Professor Tim Maughan outlines the flagship work of the FOCUS4 trials, whose results were presented this weekend at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) annual meeting
\n \n\n \n \nTiffany Chan and Claudia Fraser were two of our fantastic tutors who helped ensure the UNIQ Oncology Summer School happened in the midst of a pandemic.
\n \n\n \n \nA week ago I found myself on Skype to a group of school students in Houston, Texas. Not something I had expected to be doing this year, but a lot of this year is not as I expected...
\n \n\n \n \nWorking from home is a lonely business, so the chance to meet and engage people with our science was too good to pass up.\r\nSchools and work places are not the only places that have to operate remotely. Across the UK clubs, societies and groups are using the internet to keep their interests alive.
\n \n\n \n \nFor prostate cancer awareness month, we focus on the work of Dr Valentine Macaulay.
\n \n\n \n \nFor Brain Tumour Awareness Month, Vanessa Johanssen talks about her work and how their research has helped to find brain tumours when they're small enough to treat.
\n \n\n \n \nLast April we joined forces with Corpus Christi College and visited Crewe to talk to students there about the impact of maths in materials and cancer research. We met Sarah Stubington and discovered that a shared love of science can create common ground. Sarah shared her perspective of our meeting.
\n \n\n \n \nWhen Pratik Samant was in secondary school, he had two great loves: physics and medicine, in that order. It seemed to him at the time, that these were polar opposites. When Pratik chose to study physics, that meant leaving medicine behind, of course, they\u2019re different fields! That was 6 years ago, Pratik now reflects that would surprise his younger self to learn that in 2020, he would work in a hospital.
\n \n\n \n \nOn the 11th of February 2020, we celebrate the fifth International Day of Women and Girls in Science as recognised and implemented by the United Nations General Assembly. This day aims to raise awareness of the biases and gender stereotypes that deter women and girls from STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) related fields, as well as promote equal access to and participation in STEM education and professions for girls and women.\r\nI reached out to fellow students in the Department of Oncology for their views on women and girls in STEM and for them to spotlight a woman in science who has influenced them.
\n \n\n \n \nCancer science amidst the oceans \u2013 how could we possibly fit our work into the theme of Oceans?
\n \n\n \n \nOn 8 November, OCTO Trial Management Director Sarah Pearson and Trial Manager Naomi McGregor joined children from Dr South\u2019s primary school to explore some aspects of the work carried out by the Oncology department during the school\u2019s science week earlier this month.
\n \n\n \n \nThe bacteria that inhabit our gut \u2013 the gut microbiome - could have profound impact on our health. The species that live in our guts influence the development of neurodegenerative disease (Alzheimer disease, Parkinson\u2019s disease), epilepsy, autoimmune disease, and cancer.4 They may also be helping shape whether our treatments work.
\n \n\n \n \nOn World Cancer Research Day, Sylvana talks about research into colorectal cancer, one of the most common cancers in the world.
\n \n\n \n \nWhen people don\u2019t know they\u2019ve supported your work, how do you say \u2018Thank you!\u2019? \r\nObviously, you can hold a celebration event. Publicise widely, invite people in. Sweeten the offer with nibbles?
\n \n\n \n \nIn my spare time, I work for the RAF Air Cadets as a volunteer instructor. It\u2019s challenging, rewarding and fun, but it\u2019s not often that the light blue of the RAF is seen on the Old Road Campus.
\n \n\n \n \nEngaging people with our science is a job for all. We have some amazing people in Oncology and some of them are not afraid to get out of their comfort zone. In this blog, Roxy Peerless, from our finance group, shows once again that public engagement is not just for scientists.
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