Robert Rintoul

University of Cambridge; Royal Papworth Hospital

Robert Rintoul is Professor of Thoracic Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge and Honorary Consultant Respiratory Physician, Royal Papworth Hospital. He qualified in medicine from the University of Edinburgh and subsequently trained in Edinburgh in respiratory medicine, receiving his doctorate for research investigating mechanisms underlying resistance to chemotherapy in small cell lung cancer.
He was appointed consultant in respiratory medicine specialising in thoracic oncology at Royal Papworth Hospital in 2005 before moving to the University of Cambridge in 2017. Prof Rintoul is co-lead of the Thoracic Cancer Programme of the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Cancer Centre and Director of the Papworth Clinical Trials Unit. Since 2021 he has been the clinical lead of the Clinical Advisory Group of the UK Lung Cancer Coalition. Since 2023 he has been clinical director for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough lung cancer screening programme.
Prof Rintoul runs programmes of research in early-stage lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma. In lung cancer his work is predominantly focussed on translational clinical trials in biomarker discovery for early detection of primary and second primary lung cancer. His research is funded by NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cancer Research UK, Medical Research Council and Asthma and Lung UK.