging. PLoS ONE, 14(7). View this article in WRRO
Crowston B, Shipp J, Chekulaev DM, McKenzie L, Jones C, Weinstein J, Meijer AJHM, Bryant HE, Natrajan L, Woodward AW & Ward MD (2019) Heteronuclear d-d and d-f Ru(II)/M complexes [M = Gd(III), Yb(III), Nd(III), Zn(II) or Mn(II)] of ligands combining phenanthroline and aminocarboxylate binding sites: combined relaxivity, cell imaging and photophysical studies. Dalton Transactions, 48(18), 6132-6152. View this article in WRRO
Willan J, Cleasby AJ, Flores-Rodriguez N, Stefani F, Rinaldo C, Pisciottani A, Grant E, Woodman P, Bryant HE & Ciani B (2019) ESCRT-III is necessary for the integrity of the nuclear envelope in micronuclei but is aberrant at ruptured micronuclear envelopes generating damage. Oncogenesis, 8(5). View this article in WRRO
Kadhim A, McKenzie LK, Bryant HE & Twyman LJ (2019) Synthesis and aggregation of a porphyrin cored hyperbranched polyglycidol and its application as a macromolecular photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy.. Molecular Pharmaceutics, 16(3), 1132-1139. View this article in WRRO
McKenzie LK, Bryant HE & Weinstein JA (2019) Transition metal complexes as photosensitisers in one- and two-photon photodynamic therapy. Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 379, 2-29. View this article in WRRO
Omar SAE, Scattergood PA, McKenzie LK, Jones C, Patmore NJ, Meijer AJHM, Weinstein JA, Rice CR, Bryant HE & Elliott PIP (2018) Photophysical and Cellular Imaging Studies of Brightly Luminescent Osmium(II) Pyridyltriazole Complexes. Inorganic Chemistry , 57(21), 13201-13212. View this article in WRRO
Daniels RE, McKenzie LK, Shewring JR, Weinstein JA, Kozhevnikov VN & Bryant HE (2018) Pyridazine-bridged cationic diiridium complexes as potential dual-mode bioimaging probes. RSC Advances, 8(18), 9670-9676.
Gravells P, Neale J, Grant E, Nathubhai A, Smith KM, James DI & Bryant HE (2018) Radiosensitization with an inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase: A comparison with the PARP1/2/3 inhibitor olaparib. DNA Repair , 61, 25-36. View this article in WRRO
Gravells PL, Grant E, Smith KM, James DI & Bryant HE (2017) Specific killing of DNA damage-response deficient cells with inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase. DNA Repair, 52, 81-91. View this article in WRRO
Mateo J, Boysen G, Barbieri CE, Bryant HE, Castro E, Nelson PS, Olmos D, Pritchard CC, Rubin MA & de Bono JS (2017) DNA Repair in Prostate Cancer: Biology and Clinical Implications. European Urology, 71(3), 417-425. View this article in WRRO
McKenzie L, Sazanovich I, Baggaley E, Bonneau M, Guerchais V, Williams G, Weinstein J & Bryant HE (2017) Metal Complexes For Two-photon Photodynamic Therapy: A Cyclometallated Iridium Complex Induces Two-photon Photosensitization of Cancer Cells Under Near-IR Light.. Chemistry - A European Journal, 23(2), 234-238.
McKenzie LK, Sazanovich IV, Baggaley E, Bonneau M, Guerchais V, Williams JAG, Weinstein JA & Bryant HE (2017) Frontispiece: Metal Complexes for Two-Photon Photodynamic Therapy: A Cyclometallated Iridium Complex Induces Two-Photon Photosensitization of Cancer Cells under Near-IR Light. Chemistry - A European Journal, 23(2), 234-234.
Ali R, Rakha EA, Madhusudan S & Bryant HE (2016) DNA damage repair in breast cancer and its therapeutic implications. Pathology.
Omar SA, Scattergood PA, McKenzie LK, Bryant HE, Weinstein JA & Elliott PI (2016) Towards Water Soluble Mitochondria-Targeting Theranostic Osmium(II) Triazole-Based Complexes.. Molecules, 21(10).
Patterson K, Arya L, Bottomley S, Morgan S, Cox A, Catto J & Bryant HE (2016) Altered RECQL5 expression in urothelial bladder carcinoma increases cellular proliferation and makes RECQL5 helicase activity a novel target for chemotherapy.. Oncotarget, 7, 76140-76150. View this article in WRRO
Bryant HE (2016) The Clinical Impact of BRCA2 Loss in Prostate Cancer. European Urology, 69(6), 996-997.
Jana A, Crowston BJ, Shewring JR, McKenzie LK, Bryant HE, Botchway SW, Ward AD, Amoroso AJ, Baggaley E & Ward MD (2016) Heteronuclear Ir(III)–Ln(III) Luminescent Complexes: Small-Molecule Probes for Dual Modal Imaging and Oxygen Sensing. Inorganic Chemistry, 55(11), 5623-5633. View this article in WRRO
