Upcoming Events
CRUK CoL Centre Cancer Evolution (Theme 3) symposium
17th July 2023, 9am to 5pm
Roberts Building, UCL Campus
This symposium will showcase the activities of the Cancer Evolution Theme across our Centre, including core facilities services, equipment and training available and would be an excellent opportunity to foster new collaborations.
Please register using this link
This event is exclusively for CRUK City of London Centre Members.

Beatson International Cancer Conference

Cancer Research UK Children’s and Young Adult’s Cancer Research Conference
This meeting unites researchers working in children’s and young people’s cancer research and those interested in learning how they could apply their work to this strategically important area of high unmet need. The conference is a chance to hear cutting-edge science, discuss the latest thinking and meet with peers to spark new ideas and opportunities for collaboration.
The scientific committee includes Richard Gilbertson (CRUK Cambridge Centre & Institute), Anindita Roy (University of Oxford), Anna Philpott (Cambridge Stem Cell Institute), Isidro Cortés-Ciriano (CRUK Cambridge Centre European Bioinformatics Institute) and Tariq Enver (UCL Cancer Institute & CRUK City of London Centre) who are curating an exciting agenda to address key topics including teenager and young adult cancer, maximising data and drug development.
For more info and registration – https://bit.ly/41CF5Xw
Previous Events
Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement workshop
27th March 2023 – Neuron Pod, QMUL – Neward Street
This workshop aims to share best practise for Public and patient involvement and engagement and foster collaborations and provide information/inspiration for those interested in these areas but also a format for those already working in this space to share ideas and experiences.
Please register using this link to register
This event is exclusively for CRUK City of London Centre members (UCL, Crick, Barts and KCL)
Joint CoL Centre/RadNet CoL Theme 2 meeting
3rd March 2023 – Barts Cancer Institute, QMUL – G.02 Lecture Theatre, Joseph Rotblat Building
Registration for the first joint CoL Centre/RadNet CoL Theme 2 meeting are now open!
Please register using this link and contact cruk.cityoflondoncentre@ucl.ac.uk for password
This event is exclusively for CRUK City of London Centre members (UCL, Crick, Barts and KCL)
Spatial Biology and Imaging Symposium
23rd March 2023
Wolfson Lecture Theatre, Weston Education Centre, Denmark Hill Campus, Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RJ
3D models of the tumour micro-environment workshop
15th February – UCL Centre for 3D models of Health and Disease – Charles Bell House
Join us for a day of networking and hear talks around the theme of ‘3D models of the tumour micro-environment’
Organised by Prof Frances Balkwill (QMUL) and Prof Umber Cheema (UCL)
Register using this link and contact cruk.cityoflondoncentre@ucl.ac.uk for password
This event is exclusively for CRUK City of London Centre members (UCL, Crick, Barts and KCL)
CRUK City of London Centre 2022 Symposium
New directions for targeting the immune-tumour interface
14th and 15th of November – The Crick Institute
We welcome you to attend this year’s CRUK City of London Symposium. Below are the themes of the different sessions:
1. Identification, development, and production of novel biological therapies
2. Develop effective therapy combinations
3. Cancer evolution and the challenges of treating an adaptable disease
4. Advances in early detection and prevention of cancer
5. Emerging new strategies for treating paediatric cancers
6. Radnet: Approaches to improving outcomes from radiation therapy
Confirmed Speakers: Professor Fran Balkwill, Professor Toby Lawrence, Professor Victoria Sanz Moreno, Dr Sheeba Irshad, Dr Sophie Acton, Dr Stuart McDonald, Professor John Anderson, Professor John Marshall, Professor Kamil Kranc, Dr Sam Janes, Dr Sarah McClelland, Dr Kevin Litchfield, Dr Jacqui Shields, Dr Graeme Hewitt, Dr Jamie Dean, Dr Ilaria Malanchi, Dr Jessica Okosun, Professor Jody Rosenblatt and Dr Leanne Li
Keynote speaker: Professor Gerard Evan

