Julius Angeles Bullo

My research focuses on how alterations in tumour cell metabolism and therapy-induced senescence (TIS) influence treatment response in prostate cancer. TIS occurs when cancer cells stop dividing in response to therapy but remain metabolically active, releasing factors that can reshape the tumour environment and promote disease progression and resistance. I am particularly interested in how these processes affect the regulation and function of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) following targeted radionuclide therapy, with the aim of improving treatment precision and patient outcomes.

Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality, with treatment resistance a major clinical challenge. As a doctor aiming to specialise in medical oncology, I investigate how changes in tumour metabolism and TIS affect therapy response, aiming to optimise treatments, improve patient outcomes, and advance precision oncology.

I study how prostate cancer cells adapt their metabolism and behaviour in response to therapy, focusing on the impact of TIS on sensitivity to targeted treatments. Specifically, I examine PSMA, a protein widely used to deliver these therapies. Using laboratory models and patient-derived samples, I analyse changes in PSMA expression and function following radionuclide therapy, and how these relate to metabolic shifts and treatment resistance. By combining molecular biology, imaging, and functional assays, I aim to identify biomarkers that predict response and guide personalised therapy. In the longer term, I plan to translate these findings into clinical practice to optimise targeted treatments, delay resistance, and improve outcomes for men with advanced prostate cancer.

PSMA-targeted therapy outcomes vary because we do not fully understand how therapy affects PSMA expression. My work studies how metabolism and TIS influence PSMA levels and identifies which patients are most likely to benefit. These insights can guide clinicians in selecting patients and timing treatments more effectively. Over time, this research could inform clinical guidelines and trials, contributing to therapies that slow disease progression, extend survival, and improve quality of life.

I am exploring how TIS drives tumour progression and treatment resistance in glioblastoma and brain metastases from prostate cancer. I aim to determine whether senescent tumour or stromal cells create conditions that promote metastatic growth. Future work will link molecular signatures of senescence with patient-derived clinical data, such as treatment response and survival outcomes, to uncover new therapeutic targets and develop more effective treatments for patients with advanced, treatment-resistant disease.

My interest in medical oncology began when I joined the Genomic Medicine programme at the University of Exeter Medical School in 2016. This was complemented by advanced training in microbial genome sequencing at Harvard Medical School, followed by further bioinformatics training at the University of Cambridge. In November 2018, I had the privilege of presenting my research on optimising the genome sequence assembly of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Manila strain 9612) at the Genomic Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases Conference, held at the Philippine Genome Centre in Manila. This work was fully funded by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the British Council, and the Newton Fund.

In 2021, I moved to Ukraine to commence my clinical studies abroad as a medical student, but this was disrupted by the outbreak of war in February 2022. As a result, I continued my clinical training at St Thomas’ Hospital in London before undertaking the remainder of my three years of clinical rotations at Oxford University Hospitals. Throughout this time, I remained affiliated with Ivan Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University and concluded my final year as a Recognised Student of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine at the University of Oxford in July 2025.