‘He found a lump’: how school tragedy drove UK scientist’s mission to fight blood cancers

Professor tells of his teenage grief and how it drove a new approach to research at York University

Ian Hitchcock's first encounter with cancer was as a schoolboy in Bedford. He played rugby there and became good friends with a team-mate.

He was a lovely guy. Smart, pleasant and a talented sports person. He really was one of the most popular kids in the year," says Hitchcock, who recently oversaw the creation of York University's new centre for blood research.