Doherty RE, Sazanovich IV, McKenzie LK, Stasheuski AS, Coyle R, Baggaley E, Bottomley S, Weinstein JA & Bryant HE (2016) Photodynamic killing of cancer cells by a Platinum(II) complex with cyclometallating ligand. Scientific Reports, 6.
Arora A, Abdel-Fatah TMA, Agarwal D, Doherty R, Croteau DL, Moseley PM, Hameed K, Green A, Aleskandarany MA, Rakha EA , Patterson K et al (2016) Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of RECQL5 helicase expression in breast cancers. Carcinogenesis, 37(1), 63-71. View this article in WRRO
King D, Yeomanson D & Bryant HE (2015) PI3King the Lock. Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, 37(4), 245-251.
Doherty RE, Sazanovich IV, McKenzie LK, Stasheuski AS, Coyle R, Baggaley E, Bottomley S, Weinstein JA & Bryant HE (2015) Photodynamic killing of cancer cells by a platinum-based compound, a derivative of Pt(II) dipyridobenzene. Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy, 12(3), 338-339.
Pang KH, Miah S, Drayton RM, Rehman I, Clarke R, Stoehr R, Hartmann A, Lavin M, Bryant HE, Martens-Uzunova ES , Jenster G et al (2015) 426 Identification and diagnostic performance of a small RNA within the PCA3 and BMCC1 gene locus that potentially targets mRNA. European Urology Supplements, 14(2), e426-e426b.
Drayton RM, Rehman I, Clarke R, Zhao Z, Pang K, Miah S, Stoehr R, Hartmann A, Blizard S, Lavin M , Bryant HE et al (2015) Identification and Diagnostic Performance of a Small RNA within the PCA3 and BMCC1 Gene Locus That Potentially Targets mRNA. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, 24(1), 268-275. View this article in WRRO
Lafta IJ, Bryant HE & Goldman ASH (2014) 'Sex' in the cancer cell. Oncotarget, 5(18), 7984-7985. View this article in WRRO
Drayton RM, Peter S, Myers K, Miah S, Dudziec E, Bryant HE & Catto JWF (2014) MicroRNA-99a and 100 mediated upregulation of FOXA1 in bladder cancer. Oncotarget, 5(15), 6375-6386. View this article in WRRO
Drayton RM, Dudziec E, Peter S, Bertz S, Hartmann A, Bryant HE & Catto JW (2014) Reduced expression of miRNA-27a modulates cisplatin resistance in bladder cancer by targeting the cystine/glutamate exchanger SLC7A11.. Clin Cancer Res, 20(7), 1990-2000.
Eccles SA, Aboagye EO, Ali S, Anderson AS, Armes J, Berditchevski F, Blaydes JP, Brennan K, Brown NJ, Bryant HE , Bundred NJ et al (2013) Critical research gaps and translational priorities for the successful prevention and treatment of breast cancer. Breast Cancer Research(5), R92.
Gravells P, Hoh L, Solovieva S, Patil A, Dudziec E, Rennie IG, Sisley K & Bryant HE (2013) Reduced FANCD2 influences spontaneous SCE and RAD51 foci formation in uveal melanoma and Fanconi anaemia.. Oncogene, 32(46), 5338-5346.
Fathers C, Drayton RM, Solovieva S & Bryant HE (2012) Inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG) specifically kills BRCA2-deficient tumor cells.. Cell Cycle, 11(5), 990-997.
Drayton RM, Dudziec E, Catto JWF & Bryant HE (2012) Abstract A10: MicroRNA 27a is downreguated in cisplatin resistant bladder cancer cells, and contributes to resistance through the targeting of xCT, a cystine transporter involved with glutathione production. Cancer Research, 72(2_Supplement), A10-A10.
Loseva O, Jemth A-S, Bryant HE, Schüler H, Lehtiö L, Karlberg T & Helleday T (2012) PARP-3 is a mono-ADP-ribosylase that activates PARP-1 in the absence of DNA.. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 287(41), 34494-34494.
Bryant HE (2012) DNA double-strand break damage and repair assessed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.. Methods Mol Biol, 920, 315-321.
Gravells P, Hoh L, Canovas D, Rennie IG, Sisley K & Bryant HE (2011) Resistance of uveal melanoma to the interstrand cross-linking agent mitomycin C is associated with reduced expression of CYP450R.. Br J Cancer, 104(7), 1098-1105.
Hoh L, Gravells P, Canovas D, Ul-Hassan A, Rennie IG, Bryant H & Sisley K (2011) Atypically low spontaneous sister chromatid exchange formation in uveal melanoma.. Genes Chromosomes Cancer, 50(1), 34-42.
Blundred R, Myers K, Helleday T, Goldman ASH & Bryant HE (2010) Human RECQL5 overcomes thymidine-induced replication stress.. DNA Repair (Amst), 9(9), 964-975.
