Melanie Flint is a Professor of Stress and Cancer Research and is a co-director of the Sussex Cancer Reseach Center. Professor Flint is also a member of the British Breast Group. Melanie trained in the Women’s Cancer Research Centre, at the University of Pittsburgh cancer Institute and remains at adjunct Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, University of Pittsburgh. 

Currently, the focus of Melanie’s Cancer Stress laboratory is translational cancer research. Specifically, her research examines hormonal influences on tumour initation, progression and metastasis. Melanie’s primary research project involves the direct interplay between stress hormones (cortisol, noradrenaline) and the immune and cancer cells. The goal of her laboratory is to understand the mechanism through which behavioural stress impacts cancer initiation, progression and responses to drug treatments.

Melanie’s work is currently supported by Corcept Therapeutics and the Sussex Cancer Fund. Recent projects include ‘A reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) monitoring system to study their role in cancer’ and ‘Stress hormones in BRCA mutation carriers increase susceptibility to the development of cancer’. Her work on stress and cancer has previously been supported by National Institutes of Health, Cancer Research UK, The Rosetrees Trust, Team Verrico, Breast cancer Research Trust, Wendy Will Case cancer fund and the PA Breast Cancer Coalition’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Research Initiative.

Quotation 

It is very exciting to work on a (series) of projects that combine the expertise of laboratory based scientists with that of psycho-oncologists in an innovative area of research likely to produce tangible benefits for patients receiving cancer treatments. Valerie Jenkins, SHORE-C Sussex health Outcomes Research and Education group

I currently lead a dynamic Cancer Stress Team consisting of PhD students, medical students, masters students and post docs. We study the effects of stress hormones on cell signaling, drug resistance and immunity in breast, endometrial, ovarian and prostate cancers.  My passion is mentoring students with a strong interest in becoming cancer researchers. We welcome driven, enthusiastic members to our team!

Current PhD Students

Ioanna Dovra

Sarah Becker

Sarah Baron (MD)

Stephanie Munroe

Isabella Jupp (With Simon MItchell BSMS)

Alice Bourne (With Emma Kenedy and Andrea Pepper)

Post Doctoral Scientists (as of 2026)

Dr Alex Mcloughlin

Dr Gowtham Rajendran

Dr Neda Heidari

Professor Flint received her PhD at Imperial College, London, UK. She moved to the United States and trained as a postdoctoral scientist at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV. It was there where she began a research track in the field of bi behavioural research. She became very interested in the power of stressful influences impacting disease outcome. At the time, Melanie remained focused on the immune and inflammatory systems and the impact of stressful responses. Her research interests began to include investigations into how psychosocial hormones influence the immune system and may impact cancer biology. Indeed, she was recruited to join the Behavioral Oncology team at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute as a Research Associate. During her tenure in this group, she worked on a number of projects related to how stress may impact the incidence and course of cancer, with a focus on the impact of stress and stress hormones on DNA damage and repair.  Melanie became a Research Assistant Professor where she trained in breast and ovarian cancer at the Womens cancer Research center, Pittsburgh and she remians an adjunct assistant professor. She is currenlty a professor of stress and cancer research at the university of Brighton where leads a translational programme on stress and cancer which a particlar focus on glucocorticoids. 

I currently teach in the discipline of pharmacology, immunology, oncology and precision medicine and I’m case leader for Breast Cancer.I am course leader for Precision Medicine Cancer. I prefer a more hands on practical approach to my teaching—this can be achieved though interactive lectures and workshops. Together with psychologists, Macmillan nurses, pharmacologists and pharmacists we have created interactive workshops to enhance student experiences.