MCRC Director's Update
October 2024
Hello to all at the MCRC for this fall 2024 update reflecting a very busy start to this academic year.
I am pleased to be updating you on a series of activities that I have been focussed on over the past month in this written update.
MCRC exhibits at New Scientist Live
Earlier this month, the MCRC team alongside ten researchers from across the partnership exhibited at New Scientist Live in London. Attracting more than 26,000 people, the event was a celebration of everything science and an important event for the MCRC in our mission to inspire and cultivate the next generation of cancer scientists.
Our public engagement activities covered the full spectrum of cancer research: from identifying the carcinogens to trying laparoscopic surgery, and the evolution of targeted advanced radiotherapy to our spin on an escape room with our cancer challenge room featuring activities based on cancer early detection, cancer imaging and laboratory sciences.
The team had an incredible time discussing everything cancer sciences with the attendees with extensive engagement with attendees covering topics ranging from “what is cancer” through to personal experiences and where research is supporting more people to live longer with and beyond cancer.
A special thank you goes to Simon Reeds, who has helped coordinate and prototype the many engagement events taken to London during this period, as well as the wider team of researchers who supported the MCRC attending the event: Parsa Pirhady, Dr Josh Lindsay, Dr Ana Vitlic, Dr Ben Foster, Annet Nakkazi, Miren Summers, Joanne Oke, Sam Littler, Yuki Zhou, and Flor Mousoullou.
We’re now looking forward to deploying these events at other exhibits locally and nationally to raise awareness of cancer research and the MCRC.
CRUK Celebration Event
On Monday 7th October, we were delighted to host the CRUK Manchester Centre Celebration at the OCRB, to celebrate its halfway milestone under the theme: Precision Medicine for All – The Science Behind the Centre. This event was a brilliant commemoration which showcased our cutting-edge basic and discovery research from the award, focussing on our five research themes: Cancer Early Detection, Digital Cancer, Experimental Cancer Medicine, Integrative Pathology, and Radiotherapy BioAdaption.
We heard from theme leads and researchers working on the award as well as PhD students funded through the linked CRUK funding streams. Our brilliant Keynote Speaker, Professor Joachim Weischenfeldt, University of Copenhagen, present on “Cancer genomics: Etiologies, mutational processes and clinical trajectories”.
This event boasted 85 attendees from across the Manchester Cancer Ecosystem, as well as visitors from further afield including Oxford and Cambridge centres. Feedback from the event was extremely positive, recognising our efforts to showcase a broad range of talks, and include PPIE and PhD student talks in this day.
Thank you to all who helped in the pulling together of this event, to our wonderful speakers and to all of the celebration’s attendees. I am truly in awe of what we have achieved thus far, and I am looking forward to our next celebration.
Myself and Keynote Speaker, Professor Joachim Weischenfeldt
PhD Welcome Event
On Friday 4th October, the Manchester Cancer Research Centre and the Division of Cancer Sciences welcomed the new Postgraduate Researchers cohort of 2024. This event provided a warm welcome for both new and current PhD students and fellows and gave a detailed overview of what the MCRC has to offer. We heard from the MCRC Training Office, the Communications Team, Education Chairs and current PGRs.
This event was followed by a refreshments and networking event in the OCRB foyer where I was able to meet our new cohort one and one and discuss exciting hopes for the future. I am looking forward to hearing about developments from all of our incredible students.
MCRC Clinical, Non-clinical and MBPhD Cohort of 2024
The Early Detection of Cancer Conference 2024
Later in October, our Manchester researchers and representatives travelled to San Francisco for The Early Detection of Cancer Conference 2024, presented by Canary Centre at Stanford, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute and Cancer Research UK. This year’s session topics included: How is biology informing early detection?, Emerging technologies for cancer early detection, Insights from Early Detection Trials and Artificial Intelligence – promises vs. reality for early detection.
I was invited to sit on the panel for the “Global challenges in cancer early detection” talk and discussed the importance of building trust through developing international research partnerships over time and the importance of ensuring there is the appropriate infrastructure and treatment options available for all patients who may receive a positive result from a cancer early detection test.
Many congratulations also to Dr Emma Woodward and Ell Roberts who presented at this conference, as well as Emmanouela Mitta, Dr Seung hyun Lee, Dr Sean Knight, Dr Jen Davies-Oliveira and Andrew Blake, whose posters were showcased at this global event.
Dr Sok Ching Cheong, myself, Prof Jennifer Moodley and Dr William Dahut at the Early Detection of Cancer Conference 2024
Launching the new Events calendar on the MCRC website
We’ve recently launched a new events and seminars calendar where you can explore the upcoming seminars, conferences, workshops and other events being organised, or attended, by the Manchester Cancer Research Centre and our partners. You can also use our new filter option to search events best suited to your needs.
If you have an event that you’d like us to add to our new events and seminars calendar, please complete this short Microsoft Form.
In other news
Congratulations to the marvellous Professor Marcel Van Herk on his award from the Belgian Society for Radiation Oncology (BeSTRO)
A major congratulations is in order for Professor Marcel Van Herk on his award from the Belgian Society for Radiation Oncology (BeSTRO), which bestows him an honorary membership as an acknowledgement of exceptional contributions to Radiation Oncology.
It’s great to see his incredible work being recognised by such a prestigious organisation.
ASTRO 2024
The 2024 ASTRO Annual Meeting was held from 29th September to 2nd October at the Walter E. Washington Convention Centre in Washington, DC. Our Manchester radiotherapy related researchers (RRR) were among 11,000 attendees from across the globe for the 66th annual meeting. This congress focussed on “Targeting Provider Wellness for Exceptional Patient Care” and boasted a variety of healthcare professionals including, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation biologists and more.
Professor Marcel Van Herk with his award from the Belgian Society for Radiation Oncology (BeSTRO)
A look ahead to November
FBMH, SJTUSM and CLARA Joint Research Symposium
Next week, I shall be travelling to Lyon to attend the FBMH, SJTUSM and CLARA Joint Research Symposium on Cancer, Neuroscience and Immunology. This symposium will be building on the strong partnership between FBMH, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine (SJTUSM), and the CLARA (Cancéropôle Lyon Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) Cancer Research Network in France. This symposium is an ideal opportunity to explore international collaboration opportunities on the areas of Cancer, Neuroscience and Immunology, featuring a series of themed research workshops to encourage three-way institutional research collaborations in Cancer, Neuroscience and Immunology research fields.
I look forward to providing further updates on this in next month’s update.
Robert Bristow
Director of the Manchester Cancer Research Centre
Director of the Cancer Research UK Manchester Centre