Clara Cieza-Borrella

Dr Clara Cieza-Borrella is a Senior Lecturer in Molecular Biology and Programme Director of the NHSE-funded MSc/PgDip/PgCert Genomic Medicine at City St George's, University of London, delivered jointly with King's College London. She also leads the university's online PgCert Genomic Medicine programme.

She trained in Biology and Cancer Biology at the University of Salamanca and completed her PhD in Medicine in 2014. She subsequently joined the Institute of Cancer Research in London, where she undertook postdoctoral research in prostate cancer genetics and functional genomics.

As Principal Investigator in the Prostate Cancer Biology Lab at City St George's, her research focuses on the functional characterisation of genes and genetic variants associated with prostate cancer risk, using approaches including CRISPR/Cas9 and 3D cell cultures.

Alongside her research, she has extensive experience in genomic medicine education and workforce development, having led the Genomic Medicine postgraduate programme since 2021. She is also involved in module leadership and teaching on other postgraduate Genomic Medicine programmes, including at Imperial College London, and acts as an external examiner for postgraduate education in cancer genetics and genomics. Her work focuses on how genomic medicine education can equip healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to translate rapidly evolving genomic technologies into clinical practice, while making training accessible to a diverse and geographically distributed workforce.

She is also currently involved in a multicentre project exploring the experiences of part-time postgraduate healthcare students balancing study with work, caring responsibilities and other commitments, with the aim of developing more inclusive and supportive approaches to postgraduate education.