Janet Shipley is a group leader at the Institute of Cancer Research. She obtained a BSc (Hons) in biology from Southampton University and a PhD from the University of London. She has previously worked in the DNA Repair Group at Guy’s Hospital in London; the Genetics Division of Harvard at Children’s Hospital in Boston, USA; and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund UK (which became the London Research Institute and is now part of the Francis Crick Institute). Professor Shipley moved to the Institute of Cancer Research, London, to establish a laboratory characterizing genetic rearrangements in tumours and was awarded tenure in 1996, a readership in 2003, and a professorship in 2014. Her current research is focused on identifying molecular markers of high risk in young-onset sarcomas and understanding associated molecular mechanisms to derive novel treatments for these patients. Her research advances are translated into potential benefits for patients through national groups, organizations such as the European Paediatric Soft Tissue Sarcoma Study Group (EpSSG) and the Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer (ITCC) Consortium, and she has a role as a biology lead on the Frontline and Relapse Rhabdomyosarcoma FaR-RMS) international trial. She is a member/chair of several external scientific advisory boards and has published over 185 peer-reviewed papers.