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) . JBMR Plus, 9(10).
  • 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) . Nature Communications, 16(1).
  • Ahmed A, Cox E, Lane L, Rominiyi O, Danson S, Bryant HE, Wells G & King D (2025) . Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, 47(5), e144-e154.
  • 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) . Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 66(4), 490-496.
  • Jones C, Martinez-Alonso M, Gagg H, Kirby L, Weinstein JA & Bryant HE (2024) . Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 67(18).
  • 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) . Nature Communications, 15(1).
  • Fabbrizi MR, Nickson CM, Hughes JR, Robinson EA, Vaidya K, Rubbi CP, Kacperek A, Bryant HE, Helleday T & Parsons JL (2024) . Cell Death & Disease, 15(2).
  • Jackson CE, Doyle I, Khan H, Williams SF, Aldemir Dikici B, Barajas Ledesma E, Bryant HE, English WR, Green NH & Claeyssens F (2024) . Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 11.
  • MartĂ­nez-Alonso M, Jones CG, Shipp JD, Chekulaev D, Bryant HE & Weinstein JA (2024) . JBIC Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry, 29(1), 113-125.
  • Egerton K, Mitchell TA, Gravells P, Katse R, Fisher M, Muthana M, Eyers CE, Eyers PA & Bryant HE (2023) . 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) . Cancer Research, 83(7_Supplement), 3542-3542.
  • Grant E, Bucklain FA, Ginn L, Laity P, Ciani B & Bryant HE (2022) . PLoS ONE, 17(5).
  • 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) . Cancers, 13(24).
  • Aguilar Cosme JR, Gagui DC, Bryant HE & Claeyssens F (2021) . Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences, 8(11).
  • Aguilar Cosme JR, Gagui DC, Green NH, Bryant HE & Claeyssens F (2021) . ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 7(11), 5078-5089.
  • Taher Z, Legge C, Winder N, Lysyganicz P, Rawlings A, Bryant H, Muthana M & Staniland S (2021) . Pharmaceutics, 13(3).
  • Piberger AL, Bowry A, Kelly RDW, Walker AK, González-Acosta D, Bailey LJ, Doherty AJ, MĂ©ndez J, Morris JR, Bryant HE & Petermann E (2020) . Nature Communications, 11(1).
  • Halliwell JA, Gravells P & Bryant HE (2020) . 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) . EBioMedicine, 59.
  • Harrision D, Gravells P, Thompson R & Bryant HE (2020) . 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) . Oncotarget, 11(23), 2141-2159.
  • Kim HR, Santhakumar K, Markham E, Baldera D, Greenald D, Bryant HE, El-Khamisy SF & van Eeden FJ (2020) . Oncotarget, 11(13), 1109-1130.
  • Doherty RE, Bryant HE, Valluru MK, Rennie IG & Sisley K (2019) . Cancers, 11(9).
  • Aguilar Cosme JR, Bryant HE & Claeyssens F (2019) . PLoS ONE, 14(7).
  • Crowston B, Shipp J, Chekulaev DM, McKenzie L, Jones C, Weinstein J, Meijer AJHM, Bryant HE, Natrajan L, Woodward AW & Ward MD (2019) . Dalton Transactions, 48(18), 6132-6152.
  • Willan J, Cleasby AJ, Flores-Rodriguez N, Stefani F, Rinaldo C, Pisciottani A, Grant E, Woodman P, Bryant HE & Ciani B (2019) . Oncogenesis, 8(5).
  • Kadhim A, McKenzie LK, Bryant HE & Twyman LJ (2019) . Molecular Pharmaceutics, 16(3), 1132-1139.
  • McKenzie LK, Bryant HE & Weinstein JA (2019) . Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 379, 2-29.
  • Omar SAE, Scattergood PA, McKenzie LK, Jones C, Patmore NJ, Meijer AJHM, Weinstein JA, Rice CR, Bryant HE & Elliott PIP (2018) . Inorganic Chemistry , 57(21), 13201-13212.
  • Daniels RE, McKenzie LK, Shewring JR, Weinstein JA, Kozhevnikov VN & Bryant HE (2018) . RSC Advances, 8(18), 9670-9676.
  • Gravells P, Neale J, Grant E, Nathubhai A, Smith KM, James DI & Bryant HE (2018) . DNA Repair , 61, 25-36.
  • Gravells PL, Grant E, Smith KM, James DI & Bryant HE (2017) . DNA Repair, 52, 81-91.
  • Mateo J, Boysen G, Barbieri CE, Bryant HE, Castro E, Nelson PS, Olmos D, Pritchard CC, Rubin MA & de Bono JS (2017) . European Urology, 71(3), 417-425.
  • McKenzie L, Sazanovich I, Baggaley E, Bonneau M, Guerchais V, Williams G, Weinstein J & Bryant HE (2017) . 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) . Chemistry - A European Journal, 23(2), 234-234.
  • Ali R, Rakha EA, Madhusudan S & Bryant HE (2016) . Pathology.
  • Omar SA, Scattergood PA, McKenzie LK, Bryant HE, Weinstein JA & Elliott PI (2016) . Molecules, 21(10).
  • Patterson K, Arya L, Bottomley S, Morgan S, Cox A, Catto J & Bryant HE (2016) . Oncotarget, 7, 76140-76150.
  • Bryant HE (2016) . 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) . Inorganic Chemistry, 55(11), 5623-5633.
