Our Scientific and Medical Advisory Board

Our Scientific and Medical Advisory Board (SMAB) provides independent, objective reviews of our research programme and strategy. They ensure that we are investing in high quality, peer-reviewed research that serves the best interest of patients, scientists and clinicians and will bring us closer to a cure for brain tumours.

Members of our SMAB are chosen due to their internationally regarded experience and expertise, enabling them to provide invaluable scientific support and advice to the charity, our researchers and our Board of Trustees.

The SMAB assists the charity in reviewing and selecting new applications to be a Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence and assesses the progress of our Research Centres and Funded Initiatives through Annual, Mid-term and Quinquennial (five-year) Reviews. The SMAB is asked to consider:

- Are the Centres progressing according to plan?

- Are they eliminating duplication of research?

- Is the charity and its supporters receiving value for money?


Further to the vital expertise they provide the charity in funding decisions, they also advise the charity’s Board of Trustees on the overall strategy for research and the identification of opportunities and gaps and on the best mechanisms to achieve the research objectives.

An essential component of the SMAB is our patient representative who provides a patient perspective on the research that we fund. They ensure that patient needs are well met and at the centre of our research focus.

This process of peer review is internationally recognised as best practice for ensuring that our funds are used wisely and effectively.  

Meet our SMAB Members

  • Professor Tony Marson

    Chair of the SMAB, Professor of Neurology, University of Liverpool and Honorary Consultant Neurologist, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust

  • Professor Frank A. Giordano

    Full Professor and Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Heidelberg, Germany

  • Professor Petra Hamerlik

    Chair of Translational Neuro-Oncology, University of Manchester

  • Dr Lennard YW Lee

    Associate Professor at Oxford University

  • Mr Richard Mair

    Assistant Professor and Honorary Consultant Neurosurgeon, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute.

  • Dr Philip Scard

    Patient Representative

  • Professor Sheila Singh

    Professor and Head of Neurosurgery, Canada Research Chair and Director of the Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research at McMaster University

  • Professor Anna Dimberg

    Professor of Cancer and Vascular Biology, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Sweden

  • Dr Laura Donovan

    Assistant Professor of Paediatric Neuro-oncology, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health

  • Professor Spencer Collis

    Professor of Genome Stability, Division of Clinical Medicine, University of Sheffield

  • Dr Jeff Edwards

    Patient Representative

  • Dr Sevin Turcan

    Group Leader, Neuro-Oncology of Lower Grade Gliomas, University of Heidelberg

  • Professor Dan Tennant

    Professor of Biochemistry, Department of Metabolism and Systems Science, University of Birmingham

Meet our Advisors

  • Professor Garth Cruickshank

    Clinical Consultant and former Chair of the SMAB, Professor of Neurosurgery (Retired)

What happens if there is a Conflict of Interest?

Members of the SMAB include independent researchers who are not beneficiaries for a particular application round.

Any conflicts of interest must be declared and are taken into consideration during every stage of each review process.

Our Conflicts of Interest and Confidentiality Policy is available from here.

Are the SMAB members paid for their time?

SMAB members are volunteers and do not receive any payment for their services, however reasonable expenses for travel and accommodation are provided. They are appointed as individuals to fulfil the role of the committee, not as representatives of their particular profession, employer or interest group. We are very grateful for their generous donation of time and expertise.

SMAB Terms of Reference

1. The primary terms of references of SMAB are to assist the charity in i) reviewing and selecting new applications to be a Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence, and ii) reviewing the progress of the Centres and Funded Initiatives through Annual, Mid-Term and Quinquennial Reviews. In particular members of the SMAB are asked to consider:

- Are the Centres progressing according to plan?
- Are they eliminating duplication of research?
- Is the charity and its supporters receiving value for money?

Are key performance indicators being achieved:

- Papers published
- Impact of publications
- Quality and relevance of the research
- Translation of research to potential clinical application
- Level of external grant funding secured

External peer review will be sought for new applications and QQR submissions to support with the review of the proposal.

The SMAB also assists the charity in the prioritisation of where funds should be granted, where Centre requirements are in excess of charity funds available.

In addition, the SMAB will:

- assist the charity’s Board of Trustees in monitoring the research strategy and assessing effectiveness and impact of the charity’s research spend, this will include attendance at a Research Strategy meeting
- assist the charity in exploring opportunities for leverage of research funds and for developing research partnerships
- advise the charity’s Board of Trustees on the overall strategy for research and the identification of opportunities and gaps
- advise the charity’s Board of Trustees on the best mechanisms to achieve the research objectives
- review out of cycle funding (annual reviews assessed outside of research review committee meetings), change in research direction requests and prioritisation of any grant funding changes should the charity need to amend its research spend
- be invited, when appropriate, to represent the Charity on Centre of Excellence/Funded Initiative Scientific Advisory Boards
- be invited to the annual Researcher Workshop; attendance is optional
- support the clinical advisor, if required, to provide expert advice and input into consultations and reviews that the Charity will be responding to
- support the clinical advisor, if required, to provide a steer and expert advice on novel treatments, therapies and devices
- provide ongoing advice to the Brain Tumour Research team, as required
- provide expert quotes and support with raising awareness through the media and with politicians, as required

2. SMAB members have a duty to bring an independent judgement to bear on all issues considered by the SMAB. On appointment, they must undertake to comply at all times with these Terms of Reference and act in good faith and at all times in the best interests of the charity. The charity will undertake due diligence on all proposed members.

3. Unless specifically stated otherwise, SMAB members are appointed as individuals to fulfil the role of the committee, not as representatives of their particular profession, employer or interest group, and have a duty to act in the interests of Brain Tumour Research. Where members declare an organisation’s views rather than a personal view, they should make that clear at the time of declaring that view.

4. Members should regard themselves as free to question and comment on the information provided or the views expressed by any of the other members, notwithstanding that the views or information do not relate to their own area of expertise. If members believe the committee’s method of working is not rigorous or thorough enough they have the right to ask that any remaining concerns they have be put on the record.

5. The SMAB will meet in person or virtually as required to conduct agreed business, providing recommendations on funding to the Board of Trustees. The Chair of the SMAB will attend at least one meeting of the Board of Trustees each year. The quorum for the SMAB will be minimum of five members. Members of the committee may be paid reasonable expenses for subsistence and travel.

6. Members will serve for a term of three years, renewable for a further term of three years but with some staggering of rotation to avoid loss of continuity and consistency. The SMAB shall consist of at least ten members. Former members will not be invited to serve a third term, even following a break after their second term.

7. All members of the SMAB are required to agree to Brain Tumour Research’s Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy. Should the Chair or other members of the SMAB make any applications for funding as a principal or co-investigator during their period of tenure, they will be excluded from that review cycle. Applications from researchers based in the Chair or members’ academic departments or from previous collaborators will be managed according to Brain Tumour Research’s Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy.

8. If a member of the SMAB is successful with securing funding from Brain Tumour Research they must step down from the SMAB.

9. Brain Tumour Research adheres to the AMRC Guidance on implementing the principles of peer review

10. SMAB members are unpaid, although reasonable expenses will be reimbursed. The Volunteer Policy outlines our management of volunteers in more detail.