Cancer Behavioural Science Webinar Series
18th January 2022 at 4:10 – 5:10pm GMT
Radiosensitizing glioma through disruption of PTEN nuclear function
Hosted by Dr. Lucy Brooks, senior research fellow from University College London, we will have a seminar talk on ‘Radiosensitizing glioma through disruption of PTEN nuclear function’ with guest speaker, Frank Furnari, Ph.D, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, UCSD-Department of Medicine.
About our speaker:
Dr. Furnari earned his PhD in microbiology from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill where he studied cis-elements and trans-acting factors regulating expression of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) lytic replication genes. He subsequently joined the Ludwig Institute in San Diego as a postdoctoral fellow where he focused on the genetic alterations that drive the genesis of glioblastomas, notably the commonly amplified and truncated epidermal growth factor receptor gene (known as EGFRvIII) and mutation of the PTEN gene. During his postdoctoral studies, Dr. Furnari was credited with seminal work demonstrating the ability of PTEN to suppress glioma cell growth mediated through the enzyme’s lipid phosphatase activity.
Currently, Dr. Furnari is Member and Head of the Laboratory of Tumor Biology at the Ludwig Institute as well as Professor of Medicine at UCSD. His lab has made significant contributions to our fundamental understanding of mechanisms underlying therapeutic resistance in glioma, functionality of tumor heterogeneity, and the evolution of adult and pediatric brain tumors through genetic engineering of human pluripotent stem cell-derived avatar models.
His recognition in the field of glioma biology is highlighted by scholar awards from the V, Kimmel and Goldhirsh Foundations, Awards for Basic and Translational Research from the Society for Neuro-Oncology, and by his service as associate editor for Neuro-Oncology, advisory board positions for the National Brain Tumor Society, the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the Sontag Foundation. He is also co-founder and a scientific advisor for Trotana Therapeutics.

CRUK RadNet City of London Seminar Series
18th January 2022 at 4:10 – 5:10pm GMT
Radiosensitizing glioma through disruption of PTEN nuclear function
Hosted by Dr. Lucy Brooks, senior research fellow from University College London, we will have a seminar talk on ‘Radiosensitizing glioma through disruption of PTEN nuclear function’ with guest speaker, Frank Furnari, Ph.D, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, UCSD-Department of Medicine.
About our speaker:
Dr. Furnari earned his PhD in microbiology from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill where he studied cis-elements and trans-acting factors regulating expression of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) lytic replication genes. He subsequently joined the Ludwig Institute in San Diego as a postdoctoral fellow where he focused on the genetic alterations that drive the genesis of glioblastomas, notably the commonly amplified and truncated epidermal growth factor receptor gene (known as EGFRvIII) and mutation of the PTEN gene. During his postdoctoral studies, Dr. Furnari was credited with seminal work demonstrating the ability of PTEN to suppress glioma cell growth mediated through the enzyme’s lipid phosphatase activity.
Currently, Dr. Furnari is Member and Head of the Laboratory of Tumor Biology at the Ludwig Institute as well as Professor of Medicine at UCSD. His lab has made significant contributions to our fundamental understanding of mechanisms underlying therapeutic resistance in glioma, functionality of tumor heterogeneity, and the evolution of adult and pediatric brain tumors through genetic engineering of human pluripotent stem cell-derived avatar models.
His recognition in the field of glioma biology is highlighted by scholar awards from the V, Kimmel and Goldhirsh Foundations, Awards for Basic and Translational Research from the Society for Neuro-Oncology, and by his service as associate editor for Neuro-Oncology, advisory board positions for the National Brain Tumor Society, the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the Sontag Foundation. He is also co-founder and a scientific advisor for Trotana Therapeutics.