Gottipati P, Vischioni B, Schultz N, Solomons J, Bryant HE, Djureinovic T, Issaeva N, Sleeth K, Sharma RA & Helleday T (2010) Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase is hyperactivated in homologous recombination-defective cells.. Cancer Res, 70(13), 5389-5398.
Loseva O, Jemth AS, Bryant HE, Schuler H, Lehtio L, Karlberg T & Helleday T (2010) PARP-3 Is a Mono-ADP-ribosylase That Activates PARP-1 in the Absence of DNA. J BIOL CHEM, 285(11), 8054-8060.
Catto JWF, Miah S, Owen HC, Bryant H, Myers K, Dudziec E, Larré S, Milo M, Rehman I, Rosario DJ , Di Martino E et al (2009) Distinct microRNA alterations characterize high- and low-grade bladder cancer.. Cancer Res, 69(21), 8472-8481.
McLachlan J, Fernandez S, Helleday T & Bryant HE (2009) Specific targeted gene repair using single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides at an endogenous locus in mammalian cells uses homologous recombination.. DNA Repair (Amst), 8(12), 1424-1433.
Al-Minawi AZ, Lee Y-F, Håkansson D, Johansson F, Lundin C, Saleh-Gohari N, Schultz N, Jenssen D, Bryant HE, Meuth M , Hinz JM et al (2009) The ERCC1/XPF endonuclease is required for completion of homologous recombination at DNA replication forks stalled by inter-strand cross-links.. Nucleic Acids Res, 37(19), 6400-6413.
Bryant HE, Petermann E, Schultz N, Jemth A-S, Loseva O, Issaeva N, Johansson F, Fernandez S, McGlynn P & Helleday T (2009) PARP is activated at stalled forks to mediate Mre11-dependent replication restart and recombination.. EMBO J, 28(17), 2601-2615.
Ying S, Myers K, Bottomley S, Helleday T & Bryant HE (2009) BRCA2-dependent homologous recombination is required for repair of Arsenite-induced replication lesions in mammalian cells.. Nucleic Acids Res, 37(15), 5105-5113.
Bryant H (2007) A function for PARP at stalled replication forks. MUTAGENESIS, 22(6), 431-431.
Bryant HE, Schultz N, Thomas HD, Parker KM, Flower D, Lopez E, Kyle S, Meuth M, Curtin NJ & Helleday T (2007) Specific killing of BRCA2-deficient tumours with inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Nature, 447(7142), 346-346.
Bryant HE, Ying S & Helleday T (2006) Homologous recombination is involved in repair of chromium-induced DNA damage in mammalian cells.. Mutat Res, 599(1-2), 116-123.
Bryant HE & Helleday T (2006) Inhibition of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase activates ATM which is required for subsequent homologous recombination repair.. Nucleic Acids Res, 34(6), 1685-1691.
Saleh-Gohari N, Bryant HE, Schultz N, Parker KM, Cassel TN & Helleday T (2005) Spontaneous homologous recombination is induced by collapsed replication forks that are caused by endogenous DNA single-strand breaks.. Mol Cell Biol, 25(16), 7158-7169.
Helleday T, Bryant HE & Schultz N (2005) Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP-1) in homologous recombination and as a target for cancer therapy.. Cell Cycle, 4(9), 1176-1178.
Bryant HE, Schultz N, Thomas HD, Parker KM, Flower D, Lopez E, Kyle S, Meuth M, Curtin NJ & Helleday T (2005) Specific killing of BRCA2-deficient tumours with inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase.. Nature, 434(7035), 913-917.
Amon W, Binné UK, Bryant H, Jenkins PJ, Karstegl CE & Farrell PJ (2004) Lytic cycle gene regulation of Epstein-Barr virus.. J Virol, 78(24), 13460-13469.
Bryant HE & Helleday T (2004) Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors as potential chemotherapeutic agents.. Biochem Soc Trans, 32(Pt 6), 959-961.
Bryant H & Farrell PJ (2002) Signal Transduction and Transcription Factor Modification during Reactivation of Epstein-Barr Virus from Latency.. J Virol, 76(20), 10290-10298.
Bryant HE, Wadd SE, Lamond AI, Silverstein SJ & Clements JB (2001) Herpes simplex virus IE63 (ICP27) protein interacts with spliceosome-associated protein 145 and inhibits splicing prior to the first catalytic step.. J Virol, 75(9), 4376-4385.
Bryant HE, Matthews DA, Wadd S, Scott JE, Kean J, Graham S, Russell WC & Clements JB (2000) Interaction between herpes simplex virus type 1 IE63 protein and cellular protein p32.. J Virol, 74(23), 11322-11328.
Wadd S, Bryant H, Filhol O, Scott JE, Hsieh TY, Everett RD & Clements JB (1999) The multifunctional herpes simplex virus IE63 protein interacts with heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein K and with casein kinase 2.. J Biol Chem, 274(41), 28991-28998.

