Axel Behrens is a leading scientist in cancer stem cell biology based at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London. He trained in Austria (PhD), did postdoctoral work in Switzerland, and established his group in 2001 at what is now the Francis Crick Institute. His lab has made important discoveries in the origins and behaviour of cancer stem cells in both breast cancer and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), including identifying rare cell populations crucial for tumour initiation and progression. He is also director of a Convergence Science Centre (ICR & Imperial) that brings together life sciences, engineering, physics and computation to tackle cancer with multi-disciplinary tools. He holds memberships and honorary professorships in several international scientific organizations.