Over 90 people registered to take part in this live event organised by the Bristol Cancer Research Network, which is supported by the University of Bristol's Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for Health Research. The programme offered a series of oral and poster presentations from Early Career Researchers based on an abstract submission process, and comprised 8 oral and 16 poster presentations delivered by up and coming research stars. We also welcomed two keynote speakers.
What is an early career researcher (ECR)?
We have no set definition for an ECR; we welcomed submissions from undergraduates, postgraduates, postdocs, technicians, recently appointed lecturers who are starting their academic careers, clinicians embarking on a research career, and anyone who felt they were starting a new phase in their career journey. The speakers came from a variety of backgrounds and career stages.
The oral programme (in order of appearance):
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0.00 |
Helen Winter (Consultant Medical Oncologist, Clinical Director, Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire Cancer Alliance, and Cancer Network co-Lead) |
Welcome and Introduction |
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Session 1 Chair: Ridhi Bansal (PhD student, Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Bristol) |
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10.05 |
Hannah Reed (ST5 Medical Oncology Registrar, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust) |
Evaluating the Immunological Effects of Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) in Patients with Oligometastatic and Primary Cancer |
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10.20 |
Marina Vabistsevits (PhD student, Bristol Medical School: Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol) |
The mediating role of mammographic density in the protective effect of early-life adiposity on breast cancer risk |
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10.35 |
George Richenberg (PhD student, Bristol Medical School: Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol) |
Germline genetically predicted body mass index is associated with endometrial cancer somatic transcriptomic, immune, and mutational signatures in The Cancer Genome Atlas |
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10.50 |
Katy Pinnell (MScR student, School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol) |
The roles of ZDHHC18 and ZDHHC4 in endothelial cell-mediated T-ALL cell attachment and transendothelial migration |
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11.05 |
Marc Gunter (Chair in Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, School of Public Health, Imperial College London) |
Obesity and Cancer: Causes, Mechanisms and Pathways to Prevention |
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11.30 |
Lunch and poster session |
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Session 2 Chair: Amy Francis (PhD student, Bristol Medical School: Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol) |
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13.30 |
Hannah Kirk (Medical Oncology ST4, NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow, School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol) |
Investigating the effects of p21-activated kinase inhibitors on prostate cancer cells |
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13.45 |
Daniel Turnham (Research Associate, European Stem Cell Research Institute, Cardiff University) |
Preclinical evaluation of a novel antibody drug conjugate for prostate cancer |
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14.00 |
Laura Perry (PhD student, School of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England) |
Understanding and targeting the prostaglandin E2 receptor EP4 for cancer therapy |
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14.15 |
Zak Thornton (PhD Student, Bristol Medical School: Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol) |
Multi-omics Mendelian randomisation using expression, protein and splicing quantitative trait loci: identification of novel drug targets associated with risk of gliomagenesis |
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14.30 |
Robert Jones (Professor and Consultant in Medical Oncology, Specialty Lead for Cancer in Wales, Early Phase Trials Lead, and Clinical Director of Research at Velindre Cancer Centre, School of Medicine, Cardiff University) |
Navigating a path to link pre-clinical and clinical cancer research |
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14.55 |
Helen Winter (Consultant Medical Oncologist, Clinical Director, Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire Cancer Alliance, and Cancer Network co-Lead) |
Closing remarks |
The poster programme (in alphabetical order):
- Abraham Manju (Research Associate, Engineering Mathematics / School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol): Tackling drug resistance in non-small cell lung cancer via feedback system control
- Alhadrami Mai (PhD student, Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol): The role of amyloid precursor protein processing in IGF-induced proliferation in prostate cancer cells
- Biggs Sarah (ST4 General Surgery, Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust): Diagnostic pathways and symptomatology of colorectal cancer in young adults: results of the Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer (SWAG-YOCC) Study
- Cook Harriet (FY1, Southmead Hospital, North Bristol NHS Trust): Neurotoxicity of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Case Series from Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre
- Creavin Alexandra (ST2 Academic Clinical Fellow in Public Health, Bristol Medical School: Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol): Inequality in the uptake of bowel cancer screening across Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire since COVID-19: a cross-sectional study of 86,850 citizens
- Ebrahimi Elmira (PhD student, International Agency for Research on Cancer): Discovering Genetic Susceptibility Loci for Head and Neck Cancer through the largest GWAS to date
- Gill Emily (PhD student, Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol): PLEKHS1: A novel link between Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity and Cancer?
- Gynn Liana (Lecturer in Biomedical Science School of Applied Science, University of the West of England): Alteration of cytarabine toxicity and secretome by bone marrow stromal and leukaemic cells in co-culture microenvironments
- Hoskin Ashley (PhD student, School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol): The metabolic effect of 5-ASA on colorectal cancer development and progression
- Lavalou Jules (Research Associate, School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol): Unmasking the competitive loser status of tumours with ribosomal mutations
- Li Haonan (PhD student, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol): The role of IGFBP-2 and GRP78 in the proliferative effects of IGF-I in MCF-7 breast cancer cells
- Owen Carina (Academic Clinical Fellow in Medical Oncology ST5, Bristol Medical School: Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol): The association between polygenic risk of autoimmune disease, progression-free survival, and pathway-level transcriptomic signatures predictive of anti-PD1 response in melanoma
- Robles Luke (Senior Research Associate in Mixed Methods Cancer, NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University of Bristol): Recruitment and adherence to physical activity and metformin interventions in men with prostate cancer: lessons learned from a factorial RCT
- Russell Helen (Research Associate, Bristol Medical School: Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol): Assessing the impact of additional rounds of breast cancer screening after the age of 64 on health outcomes using NHS Breast Screening Programme data
- Slater Kirsty (TYA Research Nurse, Clinical Trials Unit, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust): Improving Access for TYA Patients into Research
- Su Xiaoyu (PhD student, Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol): Investigating the role of ERβ and IGFBP5 in colorectal cancer
The prizes
We are delighted to have awarded a number of prizes to our presenters:
- 1st place oral presentation: Katy Pinnell, a £50 Amazon voucher supported by Qiagen
- 2nd place oral presentation: Daniel Turnham, a £30 cash prize
- 1st place poster presentation: Jules Lavalou, a £50 cash prize
- 2nd place poster presentation: Elmira Ebrahimi, a £30 cash prize
- 3rd place poster presentation: joint awards to Alexandra Creavin and Ashley Hoskin, a £20 cash prize each
With the exception of the best oral prize, the prizes were generously supported by the Population Health Science Institute.
PARTNERS:
We grateful to the following for supporting this event:
Elizabeth Blackwell Institute for Health Research - Nurturing Research. Improving Health.
Bristol Population Health Science Institute