Book chapters

(2021) Refining a correlative light electron microscopy workflow using luminescent metal complexes, Methods in Cell Biology (pp. 69-87). Elsevier
Bryant HE & Shall S (2015) Synthetic Lethality with Homologous Recombination Repair Defects, Cancer Drug Discovery and Development (pp. 315-344). Springer International Publishing

Conference proceedings

Jackson CE, Green N, English W, Bryant HE & Claeyssens F (2023) Production of porous polycaprolactone polyHIPEs as substrates for in vitro 3D breast cancer cell culture. Tissue Engineering Part A, Vol. 29(13-14). Manchester, UK, 28 March 2023 - 28 March 2023. View this article in WRRO
Jackson CE, Green N, English W, Bryant HE & Claeyssens F (2023) Production of porous polycaprolactone polyHIPEs as substrates for in vitro 3D breast cancer cell culture. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, Vol. 29(13-14)
Lefley D, Jones C, Danson S, Bryant H, Collis S, Brown J & Ottewell P (2023) Addition of ATM Inhibitors to Radium223 Reduces Prostate Cancer Bone Metastases In Vivo. JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Vol. 38 (pp 214-215)
Mitchell T, Jones T, Danson S, Glover M, Bury J, Horsman J, Christian L, Hill E, Harrison E, Hatton M & Bryant H (2021) Investigation of Aurora Kinase A as a Potential Biomarker of Radiation in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). JOURNAL OF THORACIC ONCOLOGY, Vol. 16(10) (pp S1163-S1164)
Mitchell T, Astley J, Robinson S, Bryant H, Danson S, Tahir B & Hatton M (2021) Artificial Neural Network-Based Tumour Recurrence Prediction in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Following Radical Radiotherapy. JOURNAL OF THORACIC ONCOLOGY, Vol. 16(10) (pp S958-S958)
Bradbury A, King D, Bryant H, Zenke F, Drew Y & Curtin N (2018) Investigating the effect of replication stress and other phenotypic factors as determinants of sensitivity to single agent ATR inhibitor, VE-821 in ovarian cancer cell lines. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER, Vol. 103 (pp E32-E32)
Ritchie J, Wyld L & Bryant HE (2013) UPR Activation via glucose deprivation and depletion of GRP78 protein (using siRNA) do not alter radiosensitivity in the human breast cancer cell line MCF7. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER, Vol. 49 (pp S425-S425)
Ślusarczyk A, Bryant HE, Chen E, Hitchcock I, Zeidler M, Chantry A & Thomas S () Preclinical Investigation of Inhibition of the DNA Damage Response as a Targetted Therapy in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Shows Synergism of ATR Inhibitors with Standard-of-Care Treatment. The 1st International Electronic Conference on Cancers: Exploiting Cancer Vulnerability by Targeting the DNA Damage Response (pp 17-17)

