2026 Serena Nik-Zainal: Genetics Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Genetics	77	1730	1646	222	213	183	54803

Research.com Recognitions

Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)
Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO)

Overview

Serena Nik-Zainal is affiliated with the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Their research primarily focuses on the fields of Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, and Medicine, with significant contributions to subfields including Molecular Biology, Cancer Research, Oncology, Genetics, and Pathology and Forensic Medicine.

Serena Nik-Zainal's work addresses several main topics such as:

Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics
DNA Repair Mechanisms
Genetic factors in colorectal cancer
PARP inhibition in cancer therapy
BRCA gene mutations in cancer
CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
Breast Cancer Treatment Studies

The scientist has contributed to numerous research articles published in prominent journals, including notable papers such as:

"ESMO recommendations on predictive biomarker testing for homologous recombination deficiency and PARP inhibitor benefit in ovarian cancer" (2020) published in Annals of Oncology
"A practical framework and online tool for mutational signature analyses show intertissue variation and driver dependencies" (2020) published in Nature Cancer
"Mutational signatures: emerging concepts, caveats and clinical applications" (2021) published in Nature Reviews Cancer
"Substitution mutational signatures in whole-genome-sequenced cancers in the UK population" (2022) published in Science
"Homologous recombination DNA repair deficiency and PARP inhibition activity in primary triple negative breast cancer" (2020) published in Nature Communications

Serena Nik-Zainal frequently publishes in several venues, with multiple contributions to:

Nature Communications
Cancer Research
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
Annals of Oncology
Nature Genetics

Collaboration is a significant aspect of their research career, with frequent coauthors including:

Helen Davies
Andrea Degasperi
Yasin Memari
Esther H. Lips
Xueqing Zou

The scientist's research intersects cancer biology and genetics, with particular emphasis on cancer genomics, DNA repair, and therapeutic strategies involving PARP inhibitors and BRCA gene mutations.

Recognition of their scientific contributions includes election as a Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).

Best Publications

Signatures of mutational processes in human cancer

Ludmil B. Alexandrov;Serena Nik-Zainal;Serena Nik-Zainal;David C. Wedge;Samuel A. J. R. Aparicio

10789
Citations
Pan-cancer analysis of whole genomes

Peter J. Campbell;Gad Getz;Jan O. Korbel;Joshua M. Stuart

3090
Citations
Massive Genomic Rearrangement Acquired in a Single Catastrophic Event during Cancer Development

Philip J. Stephens;Chris D. Greenman;Beiyuan Fu;Fengtang Yang

2555
Citations
Landscape of somatic mutations in 560 breast cancer whole-genome sequences

Serena Nik-Zainal;Serena Nik-Zainal;Helen Davies;Johan Staaf;Manasa Ramakrishna

2186
Citations
Mutational Processes Molding the Genomes of 21 Breast Cancers

Serena Nik-Zainal;Ludmil B. Alexandrov;David C. Wedge;Peter Van Loo;Peter Van Loo;Peter Van Loo

2052
Citations
The landscape of cancer genes and mutational processes in breast cancer

Philip J. Stephens;Patrick S. Tarpey;Helen Davies;Peter Van Loo;Peter Van Loo

1903
Citations
The Life History of 21 Breast Cancers

Serena Nik-Zainal;Peter Van Loo;Peter Van Loo;Peter Van Loo;David C. Wedge;Ludmil B. Alexandrov

1572
Citations
The patterns and dynamics of genomic instability in metastatic pancreatic cancer

Peter J. Campbell;Peter J. Campbell;Shinichi Yachida;Laura J. Mudie;Philip J. Stephens

1522
Citations
Somatic SF3B1 Mutation in Myelodysplasia with Ring Sideroblasts

E. Papaemmanuil;M. Cazzola;J. Boultwood;L. Malcovati

1403
Citations
A small-cell lung cancer genome with complex signatures of tobacco exposure

Erin D. Pleasance;Philip J. Stephens;Sarah O’Meara;Sarah O’Meara;David J. McBride

1275
Citations
Deciphering Signatures of Mutational Processes Operative in Human Cancer

Ludmil B. Alexandrov;Serena Nik-Zainal;David C. Wedge;Peter J. Campbell;Peter J. Campbell

1267
Citations
Mutational signatures associated with tobacco smoking in human cancer

Ludmil B Alexandrov;Ludmil B Alexandrov;Young Seok Ju;Kerstin Haase;Peter Van Loo;Peter Van Loo

1038
Citations
Clock-like mutational processes in human somatic cells

Ludmil B Alexandrov;Philip H Jones;Philip H Jones;David C Wedge;Julian E Sale

970
Citations
Heterogeneity of genomic evolution and mutational profiles in multiple myeloma

Niccolo Bolli;Hervé Avet-Loiseau;David C. Wedge;Peter Van Loo

949
Citations
Patterns of somatic structural variation in human cancer genomes

Yilong Li;Nicola D Roberts;Jeremiah A Wala;Jeremiah A Wala;Ofer Shapira;Ofer Shapira

942
Citations
HRDetect is a predictor of BRCA1 and BRCA2 deficiency based on mutational signatures

Helen Davies;Dominik D. Glodzik;Sandro S. Morganella;Lucy R. Yates

941
Citations
Mechanisms underlying mutational signatures in human cancers

Thomas Helleday;Saeed Eshtad;Serena Nik-Zainal

893
Citations
Recurrent Rearrangements of Chromosome 1q21.1 and Variable Pediatric Phenotypes

Heather C Mefford;Andrew J Sharp;Carl Baker;Andy Itsara

852
Citations
Subclonal diversification of primary breast cancer revealed by multiregion sequencing

Lucy R. Yates;Moritz Gerstung;Stian Knappskog;Christine Desmedt

809
Citations
Distinct H3F3A and H3F3B driver mutations define chondroblastoma and giant cell tumor of bone.

Sam Behjati;Sam Behjati;Patrick S Tarpey;Nadège Presneau;Susanne Scheipl;Susanne Scheipl

793
Citations

Frequent Co-Authors

Peter J. Campbell Wellcome Sanger Institute

Michael R. Stratton Wellcome Sanger Institute

Anne Lise Børresen-Dale Oslo University Hospital

Ludmil B. Alexandrov University of California, San Diego

Sunil R. Lakhani University of Queensland

Andrea L. Richardson Johns Hopkins University

Adam Butler Wellcome Sanger Institute

Peter Van Loo The Francis Crick Institute

Jon W. Teague Wellcome Sanger Institute

Keiran Raine Wellcome Sanger Institute

External Links

Personal website of Serena Nik-Zainal

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