Axel Behrens is Scientific Director of the CRUK Convergence Science Centre, a partnership between the Institute of Cancer Research, Imperial College London and the Royal Marsden Hospital. His research combines innovative discovery research with direct clinical relevance and has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of cancer signalling pathways and the biology of stem cells, both in normal tissues and cancers. He identified cancer stem cell populations in luminal breast and pancreatic cancer, revealing conceptual similarities between the cellular hierarchies of normal organs and cancers. In his current senior leadership role, Dr Behrens coordinates cross-institutional, multi-disciplinary research efforts for the benefit of cancer patients.