Edinburgh Cancer Research

News 2020

An archive of CRUK Edinburgh Centre News from 2020

AI - empowered personalized cancer medicine

Edinburgh researchers in a pan-European consortium to develop user friendly Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for cancer clinicians: November 2020

Molecular stratification of endometrioid ovarian carcinoma predicts clinical outcome

Image showing classification of endometrioid ovarian carcinoma proposed by Hollis et al.
A study led by Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre researchers provides improved molecular taxonomy of endometrioid ovarian carcinoma and identifies candidate targets for molecular therapeutics: October 2020

Sarah Taylor wins Max Perutz Science Writing Award

A portrait of Sarah Taylor alongside the Max Perutz Science Writing Award logo
Sarah, who is on a Doctoral Training Programme with the Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre at IGMM, told us how it feels to see her winning essay published in The Observer: October 2020.

Luke Boulter awarded Patrick Neill Medal

The Royal Society of Edinburgh Patrick Neil medal will be awarded to Luke Boulter recognising his work in liver cancer: October 2020

Mark Arends named next President of the Pathological Society

Professor Mark Arends, Principal Investigator and Professor of Pathology at the Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, has recently been elected as the next President of the Pathological Society: October 2020

Clearer guidance issued on cancer care to help patients

Image showing first page from guidance and consent for treatment with Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT)
Guidance and consent for treatment with Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) have been developed by Healthcare Improvement Scotland with contributions from Edinburgh: October 2020

Exciting new developments linked to cancer gene therapies and gene editing

Figure showing artistic impression of gene editing
Our Centre’s scientists will explore new frontiers in gene therapies and personalised gene editing: September 2020

Asparagine hydroxylation is a reversible post-translational modification

Figure illustrating hydroxylation and dehydroxylation of asparagine
A study led by Edinburgh researchers provided data indicating that asparagine hydroxylation is a flexible and dynamic post-translational modification: September 2020

Hastie Career Advancement Awards for IGMM postdocs

​​​​​​​Postdoctoral researchers Mari Carmen Ortega Liebana of the CRUK Edinburgh Centre and Patricia Heyn of the MRC Human Genetics Unit recently received awards from the Hastie Career Advancement Fund: September 2020

Need to derive more representative and annotated molecular datasets from diverse populations

Gene expression heat map
Edinburgh researchers led a study that emphasises the need for more diverse and better annotated cancer transcriptomics datasets: August 2020

Focal Adhesion Kinase activation on lipid membranes

Picture showing focal adhesions and actin cytoskeleton in a cell
Edinburgh researchers co-lead a study revealing how lipids activate the cancer protein Focal Adhesion Kinase via conformational changes: August 2020

Clinical fellow contributed to a study evaluating COVID-19 risk among cancer patients

One of our Clinical Research Training Fellows contributed to a study providing a detailed analysis of risk to cancer patients with COVID-19: August 2020

Impact of Covid-19 on surgical neuro-oncology multi-disciplinary team decision making

Histopathological section of a brain tumour.
Clinical Research Training Fellow helped assess impact of Covid-19 pandemic on decisions made by surgical neuro-oncology multi-disciplinary teams: August 2020

PRL3A links regeneration, differentiation and melanoma

Zebrafish
Researchers identify pathway that links melanocyte regeneration and cancer: August 2020

Cross-Disciplinary Fellow joins IGMM as Lecturer in Biomedical AI

​​​​​​​Dr Ava Khamseh has recently been appointed Lecturer in Biomedical Artificial Intelligence with the MRC Human Genetics Unit, Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre and the School of Informatics: July 2020

Longer-term survival analysis in patients with glioblastoma

MRI images of glioblastoma (from Kao et al. BioMed Res Int: 970586).
Edinburgh researchers provide important insights on longer term survival at population-level in patients with glioblastoma: July 2020

Appeal to the Prime Minister to invest in Life Sciences-Charity Partnership Fund

CRUK Edinburgh Centre Directors
Senior investigators from the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre signed a letter to the Prime Minister requesting support for Life Sciences-Charity Partnership Fund: July 2020

