Two researchers looking at culture dishes in the lab, two more researchers working in the background

World-leading facilities. World-leading scientists.
Bench to bedside discoveries.

We have been leading scientific discoveries in cancer and its treatment for more than 100 years. Working with key partners such as The Royal Marsden, our researchers are pushing the frontiers of cancer research across many scientific disciplines.

Our latest discoveries Centres and facilities

The cancer discoveries charity

We're both an independent cancer research institute and a charity. Our discoveries and our partnership with The Royal Marsden hospital mean we’re rated as one of the top centres for cancer research and treatment worldwide.

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Training tomorrow’s leaders

The ICR is a higher education institution and a member institution of the University of London, providing PhD studentships and other higher level courses. We are committed to educating and training the next generation of researchers and clinicians.

Study at the ICR

Find a researcher at the ICR

Need to find a specific expert or members of our research group or divisions? Just search by role, division, name or browse our researchers A-Z:

Browse full researcher A-Z directory

Our research divisions

Research at the ICR is structured into eight research divisions, tackling different aspects of cancer research.

Some of our latest discoveries

Red, yellow and blue microscope image of immunofluorescence staining showing extension of prostatic adenocarcinoma into the bladder wall
New drug hope for prostate cancer patients

10/01/25

Prostate cancer that has become resistant to hormone therapy could be treated using a new drug that is currently in clinical trials for ovarian and bile duct cancer, according to research published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.
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Left: Plates showing the impact of olaparib on BRCA cancer cells and minimal impact of on healthy cells. (Right) Lynparza, olaparib's brand name, drug packaging. Photo credit: Science Museum Group
ICR welcomes NICE recommendation of olaparib for advanced breast cancer

09/01/25

The Institute of Cancer Research, London, strongly welcomes the decision by NICE to recommend that the targeted drug olaparib can be used for locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer.
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Scientists in the lab pipetting
Supporting scientists to choose the best chemical probes

02/01/25

A ‘TripAdvisor-style’ website that helps scientists choose the best small-molecule tools for their experiments has been greatly expanded to include expert reviews of hundreds of chemical probes that can be used to increase the robustness of fundamental and applied research and help develop an arsenal of new cancer drugs.
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Sentinal leadership team Georgia Mitsi, Chris Bakal, Matt de Vries
Precision oncology company Sentinal4D completes pre-seed funding round and launches to the public

20/12/24

Sentinal4D, a spinout company from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, has been announced to the public – having closed of its first round of funding and appointed its foundational leadership team.
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Centres and strategic collaborations

Our specialist centres and strategic initiatives bring researchers together across the ICR and beyond – providing them with cutting-edge facilities and expertise.

Our facilities & technology

From microscopy to proteomics, find out more about the latest equipment and dedicated cancer research facilities used by our scientists.

100 years and counting, we’ve been making cancer discoveries
13 potential cancer drugs in clinical trials since 2005
No. 1 in the world for % of publications cited in patents
97% of our students were satisfied with the quality of their course
72% of our staff work directly in cancer research
A woman in a suit jacket stands delivering a presentation in a meeting room

Work or study with us

We’re a top UK academic research centre, a postgraduate college and a charity. Work or study at the forefront of cancer research, in an environment that’s collaborative, international and inclusive.
See our careers & positions See PhD opportunities
Researcher preparing a microscope slide at their workbench

Our research into different cancers

From blood cancer to pancreatic cancer, our scientists work across all cancer types. Find out about some of the research we’re doing into different forms of cancer.

Our research by cancer type