Kristian Helin

Who Kristian Helin is

Professor Kristian Helin is Chief Executive and President of The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London, a post he has held since September 2021. The ICR is a registered charity, higher education institution, and member of the University of London, recognised as a global leader in identifying cancer genes, discovering cancer drugs, and advancing precision radiotherapy. Helin holds a PhD from the University of Copenhagen and previously led the Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC) in Denmark, headed research at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan, and chaired the Cell Biology Program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He is internationally known for pioneering discoveries in cancer epigenetics — demonstrating how regulation of DNA transcription can drive cancer development — and co-founded EpiTherapeutics ApS, which was acquired by Gilead Sciences in 2015. He has argued publicly for sustained funding of both fundamental and translational cancer research, and for ensuring that scientific advances reach patients through NHS care.

References for this biography

1. 1.ICR announces appointment of new Chief Executive — Confirms Helin's appointment as Chief Executive from September 2021, his background in Denmark, Italy, and the US, and his co-founding of EpiTherapeutics ApS.
2. 2.Professor Kristian Helin – ICR researcher profile — Confirms his role, academic background, founding of BRIC, work at Memorial Sloan Kettering, and the sale of EpiTherapeutics to Gilead in 2015.
3. 3.ICR's Chief Executive elected as Foreign Member of the Royal Society — Confirms his election as Foreign Member of the Royal Society in 2023.
4. 4.Professor Kristian Helin FMedSci FRS – Royal Society Fellow page — Confirms fellowship designations (FMedSci, ForMemRS, EMBO, Royal Danish Academy) and prizes including Novo Nordisk Prize and Carlsberg Foundation Research Prize.
5. 5.Gilead Sciences Acquires EpiTherapeutics – Gilead press release — Confirms the $65 million acquisition of EpiTherapeutics by Gilead Sciences in 2015 and Helin's role as the scientific founder.
6. 6.ICR Media Office — Provides the ICR's official press office contact details (email and phone).
7. 7.ICR Contact Us page — Confirms the ICR's registered head-office address as 123 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3RP.

Notable achievements

• Elected as a Foreign Member of the Royal Society in 2023 in recognition of outstanding contributions to cancer research. Source ↗
• Co-founded EpiTherapeutics ApS, which was acquired by Gilead Sciences in 2015 for $65 million. Source ↗
• Founded the Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC) at the University of Copenhagen in 2003, growing it to approximately 250 employees over 15 years. Source ↗
• ICR ranked second overall in the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) for research quality, impact, and environment under his leadership. Source ↗

What Kristian Helin has said

• “This modelling provides an insight into the influence that hormone replacement therapy can have in increasing the risk of developing breast cancer. It's important to have the evidence to help women make a more informed decision about their use of hormone replacement therapy.”

  Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, London · Women's health & gynaecology · 30 Sept 2026 · Breast cancer risk model provides reassuring data for those with family history of disease after short-term HRT use ↗

• “This study demonstrates how the development of new treatments through rigorous cancer research may lead to meaningful advances, even for patients with very limited treatment options. Achieving this level of tumour response and encouraging survival outcomes in such a challenging‑to‑treat group represents a significant step forward.”

  Chief Executive of the ICR · Cancer · 27 Aug 2026 · Cancer jab can eradicate entire tumours in patients, trial shows ↗

• “These results are a significant step forward for people with aggressive bladder cancer. By adding immunotherapy to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, we may be able to spare patients the physical and psychological burden of having their bladder removed entirely – and after one year, we're already seeing a meaningful reduction in the risk of the cancer returning.”

  Chief Executive of the Institute of Cancer Research · Cancer · 27 Aug 2026 · Doctors hail drug that spares bladder cancer patients ‘life-changing’ surgery ↗

Where Kristian Helin has been quoted

1. Delivering the National Cancer Plan will depend on research – and research depends on universitiesicr.ac.uk · 30 Sept 2026
2. Breast cancer risk model provides reassuring data for those with family history of disease after short-term HRT useicr.ac.uk · 30 Sept 2026
3. Cancer jab can eradicate entire tumours in patients, trial showstheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
4. Doctors hail drug that spares bladder cancer patients ‘life-changing’ surgerytheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026

Related media coverage

Recent UK press coverage of their topics — not necessarily citing them directly.

• Cervical Cancer Screening: Analyzing Recent Guideline Changes Against Current Trends of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Risk FactorsCureus
• Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: biotech firm eyes cervical cancer test breakthroughSouth China Morning Post
• Emma Willis, 50, builds upper-body muscle with these 4 go-to exercises – ‘I do want to be strong’Women's Health

Contact & links

• Staff pagehttps://www.icr.ac.uk/research-and-discoveries/find-a-researcher/test-researcher-profile-detail/professor-kristian-helin
• Press office emailmediaoffice@icr.ac.ukpublished here ↗
• Press office phone+44 (0)203 437 3502published here ↗
• LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kristian-helin-3a33915/

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.