Women in Cancer Network
The Women in Cancer Network aims to foster greater inclusion and representation for women in cancer sciences across the MCRC, DCS, CRUK and The Christie.
We aim to create an environment where all women feel empowered and valued, building a more equitable and inclusive culture for all.
The network meets monthly and is chaired by Dr Simona Valletta.
Our Vision
Our goal is to create a strong network and improve opportunities and visibility for women in cancer sciences. We aim to:
- Champion Diversity & Inclusion: we are committed to embedding equality, diversity, and inclusion in all we do. Our goal is to address the unique challenges faced by women within the field of cancer sciences, advocating for equal opportunities to allow women to thrive and achieve their full potential.
- Offer Support & Mentorship: empowering women through our WOMENtorship in Cancer Sciences and Women in Leadership programmes, as well as ongoing and future events & opportunities.
- Provide opportunities and resources: collate and share insightful resources, opportunities, and news for women in cancer sciences through our website and across our mailing list to support women in their personal and professional growth.
Women in Leadership Programme 2025
The Women in Leadership Programme is run by an external organisation, Milly Sinclair Associates, and is co-funded by DCS and MCRC. The programme is tailored to women bridging the gap towards independence/that have just established their groups, to support progression from post-doc to independent researcher amongst women and address the gender disparity that still exists in higher academic positions. The open call from applicants was oversubscribed by ~2-fold and we aim to run it again in 2026.
WOMENtorship in Cancer Sciences programme
Our newly launched and still growing mentorship scheme is designed to connect women in cancer sciences. Each mentee will be paired with a more senior mentor that will help them to achieve their full potential on a career-development level, also offering guidance and advice on challenges that women experience in academia.
International Women’s Day celebrations
The Women in Cancer Network host annual International Women’s Day events to celebrate achievements and emphasise the importance of recognising the invaluable role of women in science.
In 2024 the event featured a series of insightful talks, panel discussions, and interactive workshops from empowering women internal and external to the university.
In 2025, the WiC network provided an engaging lunch event, featuring informal personal talks from mentors on the new WOMENtorship in Cancer Sciences programme, who shared issues they faced as women working in academia, and talked about the importance of mentoring junior colleagues.
WOMENtorship in Cancer Sciences Mentorship Scheme
Our newly launched and still growing mentorship scheme is designed to connect women in cancer sciences.
Each mentee is paired with a more senior mentor that will help them to achieve their full potential on a career-development level, also offering guidance and advice on challenges that women experience in academia.
Our Current Mentors
Niki Flaum
Academic Clinical Lecturer
Angela Davey
Research Associate
Angeliki Malliri
Professor of Cell Biology
Aliah Hawari
Research Associate
Frances Turrell
Lecturer In Cancer Biology
Sarah Kitson
Honorary Consultant and Clinician Scientist
Eliana Vasquez Osorio
Senior Research Fellow
Cynthia Eccles
Consultant Research Radiographer and MAHSC Honorary Clinical Chair
Gillian Mackie
Research Associate
Hannah Harrison
Research Fellow
Isabel Pires
Lecturer in Cancer Biology
Sankari Nagarajan
Lecturer in Chromatin Biology
Simona Valletta
Lecturer in Cancer Biology
Camilla Coulson-Gilmer
Research Fellow
Get involved
We are always looking to expand and recruit new members to help grow the network and support our ongoing goals and projects.
If you wish to join the network, please contact simona.valletta@manchester.ac.uk
You can also follow us on X (Twitter) @WiCN_Manchester