CRUK City of London Centre 2021 Cancer Evolution Symposium
Monday 13th – Tuesday 14th September 2021
The CRUK City of London Centre 2021 Cancer Evolution Symposium will highlight stimulating talks from experts across the globe around the theme of Cancer evolution and tumour heterogeneity including the topics:
- Cancer genomes
- Single cell
- Early detection
- Cancer systems
- Microenvironment
- Mathematical modelling
- Immunogenomics
- Model systems

CRUK RadNet City of London Seminar Series
10th December 2021 at 3:00 – 4:00pm GMT
Discovery of treatment-induced genomics scars though longitudinal profiling of glioma
Hosted by Dr. Lucy Brooks, senior research fellow from University College London, we will have a seminar talk on ‘Discovery of treatment-induced genomics scars through longitudinal profiling of glioma’ with guest speaker, Roel Verhaak, Professor, Florine Deschenes Roux Chair and Associate Director of Computational Biology, from the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine.
18th November 2021 at 3:00 – 4:00pm GMT
The Stability of texture Analysis in CT Images
Hosted by Dr. Charles-Antoine Collins-Fekete, UKRI Future Leaders fellow at University College London, we will have a seminar talk on ‘The Stability of texture Analysis in CT Images’ with guest speaker, Prof. Phil Evans, NPL/CVSSP Professor of Medical Radiation Imaging at university of Surrey’s Centre for Vision Speech and Signal Processing and National Physical Laboratory’s Metrology for Medical Physics Group.
28th October 2021 at 2:00 – 3:00pm BST
Targeting the biological response to radiobiological hypoxia
Hosted by Dr. Aleksandra Vancevska, postdoctoral research fellow in the DSB Repair Metabolism Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, we will have a seminar talk on ‘Targeting the biological response to radiobiological hypoxia’ with guest speaker, Prof. Ester Hammond, from the Department of Oncology Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford.
17th September 2021 at 1:10-2:10 pm BST
Role of extracellular vesicles &DNA fragments – non-targeted effects of targeted radionuclide therapy
Hosted by Dr. Jane Sosabowski, Reader in Molecular Imaging QMUL and Dr. Samantha Terry, Senior Lecturer in Radiation Biology, we will be exploring the role of extracellular vesicles and DNA fragments in the non-targeted effects of targeted radionuclide therapy with guest speaker, Dr. Jean-Pierre Pouget from the Radiobiology for targeted & personalised adiotherapy lab at the French Institute of Health & Medical Research.
23rd July at 3:00pm-4:00pm
Quantifying the biological effect of radiation with genomics: personalise RT dosing
Hosted by Dr. Crispin Hiley, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at UCLH and Associate Professor at UCL, we will be exploring quantifying the biological effect of radiation with genomics with guest speaker, Dr. Jacob Scott from the Theory Division at the Cleveland Clinic.
21st June 2021 at 3:00-4:00 pm GMT
Personalized radiotherapy, immunotherapy, computational biology and genomics.
Hosted by Dr. Jamie Dean, Junior Group Leader in Computational Radiation Oncology at UCL, we will be exploring personalized radiotherapy, immunotherapy, computational biology and genomics with guest speaker, Dr Nadeem Riaz from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre.
18th May 2021 at 3:00-4:00 pm GMT
Radiotherapy-induced in situ immunization: Mechanisms and barriers.
Hosted by Dr Anthony Kong Reader and Honorary Consultant Clinical Oncologist at King’s College London, we will be exploring the mechanisms and barriers of Radiotherapy-induced situ immunisation with guest speaker, Dr Sandra Demaria from the Weill Cornell Medical College.
Friday 7th May 2021 at 2:30-3:30pm GMT
Mechanisms that Maintain Genome Stability
Hosted by Dr Ivana Bjedov, Group Leader at the Molecular Biology of Cancer Research Group, we will be exploring the mechanisms that maintain genome stability with guest speaker, Andre Nussenzweig Ph.D., National Cancer Institute.
Monday 19th April 2021 at 09:15 – 10:15 GMT
The GOOD, the ELDER & the UGLY: RNA Vaccine & Radiotherapy to fight Cancer
Hosted by Dr Anthony Kong Reader and Honorary Consultant Clinical Oncologist at King’s College London, we will be exploring the relationship between the RNA vaccine and radiotherapy with guest speaker, Dr Fulvia Vascotto, leader of Vaccine and Cellular Immunotherapy at TRON.
Wednesday 24th March 2021, 15:00-16:00
Communication Between DNA Damage and Immune Responses
Hosted by Dr Simon Boulton, Group Leader at the Crick and Radiation Resistance Theme Lead, we will be exploring communication between DNA damage and immune responses with guest speaker, Professor Roger Greenberg, University of Pennsylvania.
Thursday 18th February 2021, 15:00 – 16:00
Decoding the radio-genome to guide clinical prediction
Hosted by Dr Crispin Hiley, Radiation Oncology Consultant at UCLH and Associate Professor at the UCL Cancer Institute, we will be giving a talk from Dr Mohamed Abazeed, Associate Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University and the Scientific Director of the Lung Cancer Program in the Lurie Cancer Center.
Tuesday 26th January 2021, 16:00-17:00
Imaging applications for head and neck radiotherapy toxicity monitoring & reduction
Hosted by Dr Crispin Hiley, Radiation Oncology Consultant at UCLH and Associate Professor at the UCL Cancer Institute, we will be giving a talk from Dr Clifton David Fuller, MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Monday 7 December 2020, 10:30 – 12:00
Chaired by Dr Simon Boulton, Group Leader at the Crick and Radiation Resistance Theme Lead, there will be talks from two of City of London’s newest post docs.
- Jamie Dean – Introducing the Computational Radiation Biology and Oncology Lab
- Lucy Brooks – The white matter is a pro-differentiative microenvironment for glioblastoma

