ICR-CTSU Early Phase and Adaptive Trials
Professor Christina Yap’s group embedded within the ICR’s Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit develop and implement efficient statistical techniques in clinical trial designs and analyses, with the ultimate aim to get new drugs safely, effectively, and as quickly as possible to the patients for whom they can be life-changing.
Research, projects and publications in this group
We implement efficient statistical techniques in clinical trial designs and analyses, with the aim to get new drugs safely and effectively to patients.
Professor Christina Yap
Group Leader:
ICR-CTSU Early Phase and Adaptive Trials, Genetics and EpidemiologyChristina Yap is Professor of Clinical Trials Biostatistics at the ICR’s Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit. Christina is an expert in the design and implementation of efficient, adaptive designs in clinical trials.
Researchers in this group

Email: [email protected]
Location: Sutton
Emily is a second year PhD student. Her main research interest is in the incorporation of Patient-reported Outcomes (PROs) in early phase dose-finding trial designs. She has particular interest in Bayesian adaptive designs and Monte Carlo methods.

Email: [email protected]
Location: Sutton
Being educated in US, Xinjie obtained her PhD degree in Mathematics and Statistics with concentration on Biostatistics from Georgia State University in 2020 and M.S degree in Quantitative and Computational Finance from Georgia Tech in 2014. Her PhD research focused on developing new semi-parametric and non-parametric estimation methods especially empirical likelihood methods. Xinjie started her career as a senior biostatistician in Novartis and then worked in late-phase oncology studies in a global biotech company. She Joined ICR in 2023 and would like to deep dive into innovative early phase trial designs under ICR-CTSU’s disciplines.

Email: [email protected]
Location: Sutton
Xiaoran received his PhD in Biostatistics from University of Oslo in Norway, where he developed a mathematical model to simulate breast cancer treatment using multi-type patient data. He is interested in integrating multi-scale cancer data using mechanistic models and machine learning techniques in order to provide precise therapeutic recommendations as well as novel clinical study designs and interventions.

Email: [email protected]
Location: Sutton
Being educated at the University of Cambridge, Yusen has a strong mathematical background with a specialisation in statistics. He is interested in investigating advanced Bayesian information borrowing methods and statistical analysis in early-phrase trials.

Location: Sutton
Being educated in Munich and Dortmund Jan graduated in statistics. An internship with Novartis in Basel was followed by a position as research associate and trial statistician at the University Hospital Essen. After obtaining his PhD he joined the ICR in 2020, where he works on clinical trials at ICR-CTSU and developed a focus on translational medicine.

Email: [email protected]
Location: Sutton
Mahtab is educated in Biostatistics. Based on her experience, she is qualified in clinical research area including clinical trial studies. She joined ICR in 2022 as a Trial Statistician focusing on analysis of several clinical trials within the ICR/Royal Marsden Drug Development Units early phase trials. Mahtab is also interested in developing and implementing efficient trial methodology in early phase and adaptive trials.

Email: [email protected]
Location: Sutton
Having substantial experience in corporate management and finance, Olga has turned her career towards clinical studies joining the ICR in 2021 for the development of consolidated standards of reporting trials (CONSORT) for early phase dose-finding trials. Outside of work, Olga enjoys spending time with her daughter. Their Akita-dog joins them on every possible occasion.

Email: [email protected]
Location: Sutton
After receiving an MSc in Epidemiology and BSc in Biochemistry from Imperial College London, Morgaine joined the ICR-CTSU, first working as a Data Manager, then progressing to a Trial Manager. She is now starting a PhD part time alongside her trial management work, aiming to unlock the potential of the estimand framework as a multi-disciplinary approach to trial development. Morgaine has a particular interest in ensuring meaningful patient and public involvement in clinical trial methodology.

Location: Sutton
Zhulin is a PhD student in the Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit. Her main research interest is on early phase clinical trial designs, data analysis and systematic review. The project title of her PhD is “Development and Implementation of Efficient Adaptive Designs in Early Phase Oncology Trials for Targeted Agents”.

Email: [email protected]
Location: Sutton
Haiyan Zheng is a CRUK PRC Fellow passionate about efficient design and analysis of clinical trials. She currently leads a three-year research programme to develop statistical methods that (1) simultaneously evaluate treatment effects in multiple subgroups, and (2) allow for mid-course adaptations in master protocol trials.
Professor Christina Yap's group have written 89 publications
Most recent new publication 1/2025
See all their publications