  • Doherty RE, Sazanovich IV, McKenzie LK, Stasheuski AS, Coyle R, Baggaley E, Bottomley S, Weinstein JA & Bryant HE (2016) . 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) . Carcinogenesis, 37(1), 63-71.
  • King D, Yeomanson D & Bryant HE (2015) . 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) . 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) . 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) . Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, 24(1), 268-275.
  • Lafta IJ, Bryant HE & Goldman ASH (2014) . Oncotarget, 5(18), 7984-7985.
  • Drayton RM, Peter S, Myers K, Miah S, Dudziec E, Bryant HE & Catto JWF (2014) . Oncotarget, 5(15), 6375-6386.
  • Drayton RM, Dudziec E, Peter S, Bertz S, Hartmann A, Bryant HE & Catto JW (2014) . 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) . Breast Cancer Research(5), R92.
  • Gravells P, Hoh L, Solovieva S, Patil A, Dudziec E, Rennie IG, Sisley K & Bryant HE (2013) . Oncogene, 32(46), 5338-5346.
  • Fathers C, Drayton RM, Solovieva S & Bryant HE (2012) . Cell Cycle, 11(5), 990-997.
  • Drayton RM, Dudziec E, Catto JWF & Bryant HE (2012) . Cancer Research, 72(2_Supplement), A10-A10.
  • Loseva O, Jemth A-S, Bryant HE, SchĂĽler H, Lehtiö L, Karlberg T & Helleday T (2012) . Journal of Biological Chemistry, 287(41), 34494-34494.
  • Bryant HE (2012) . Methods Mol Biol, 920, 315-321.
  • Gravells P, Hoh L, Canovas D, Rennie IG, Sisley K & Bryant HE (2011) . Br J Cancer, 104(7), 1098-1105.
  • Hoh L, Gravells P, Canovas D, Ul-Hassan A, Rennie IG, Bryant H & Sisley K (2011) . Genes Chromosomes Cancer, 50(1), 34-42.
  • Blundred R, Myers K, Helleday T, Goldman ASH & Bryant HE (2010) . 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) . Cancer Res, 70(13), 5389-5398.
  • Loseva O, Jemth AS, Bryant HE, Schuler H, Lehtio L, Karlberg T & Helleday T (2010) . J BIOL CHEM, 285(11), 8054-8060.
  • Catto JWF, Miah S, Owen HC, Bryant H, Myers K, Dudziec E, LarrĂ© S, Milo M, Rehman I, Rosario DJ , Di Martino E et al (2009) . Cancer Res, 69(21), 8472-8481.
  • McLachlan J, Fernandez S, Helleday T & Bryant HE (2009) . DNA Repair (Amst), 8(12), 1424-1433.
  • Al-Minawi AZ, Lee Y-F, HĂĄkansson D, Johansson F, Lundin C, Saleh-Gohari N, Schultz N, Jenssen D, Bryant HE, Meuth M , Hinz JM et al (2009) . 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) . EMBO J, 28(17), 2601-2615.
  • Ying S, Myers K, Bottomley S, Helleday T & Bryant HE (2009) . 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) . Nature, 447(7142), 346-346.
  • Bryant HE, Ying S & Helleday T (2006) . Mutat Res, 599(1-2), 116-123.
  • Bryant HE & Helleday T (2006) . Nucleic Acids Res, 34(6), 1685-1691.
  • Saleh-Gohari N, Bryant HE, Schultz N, Parker KM, Cassel TN & Helleday T (2005) . Mol Cell Biol, 25(16), 7158-7169.
  • Helleday T, Bryant HE & Schultz N (2005) . 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) . Nature, 434(7035), 913-917.
  • Amon W, BinnĂ© UK, Bryant H, Jenkins PJ, Karstegl CE & Farrell PJ (2004) . J Virol, 78(24), 13460-13469.
  • Bryant HE & Helleday T (2004) . Biochem Soc Trans, 32(Pt 6), 959-961.
  • Bryant H & Farrell PJ (2002) . J Virol, 76(20), 10290-10298.
  • Bryant HE, Wadd SE, Lamond AI, Silverstein SJ & Clements JB (2001) . J Virol, 75(9), 4376-4385.
  • Bryant HE, Matthews DA, Wadd S, Scott JE, Kean J, Graham S, Russell WC & Clements JB (2000) . J Virol, 74(23), 11322-11328.
  • Wadd S, Bryant H, Filhol O, Scott JE, Hsieh TY, Everett RD & Clements JB (1999) . J Biol Chem, 274(41), 28991-28998.

Book chapters

  • (2021) , Methods in Cell Biology (pp. 69-87). Elsevier
  • Bryant HE & Shall S (2015) , Cancer Drug Discovery and Development (pp. 315-344). Springer International Publishing

Conference proceedings

  • Jackson CE, Green N, English W, Bryant HE & Claeyssens F (2023) . Tissue Engineering Part A, Vol. 29(13-14). Manchester, UK, 28 March 2023 - 28 March 2023.
  • 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)
  • Ĺšlusarczyk A, Bryant HE, Chen E, Hitchcock I, Zeidler M, Chantry A & Thomas S () . 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) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Piberger AL, Bowry A, Kelly RDW, Walker AK, Gonzalez D, Bailey LJ, Doherty AJ, MĂ©ndez J, Morris JR, Bryant HE & Petermann E (2019) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
  • Kim HR, Santhakumar K, Markham E, Baldera D, Bryant HE, El-Khamisy SF & van Eeden FJ (2019) , 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) , 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.