Preprints

Holmes EP, Gamill MC, Provan JI, Wiggins L, Rusková R, Whittle S, Catley TE, Main KHS, Shephard N, Bryant HE , Gilhooly NS et al (2024) Under or Over? Tracing Complex DNA Structures with High Resolution Atomic Force Microscopy, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Piberger AL, Bowry A, Kelly RDW, Walker AK, Gonzalez D, Bailey LJ, Doherty AJ, Méndez J, Morris JR, Bryant HE & Petermann E (2019) PrimPol-dependent single-stranded gap formation mediates homologous recombination at bulky DNA adducts, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Kim HR, Santhakumar K, Markham E, Baldera D, Bryant HE, El-Khamisy SF & van Eeden FJ (2019) The investigation of the role of VHL-HIF signaling in DNA repair and apoptosis in zebrafish, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Willan J, Cleasby A, Flores-Rodriguez N, Stefani F, Rinaldo C, Pisciottani A, Grant E, Woodman P, Bryant H & Ciani B (2018) ESCRT-III accumulates in micronuclei with ruptured nuclear envelopes, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Research group

Polly Gravells - Postdoctoral Research (Biologist)
David King - Clinical Lecturer
Saskia Roetschke - Clinical Research Fellow
Marta Martinez - Postdoctoral Researcher (Chemist)
Emma Grant - Postgraduate Student
Callum Jones - Postgraduate Student
Chris Legge - Postgraduate Student
Thomas Jones - Postgraduate Student
Fatma Bucklain - Postgraduate Student
Hannah Gagg - Technician

Teaching interests

Professor Helen Bryant is deeply committed to developing the next generation of cancer researchers and clinicians through innovative, research-led teaching. As Programme Lead for the MSc in Cancer Biology and Therapeutics, she designs and delivers a curriculum that integrates cutting-edge discoveries in DNA replication, genomic instability, targeted therapies, and translational oncology. Her teaching emphasises critical thinking, experimental design, and the real-world application of molecular research in the development of novel cancer treatments.

Professor Bryant is passionate about helping postgraduate research students build the skills needed for careers in academia, clinical research, and the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors. She regularly supervises PhD students and fosters an environment in which students engage directly with active researchers, learn to interpret emerging literature, and gain confidence in presenting and defending scientific concepts.

Alongside her postgraduate leadership, Professor Bryant makes a significant contribution to undergraduate medical teaching, where she introduces medical students to the molecular foundations of cancer, the principles of personalised medicine, and the scientific rationale behind modern therapeutic strategies. She is particularly dedicated to helping future clinicians understand how laboratory discoveries translate into patient care, improving diagnosis, treatment response, and long-term outcomes.

Across all levels, Professor Bryant’s teaching reflects her belief that high-quality cancer education should inspire curiosity, bridge disciplines, and empower students to make meaningful contributions to the evolving landscape of cancer research and therapy.

Teaching activities

Programme Lead for the MSc in Cancer Biology and Therapeutics

PhD and MSc and undergraduate research project supervisor

Professional activities and memberships

Professor Bryant is the Deputy Chair of the UK Radiation Research Association and serves on multiple national scientific advisory boards, including the Breast Cancer Now Scientific Advisory Panel and the Scientific Panel for the Children’s Cancer Research Fund. She is also a Trustee of the LH Gray Memorial Trust.

In addition to her research leadership, Helen is an active academic examiner, acting as an external examiner for MSc programmes at the University of Birmingham and Sheffield Hallam University, and regularly serving as an examiner for PhD vivas across the UK.