Cancer Behavioural Science Webinar Series
All things being equal: understanding inequality in cancer outcomes – Dr Katriina Whitaker
Date: Tuesday 5th October 2021
Time: 15:00 – 16:00PM
Location: Webinar via Zoom
Katriina Whitaker is a Reader in Cancer Care at the University of Surrey. Their talk will be on:
All things being equal: understanding inequality in cancer outcomes using a behavioural science perspective
Developing interventions to encourage early presentation of cancer symptoms – Dr Suzanne Scott
Date: Tuesday 7th September 2021
Time: 15:00 – 16:00PM
Location: Webinar via Zoom
Please join us for the first cancer behavioural science webinar jointly hosted by the Cancer Research UK City of London Centre and the UK Society for Behavioural Medicine cancer special interest group.
Suzanne Scott is a Senior Lecturer in Health Psychology at King’s College London.

New Directions in Immuno-Oncology: Therapies and Stratification
Date: Monday 6th – Tuesday 8th September 2021
Location: Hybrid event at the Francis Crick Institute, London, and virtually (subject to Government restrictions)
The CRUK City of London Centre is organising a second immune-oncology conference in London in early September: New Directions in Immuno-Oncology: Therapies and Stratification
We have a terrific line up of international speakers for what promises to be an exciting event. The conference will be held at the Francis Crick Institute as a hybrid virtual event, with some speakers in person and some via video conference. Please do register early if you want a place in the auditorium.
The programme and further details can be accessed here.

NCITA Hyperpolarised 13C-MRI Webinar
Join NCITA for a webinar which will provide an overview of the translation of Hyperpolarised 13C-MRI from preclinical to clinical cancer imaging.
Date: Wednesday 8th September 2021
Time: 14:00-17:30PM
Location: Webinar via Zoom
Who should attend:
Suitable for any researchers who are interested and would like to find out more about the translation of Hyperpolarised 13C-MRI from preclinical to clinical cancer imaging.
Why should I attend:
To hear an overview of the latest research in Hyperpolarised 13C-MRI, as well as the latest updates on clinical studies and technical advances across NCITA partner institutions.

CRUK City of London Centre 2021 Symposium
Tuesday 2nd March 2021, 08:45-17:00
The CRUK City of London Centre 2021 Virtual Symposium will highlight stimulating talks cross-cutting the City of London Centre (CoL Centre) themes including:
- Theme 1: Developing Biological Therapies
- Theme 2: Cross-disciplinary Approaches Enhancing Biotherapeutics
- Theme 3: Cancer Evolution and Tumour Heterogeneity
- RadNet City of London
- Childhood Cancer Cross-cutting Theme
- Training Cross-cutting Theme

Crick Cancer Research Symposium 5 – 6 October 2020
Registration is now open for the Crick Cancer Research Symposium, taking place over two days on the 5th and 6th of October 2020. The symposium will include a keynote from Fiona Watt, FRS FMedSci, alongside a full programme of invited speaker talks and selected short talks. For more information and to register please click here.
Please note that due to ongoing social distancing measures, the symposium will run as a “hybrid” event, with a limited number of in-person places in the auditorium alongside virtual attendees. You will need to register via eventbrite for this symposium and will then receive your zoom invitation.
Poster sessions will take place on a virtual poster gallery and attendeese are encouraged to submit their abstracts for short and flash talks and posters.

