Spatial ecology of breast cancer reveals co-evolution of proliferative and dormant niches
Journal articleGenome Medicine
Tumour cell states · plasticity · single-cell · spatial
Cenk Celik
Research Fellow at University College London
I study how tumour cells move between states, and what shapes that plasticity within the tissue around them.
I joined the Secrier Lab at the UCL Genetics Institute in June 2023 as a Research Fellow. My work looks at tumour cell plasticity in breast, brain and liver metastases and how these cells interact with the tumour microenvironment, using single-cell and spatial transcriptomics. At its core is a question about cell cycle arrest: what governs the switch between quiescent and proliferative states, and how that switch is organised in space within a tumour. Alongside this, I build computational methods for spatial transcriptomics to help characterise that organisation.
Beyond the lab, I volunteer with Bilimler Köyü (Village of Sciences), teaching biological data analysis to young women from underrepresented regions of Turkey as part of its mission to bring STEMM research within reach of more young minds. I’m also an EACR Ambassador, helping connect early-career cancer researchers with training and networking opportunities.
Transparency, research integrity and collaboration guide how I work.
