Our Partners

Discover the partners and affiliates of the Manchester Cancer Research Centre

Hallway at the OCRB

The MCRC is a collaborative partnership founded in 2006 by The University of Manchester, Cancer Research UK and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. Work by Manchester-based researchers cross-cuts our partner organisations.

This partnership also reaches out to key associate institutes, other trusts (e.g. Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) and Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust) and organisations (e.g. Greater Manchester Cancer, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre and Health Innovation Manchester). The MCRC therefore brings a “One Manchester” approach to collaborative cancer research.

This collaborative approach to research excellence that enables us to drive research impact and deliver the world-leading discoveries that change the lives of people affected by cancer.

The University of Manchester

The University of Manchester is one of the largest universities in the UK, and part of the prestigious Russell Group of universities with outstanding facilities and hundreds of specialist research groups undertaking pioneering multi-disciplinary teaching and research. It has an exceptional track record of research excellence, with 25 Nobel prize winners among current and former staff and students with a history of world firsts and brilliant discoveries.

Cancer is one of the university’s Research Beacons – an exemplar of research that involves pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships with an aim of tackling the biggest questions facing the planet.

Research is coordinated by the Division of Cancer Sciences, combining an internationally leading academic reputation with the largest clinical cancer service in the UK.

University of Manchester Whitworth Hall

Cancer Research UK

Cancer Research UK is the world’s largest independent funder of cancer research. Its ground-breaking work in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives, and is entirely funded by the public. Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of progress that has seen survival rates in the UK double in the last 40 years. Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses.

Together with its partners and supporters, its vision is to beat cancer sooner.

In addition to funding various research projects and programmes, Cancer Research UK has invested resources into various other initiatives across the city, leveraging decades of expertise in a number of different research fields, including:

Researcher pippetting samples

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

The Christie is the largest single site cancer centre in Europe and the first UK centre to be accredited as a comprehensive cancer centre. As well as treating more than 14,000 new patients every year from across the UK, its experts have been pioneering cancer research breakthroughs for more than 100 years. It is an Outstanding trust and is the first specialist hospital to be rated Outstanding twice by the CQC.

The Christie serves the 3.2 million people across Greater Manchester and Cheshire, and 26% of its patients are referred from across the UK. Based in Manchester with radiotherapy centres in Oldham and Salford, The Christie is known for many world-firsts which have impacted cancer treatment on a global scale.

The Christie also has its own School of Oncology – the first of its kind – enhancing the education and knowledge of healthcare professionals across the country.

The Christie is a world-leading organisation with many accolades covering chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, and diagnostics treatment and research. In addition, in 2018, The Christie was re-accredited by the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes as a comprehensive cancer centre.

Oak Road entrance to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT)

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1st October 2017 following the merger of Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CMFT) and University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust (UHSM). MFT is the main provider of hospital care to approximately 750,000 people in Manchester and Trafford and the single biggest provider of specialised services in the North West of England. It is now responsible for running a family of ten hospitals across six separate sites, several of which provide cancer services and research.

  • Saint Mary’s Hospital is a regional referral centre for gynaecological oncology, and is also home to research into Genetic Medicine, which includes work on genetics relating to the risk and treatment of breast cancer.
  • Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital is one of the biggest children’s hospital in the UK, and covers oncology in its major specialisms.
  • Wythenshawe Hospital provides specialist lung cancer surgery for patients across Manchester and Cheshire, and is also home to The Nightingale Centre for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust is an Outstanding Trust as rated by the CQC. It is an integrated provider of hospital, community and primary care services, including the University Teaching Trust providing local services to the city of Salford and specialist services to Greater Manchester and beyond.

Salford Royal provides services relating to brain and central nervous system, gastrointestinal cancers, and skin cancer for the whole of Greater Manchester, and offers highly specialised stereotactic radiosurgery.

Stethoscope on a table

Our Vision

The MCRC has a vision that by uniting science and driving clinical excellence we will create a future free from the burden of cancer.

Our Values

Our values are the guiding principles that define the way we work each day. They are at the core of our research activities and act as the bedrock of the MCRC upon which our Vision and Mission have been forged.

Our Impact

At the MCRC, we’re committed to delivering impactful research that influences the scientific and clinical delivery of cancer research.

Our Leadership and Strategic Team

Find out more about the leadership team and Strategic Operations team at the MCRC and how we work together with our partners to achieve our vision.