Title: Cancer Research UK Convergence Science Centre
Funder: Cancer Research UK

Abstract: The convergence of different disciplines on cancer can deliver transformational changes across the entire cancer care pathway, translating cancer research advances into patient-centred solutions. The CRUK Convergence Science Centre is a partnership between the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), Imperial College London (ICL), the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which combines world-class strengths in cancer research and clinical care with outstanding capabilities in engineering and physical sciences. Our Centre builds on the wealth of expertise and infrastructure across the partner institutions allowing us to deliver ambitious, translational convergence cancer research at the scale required to make a significant impact on the lives of cancer patients. Our Centre will employ cutting-edge technologies generated by disciplines outside the traditional cancer research space to empower us to tackle key cancer challenges through innovative approaches in cancer biology, cancer detection and diagnosis, and cancer treatment from completely new angles. Our Centre has two interlinked thematic priorities: The Identification and exploitation of cancer vulnerabilities theme focuses on strengthening our understanding of cancer biology and mechanisms of resistance, while using chemical biology to open new avenues for exploiting therapeutic vulnerabilities. New methodologies will be implemented and disseminated through core research facilities providing broad access and training across the Centre. Therapeutic innovation will be translated into patient benefit through transformative, proof-of-concept, investigator-initiated clinical trials. Patient-derived data and samples will drive reverse translation to identify novel cancer vulnerabilities and drug discovery targets and to deliver biologically-informed clinical studies that overcome therapy resistance. With the aim of ensuring local cancer control and minimising disease recurrence, the Interventional science theme will deliver improvements in surgery, radiotherapy, novel localised therapies and innovations to monitor therapeutic efficacy. To drive uptake and adoption of innovations within the NHS, our Centre will address the regulatory challenges associated with novel technologies and interventions. Early detection efforts will focus on using risk-stratified populations to investigate the potential of metabolomic biomarkers. We will harness technological innovation by developing ultrasensitive low-cost devices to detect specific early disease signals, supported by clinical positioning and adoption strategies. We will leverage targeted research infrastructure to couple biological insight with technological innovation to accelerate the translation of clinical interventions that reduce the cancer healthcare burden and increase the precision of cancer treatments. The cross-institutional Centre leadership will enable us to deliver our ambitious goals by forging stronger institutional links and a collaborative research culture, reflecting the complementarity of joint activities. Priorities for our Centre are to continue to train the next generation of multidisciplinary cancer researchers and clinicians, to disseminate the complementary research excellence of ICR and ICL and impart the inclusive philosophy of convergence science. To achieve our objectives, we will: 1) Foster our cross-institutional, cross-disciplinary collaborative ethos – integrating a wide spectrum of approaches by supporting multidisciplinary research teams to generate solutions to tackle cancer’s complexity at scale. 2) Deliver innovations into the clinic, spanning novel therapies and therapeutic delivery, surgery and radiotherapy, exploring combination strategies to improve patient outcomes and quality of life. 3) Engage with patients and the public to ensure that the patients’ voices are central to the development of clinical innovations across the care pathway. 4) Utilise CRUK Centre funding to support critical infrastructure for translational development, regulatory approval, novel trial design and clinical implementation strategies for technology adoption into clinical care. Moreover, our Centre will support the clinical development of innovations and interventions through data science and research pathology infrastructure. 5) Train the next generation of multidisciplinary cancer researchers, equipping them with the skills to traverse disciplinary boundaries and ensure their future success in research. 6) Disseminate convergence approaches – engaging with the CRUK network to promote multidisciplinary research through conferences, workshops and training – and promoting convergence science to engage under-represented groups in research. By harnessing the complementary strength of two world-leading institutions, ICR and ICL, the CRUK Convergence Science Centre will improve the lives of cancer patients by providing solutions for the most pressing cancer problems through integrated multidisciplinary approaches. It is our explicit ambition to transform cancer research in the UK and internationally by achieving step changes in cancer healthcare, and to inspire and guide tomorrow’s leaders in cancer research.


Research activity codes: 2.6 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (AETIOLOGY);4.5 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (DETECTION);5.9 RESOURCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE (TREATMENT DEVELOPMENT)
Health categories: CANCER AND NEOPLASMS