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This dissertation is the result of my own work and includes nothing which is the outcome of work done in collaboration except where specifically indicated in the text. I hereby declare that this dissertation is not substantially the same as any that I have submitted for a degree or diploma or any other qualification at any other University and that it does not exceed the word limit set by the Degree Committee of the Faculties of Clinical Medicine and Clinical Veterinary Medicine. Publication from this work Gounaris I, Charnock-Jones DS & Brenton JD, 2011. Ovarian clear cell carcinoma – bad endometriosis or bad endometrium? Journal of Pathology, 225(2):157-60. vii Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, James Brenton, for his guidance and support and for giving me the opportunity to work on this exciting project. I am indebted to Helena Earl for being an excellent mentor and teacher. I am grateful to David Huntsman and Steve Charnock-Jones for the many fruitful discussions regarding my work and their helpful suggestions. I would like to thank all members of the Brenton Laboratory, past and present, for teaching me a wide range of research techniques and providing a friendly and welcoming work environment. Among them, Jian Xian and Anna Piskorz deserve special mention. The invaluable support of the Cambridge Institute core facilities members needs to be especially acknowledged.