CRUK City of London Centre 2020 Symposium in Cancer Biotherapeutics
Join us to discover the latest research in Cancer Biotherapeutics taking place at the CRUK City of London Centre on February 25, 2020. The event begins at 9am until 5pm, followed by networking from 5-7pm.

CRUK Grand Challenge Consultation Workshop
The UCL Cancer Domain and CRUK City of London (CoL) Centre are pleased to invite you to our Cancer Research UK’s (CRUK) Grand Challenge consultation workshop, to help us identify and share new challenge ideas to revolutionise cancer research and transform patient impact.
The workshop is open to researchers across UCL, Barts/QMUL, King’s Health Partners and the Francis Crick Institute. An informal drinks reception will follow the workshop.
We hope that you will be able to join us for a fascinating and proactive discussion.
Workshop themes
Researchers from UCL, Barts/QMUL, King’s Health Partners and the Francis Crick Institute are invited to come along and share your thoughts on what you believe are the toughest challenges in cancer research and your vision for the future of the field. Ideas generated from the workshop will be shared with CRUK to help inform the next set of challenges.
Group discussions will cover the following themes:
- Understanding cancer biology
- Diagnosing and treating cancer
- Technology and data
- Causes and prevention of cancer
Please note, this workshop is not to develop specific projects for funding.

CRUK City of London Centre Mouse Models Workshop
The Developing biological therapies theme of the CoL Centre is organising a workshop in London on Wednesday 22nd January 2020 from 10am-4pm to showcase the theme’s capabilities and facilitate development of collaborative projects.
Confirmed speakers for the workshop include:
Tumour microenvironment deconstruction: how to dissect the different cellular components in the niche – Luigi Ombrato (Francis Crick Institute)
Healthy and malignant haematopoiesis in the bone marrow: plastic cells in a dynamic environment – Cristina Lo Celso (Imperial College London)
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy elicits a pro-metastatic cascade through extracellular vesicles – Ioanna Keklikoglou (Barts Cancer Institute)
Differential response and mechanisms of resistance to cediranib in high grade serous mouse models – Ganga Gopinathan (Barts Cancer Institute)
Mouse gene targeting studies to inform drug development and clinical trials in cancer – Bart Vanhaesebroeck (UCL Cancer Institute)

Translating your research with CRUK: Where Do I Start
Join Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development for a workshop taking you through the process and support available to help you translate your research into the clinic.
These sessions will include:
- An introduction to the translation capabilities and support available from the Centre for Drug Development
- Group discussions including tackling challenges in translating academic research
- Chance to talk to Centre for Drug Development colleagues and experts
You can register to receive a reminder for the event or just turn up on the day. For more information and to register please visit the eventbrite page.

High Performance Computer Cluster drop-in sessions 2019
Following the success of our Computation and Modelling Core launch event last month, the High Performance Computer Cluster (HPCC) is now up and running for City of London Centre users.
The HPCC support team are holding regular drop ins at each CoL Centre site to assist researchers with setting up access to the HPCC, troubleshooting and any other queries.
Regular on-site drop in sessions for users at each site
- King’s: 1st Tuesday afternoon of each month – small room next to the entrance of the Innovation Hub
- Barts/QMUL: 3rd Wednesday afternoon of each month – The Shield café, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6BQ
- Crick:
- 9th October 15.00 -17.00 first floor meeting room 1
- 23rd October 15.00 -17.00 first floor meeting room 1
- 13th November 15.00 -17.00 first floor meeting room 3
- 27th November 15.00 -17.00 first floor meeting room 8
- 11th December 15.00 -17.00 first floor meeting room 1
- UCL: Any other time at Room 4.20, Malet Place Engineering Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT
Please feel free to attend the drop in at your site if you have any queries.

