One of the most fascinating aspects of early-stage cancer research is that you never quite know what the journey will bring. Science rarely plays along with attempts to travel directly from A to B.  I often think the skill of a truly excellent scientist lies in the judgement of when to persist, when to adjust and when to reconsider.

Of course it’s always terrific when research swiftly backs up a new idea.  But it can be equally important to discover that an answer is ‘no’.

As Shakespeare famously wrote in A Midsummer Night’s Dream ‘The course of true love never did run smooth’ and the same is true of research. Occasionally it is disheartening but sometimes, just sometimes, the results and impact can be greater than anyone expected.