Science Talk
With our Science Talk blog, we hope to lift the lid on the black box that is the ICR: to show you inside our labs, to introduce you to a few of the people here who make the discoveries, and to allow them to tell some of the stories behind the science. We try to put our discoveries in a wider scientific context, and give an idea of how our science is actually done. We also give you the view from the ICR of important developments in the wider world of cancer research.
Enhancing the selection and use of chemical probes in cancer research – using innovative data science
Our former Digital Communications Intern, Bethany Nichols, takes a look at the work scientists at the ICR are leading on to help researchers choose their chemical probes more wisely.
Men’s Health Awareness Month: 12 months of progress into male cancer research at the ICR
November is Men’s Health Awareness Month, an important time to raise awareness of male cancers. Our Web Editor, Dave Morgan, looks into six advances made by our researchers into prostate, testicular and urological cancers in the last year.
NCRI 2019: What patients want and new territory in cancer research – looking back over a packed three days
In our closing blog from the 2019 NCRI Cancer Conference, Rose Wu looks back over the Glasgow event, and picks out some highlights.
NCRI 2019: Treatable but not curable – cancer as a chronic disease
New treatments and an ageing population are giving rise to a new group of patients who have cancers which are treatable but not curable. Joanne Duffy considers the research and patient perspectives on this growing issue, which were discussed at the 2019 NCRI Cancer Conference.
NCRI 2019: Thinking outside the box for new cancer screening methods
Screening and testing for cancer is a huge challenge, and doesn’t always result in fewer people dying of cancer. ICR Science Communications Officer Joanne Duffy discusses an NCRI conference talk on how we can think outside the box when it comes to cancer screening and prevention.
NCRI 2019: Making research count for patients – reflecting on a fascinating first day at the UK’s biggest cancer conference
Ben Kolbington reflects on the first day of the 15th NCRI conference in Glasgow, in which a key theme was turning research advances into practical and affordable solutions for improving patients’ lives.
What does Black History Month mean for The Institute of Cancer Research?
October is Black History Month. Rose Wu, Deputy Chair of the Black, Asian and minority ethnic forum at the ICR and The Royal Marsden, shares some thoughts from the month and the work the forum has been leading on.
Thinking Inside the Box: five ways the ICR is leading the way with Big Data in cancer research
Artificial Intelligence is transforming the world in ways once limited to the imaginations of science fiction writers. In this blog, we take a look at how Big Data and AI tools are helping to tackle some of the biggest challenges in cancer research.
Nobel Prize for Medicine 2019: Oxygen sensing in cancer
The Nobel Prize for Medicine has been awarded to three scientists for discovering how cells respond to changes in oxygen levels. This is how their work has paved the way to a greater understanding of cancer.
Debunking 13 common cancer myths
The ICR’s Science Communications Officer Joanne Duffy took on the Royal Parks Half Marathon to raise money for the ICR’s world-leading research. Here she debunks 13 cancer myths – one for each mile that she ran – and highlights some examples of where the ICR’s scientists are making a real difference for people with cancer.
Women in STEM and how they are pushing for access to smarter, kinder treatments
Tuesday 8 October marks Ada Lovelace day, which celebrates women in STEM around the world. There are many inspirational female role models at the ICR, and here one of them, Professor Christina Yap, describes how her work as a woman in STEM could improve clinical trials, improving access to smarter, kinder treatments for cancer patients.
How CT scans continue to play a fundamental role in cancer treatment
CT scans have been used for decades in hospitals all over the world to “see” abnormalities within tissues. We discuss new ways in which they are being combined with other techniques to produce better images of cancer, which could help improve treatment in the future.
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: How we’re improving the lives of young people with cancer through research
The annual Childhood Cancer Conference is an opportunity to hear about the latest scientific developments, and the research and care priorities for young patients and their parents. Sarah Wells went along and heard from one of the world’s leading childhood cancer researchers.
Celebrating Professor Sir Mel Greaves and his legacy in leukaemia research
Leukaemia researchers from around the world gathered at the Royal Society last week to celebrate Professor Sir Mel Greaves and his knighthood for his services to children's leukaemia research. Science Communications Officer Joanne Duffy reports back on the day.
Three ways global links help our researchers carry out life-changing research on World Cancer Research Day
Cancer research is a team effort that crosses all borders, and on World Cancer Research Day we highlight three ways our researchers contribute to and benefit from these global ties.
To immunity and beyond: cancer bursting viruses fight cancer in two ways
Your immune system has the power to recognise billions of molecules that cause disease. From structures on the surface of bacterial cells, to poisons and viruses, your body can recognise and fight against it all.
Using AI and maths to look at cancer through the lens of evolution
At the ICR, scientists are applying Darwin’s theory of evolution to cancer in order to understand how the disease develops and evolves. By combining advanced technologies, mathematics and AI, scientists hope that studying cancer evolution can offer new insight into drug resistance and disease progression.
What is it like to study at the ICR? We speak to some of our amazing students to find out
Our students are an integral part of our mission to 'make the discoveries that defeat cancer' and will form the next generation of cancer researchers. We explore our reputation for academic excellence and speak to several of our students to find out why they chose to study at the ICR.
Cancer type matters: zooming in on the response to gene-targeted drugs
Drugs designed to target particular gene faults can kill cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. These kinds of smarter, kinder therapies have revolutionised cancer treatment. But a new study found that the response to drugs targeting the same fault can vary between tumour types. Sarah Wells asks how this news could change the way we think about precision medicine.
MRI is changing radiotherapy – and the role of all who deliver it
Sophisticated technologies like the MR Linac are targeting radiation precisely at tumours – guided by a new generation of clinicians trained up in the latest research advances.