Mark Arends trained in Medicine (MBChB with Honours) and Pathology (BSc with Honours and PhD) at the University of Edinburgh, becoming a Senior Lecturer in 1995 in the Edinburgh University Department of Pathology and Honorary Consultant at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (MRCPath & FRCPath). He moved to the University of Cambridge (MA) in January 1999, where he was a University Reader in Histopathology and an Honorary Consultant at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge. There he was a specialist gastrointestinal and gynaecological pathologist, was lead pathologist in colorectal pathology, gynaecological pathology and bowel cancer screening pathology for Cambridge and East of England. In July 2013 he moved to University of Edinburgh as Professor of Pathology, Head of the Division of Pathology and Co-director of the Centre for Comparative Pathology. His research includes the genomic, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of colorectal cancer and gynaecological cancer development and progression, including inherited susceptibility to colorectal and endometrial carcinogenesis and in vivo models of intestinal tumour formation

 My research interests include identification and validation of new genes involved in formation and progression of cancers, particularly colorectal cancer and the gynaecological cancers as well as other neoplasms. This involves analysis of human cancer samples, cultured cells and in vivo model systems using both comparative pathology and molecular pathology approaches.