Dr. Metcalf is a Medical Oncologist at The Christie Hospital and an Honorary Reader at The University of Manchester, specializing in the treatment of Head and Neck Cancers, with a particular academic focus on Salivary Gland Cancers.

He earned his Medical Degree (MBChB) from the University of Manchester in 2004, where he also received a First Class BSc in Health Care Ethics and Law. In 2007, he became a Member of the Royal College of Physicians (UK) and completed his Medical Oncology Higher Specialist training in 2015.

After his specialist training, Dr. Metcalf was awarded a PhD for his work from 2012 to 2016, which included a Clinical Fellowship at the Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology Lab led by Prof. Caroline Dive C.B.E. at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute. During this period, he studied circulating tumour cells as a 'liquid biopsy' and aided in developing new pre-clinical models of lung cancer.

Post-PhD, Dr. Metcalf engaged in post-doctoral research on tumour immunology in Head and Neck Cancers at the Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation at the University of Manchester under Prof. Tracy Hussell. He currently leads the U.K. efforts for Salivary Gland Cancer through the International Rare Cancers Initiative, in collaboration with Cancer Research UK, EORTC, and the US National Cancer Institute.

Since 2017, his work has been supported by Academic Grants from the Manchester Cancer Research Centre, which includes funding from Cancer Research UK, NIHR, The University of Manchester, and The Christie Charity, as well as the US-based Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation. He has also received philanthropic grants from the Infrastructure Industry Foundation, Syncona Foundation, The Christie Charity, and donations from patients, their friends, and families.

His ongoing research, funded through The Christie Charity, is the Ella Project, named in honour of a patient who played a pivotal role in establishing the UK's research program into Salivary Gland Cancers.

I have established an independent Head and Neck Cancer Research Group at the University of Manchester, in collaboration with Prof Tracy Hussell's lab. Through THE ELLA PROJECT, my research team is investigating tumor-immune interactions in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma, aiming to translate our discoveries into the development of new immunotherapies for this disease. Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare form of cancer that primarily affects the salivary glands, but can also occur in other secretory glands, such as those in the trachea or lacrimal glands.

Building on our prior research that identified the genomic alterations driving adenoid cystic carcinoma, our current investigations are centred on deciphering the immune context of this carcinoma and defining the tumour-immune interactions within its various genomic subtypes.

The most prevalent genetic alteration in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a chromosomal translocation between chromosomes 6 and 9, resulting in the formation of a MYB-NFIB fusion gene. This gene fusion generates a protein that regulates cell proliferation and division. Its overexpression has been linked to the onset and progression of ACC. Approximately 50-60% of ACC cases exhibit the MYB-NFIB fusion gene. Other genetic changes associated with ACC include mutations in the NOTCH, TP53, PTEN, and PIK3CA genes, which play roles in cell cycle regulation and signaling pathways. These mutations may cause irregular cell growth and survival, contributing to development and progression of the disease.