Dr Isobella Honeybourne

Health and Care Research Wales Faculty award: 

Award: Health and Care Research Wales Advanced Fellowship Award (2025-2029)

Project title: From serum to solution: detecting RNA biomarkers in extracellular vesicles for non-invasive prostate cancer screening

Biography

Dr Isobella Honeyborne specialises in developing diagnostics, with expertise spanning infectious disease and cancer research. She created the Molecular Bacterial Load Assay (MBLA) for tuberculosis, the first molecular method able to quantify live bacteria in sputum to measure treatment response, and subsequently advanced it into READ-TB, a semi-automated version. Her career includes international collaborations on Lassa fever, tuberculosis and cancer, reflecting her commitment to global health and translational research. She is passionate about ensuring diagnostics are accessible, with a particular focus on diseases affecting low- and middle-income countries.

Now based at Cardiff University, she works within the extracellular vesicle (EV) research community. Her Health and Care Research Wales Advanced Fellowship will establish a serum-based EV-RNA assay to distinguish prostate cancer grades using blood markers, aiming to reduce the need for invasive biopsies and ultimately provide a clinically viable screening tool. She is also dedicated to teaching, mentorship and patient and public involvement in research.