CRUK City of London Centre Childhood Cancer Symposium – October 2019

Multi-disciplinary workshop, theme 2 – 14th October 2019
The cross-disciplinary theme of the CRUK City of London (CoL) Centre is organising a workshop on October 14th 2019 to showcase the theme’s capabilities and facilitate development of collaborative projects. The workshop will consist of three sessions:
- Session 1: The cancer/biology experts will present work where imaging has been used to solve an immunological- or biotherapeutic-based question.
- Session 2: Theme 2 members will present the different imaging platforms available.
- Session 3: Discuss collaborative projects using the platforms in session 2 to answer key questions such as those presented in session one.
If you would like to attend please register via eventbrite.
For more information on the event please contact: cruk.cityoflondoncentre@ucl.ac.uk

CRUK City of London Centre 3D Model interest group meeting
Please join us for the first CRUK City of London (CoL) Centre 3D Model interest group meeting showcasing work across the CoL Centre in 3D models and promote networking and collaboration in this area. Dr Xiao Qin, from the Tape Lab at the UCL Cancer Institute will present at the first meeting on ‘Cell-Type Specific Signalling Networks in Heterocellular Organoids”. These meetings will be held every two months.
’Date: Monday 30th September 2019
Time: 13:00-14:00
Location: B05 Lecture Theatre, Chadwick Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT
If you are interested in a member of your group presenting at future meetings, please contact us at cruk.cityoflondoncentre@ucl.ac.uk.

Launch of the CRUK City of London Centre Computational and Data Resource – 3rd September 2019
On the 3rd September 2019 the CRUK City of London Centre is launching its computational and data resource. This resource will be a key element in the cancer evolution theme and will enable cancer’s dynamics to be mapped longitudinally during exposure to biological therapies, integrated within the partners’ NHS service. The launch will kick off with a short presentation explaining what the resource offers and how to access it. Following the presentation, attendees can participate in a Data Challenge; we are encouragingearly-career researchers (e.g. PhD students and post-docs) across the partners to form groups and embark on a collaborative effort within the cancer evolution theme to make use of the exciting computer resources available. The launch will be open to CoL Centre Faculty and their lab members only. If you would like more information on the event or to register please contact: cruk.cityoflondoncentre@ucl.ac.uk

Translating your research with CRUK: Where do I start – 26th September and 8th October
Join Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development for a workshop taking you through the process and support available to help you translate your research into the clinic.
These sessions will include:
- An introduction to the translation capabilities and support available from the Centre for Drug Development
- Group discussions including tackling challenges in translating academic research
- Chance to talk to Centre for Drug Development colleagues and experts
You can register to receive a reminder for the event or just turn up on the day. There are still opportunities to attend workshops at Barts / QMUL (26 Sep 2019) and King’s (8 Oct 2019). For more information and to register please visit the eventbrite page.

CRUK City of London Centre 3D in vitro models for pre-clinical studies of biological therapies workshop (developing biological therapies programme)
On the 29th April 2019 Barts Cancer Centre held and informal workshop at Charterhouse Square, QMUL, on in vitro models that could be used to study novel biological therapies. Presentations included 3D multi-cellular models of tumour microenvironments, tumour organoids, the potential of microfluidics and tumour-on-a-chip and immune cell interactions with tumour spheroids. Collaborations, the need for common platforms in the CRUK CoL Centre and key questions that such models could answer were also discussed.

CRUK City of London Centre Annual Symposium on Cancer Biotherapeutics – 19 February 2019
On Tuesday 19 February 2019, 97 researchers from across the consortium were brought together for the first event from the Cancer Research UK City of London (CRUK CoL) Centre. This event showcased the breadth and depth of cancer biotherapeutics research happening across the Centre.
The event is a taster of the activity that will take place under the aegis of the City of London Centre. It is envisaged that this will be the first of many events to bring together cancer researchers from the four different sites to promote cancer biotherapeutics research across the piste.