New Zealand women complete the Dundee Virtual Kiltwalk while UK sleeps

Jane and Elspeth at the top of Signal Hill.
Jane and Elspeth Ludemann walked up the Signal Hill in Dunedin, New Zealand to support our ovarian cancer research: July 2020

Scotland's lifeline cancer trials must be restarted urgently

Professor Charlie Gourley
Cancer Research UK’s calls to restart cancer trials backed by Edinburgh scientist who says the COVID-19 halt to clinical trials has taken away hope for some patients: June 2020

Guidelines for treatment of breast cancer patients with delays in surgery due to COVID-19

Investigators from the Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre helped develop evidence-based guidelines for managing patients with primary ER+ HER2− breast cancer deferred from surgery due to the COVID-19 pandemic: June 2020

Identification of a novel binding site on a SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein

Researchers from the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre and the International Centre for Cancer Vaccine Science identified a novel small molecule binding-site on spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the Covid-19: May 2020

Study to advance the use of national clinical audit and patient registry data to improve health care

Investigators from the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre have been selected by the Health Foundation to be part of the latest round of its Insight Research Programme: May 2020

Deep learning takes on tumours

Artificial intelligence and deep learning approaches employed by Professor Neil Carragher and his research team have been featured in Nature: April 2020

IGMM to support NHS by testing Covid-19 samples

Scientists, laboratory space and equipment from the University of Edinburgh are being used at IGMM to support NHS Lothian’s testing efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic: April 2020

Clinical Fellow Acts as Scotland Lead for UK Coronavirus Cancer Monitoring Programme

Edinburgh researchers contribute to the UK Coronavirus Cancer Monitoring Programme: April 2020

Best poster prize at the Edinburgh Breast Cancer Special Symposium

PhD student Laura Gómez-Cuadrado from the Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre won the best poster prize at the Edinburgh Breast Cancer Special Symposium 2020: March 2020

Our scientist urges city to walk all over cancer

Edinburgh scientist Kristel is urging people to sign up to Walk All Over Cancer
Our colleague who was inspired to become a cancer scientist after her grandmother’s life was extended following pioneering treatment, is calling on men and women to Walk All Over Cancer and help raise money for vital research: March 2020

New partnerships to accelerate cancer research  

CRUK Logo
Scientists from the Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre will participate in two newly funded Cancer Research UK Accelerator Award programmes: February 2020

The role of MYC in pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Professor Mark Arends contributed to a study on the role of MYC in instructing and maintaining pancreatic adenocarcinoma phenotype: February 2020

Our Clinical Academic Training Programme is recruiting now!

The TRACC (to Train and Retain Academic Cancer Clinicians) Programme aims to build a cadre of cancer-orientated clinician scientists, trained for basic, translational and clinical research excellence: January 2020

Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre Away Day 2020

On Friday 31 January Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre principal investigators from across Edinburgh met to present, discuss and reflect on the basic, translational and clinical research performed in the Centre: February 2020

Honours projects at IGMM

IGMM welcomes new undergraduate honours project students: January 2020

Studying intracellular drug distribution using stimulated Raman scattering microscopy

Scientists from the Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre applied stimulated Raman scattering microscopy to image an anticancer drug with high sensitivity and specificity in live cells at biologically relevant concentrations: January 2020

Synergistic anticancer inhibitor combination discovered by a novel phenotypic screen

Scientists from the Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre used a novel chemical-genetic high-content phenotypic screen to discover synergistic anticancer effects of FAK and HDAC inhibitor combination: January 2020

Olaparib approved in Scotland as new ovarian cancer treatment

Professor Charlie Gourley
Clinical trial with key contributions from Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre clinicians leads to approval of cancer drug olaparib as new ovarian cancer treatment in Scotland: December 2019

Open approach to animal research earns accolade

The University’s work on communicating how animals are used in research has won a national award: December 2019