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Our agenda, scientific committee and speakers

Our second data-driven Cancer Research Conference includes three days of scientific sessions, networking, panel discussions and much more.

Register now

Meet our scientific committee

Andi Roy.

Andi Roy

Professor of Paediatric Haematology, University of Oxford

Claude Chelala.

Claude Chelala

Professor of Bioinformatics, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London

Headshot of Debbie Keatley.

Debbie Keatley

Patient affiliate

Ellen Bisci.

Ellen Bisci

Patient affiliate

Headshot of Michael Cuthbert.

Michael Cuthbert

Director, National Quantum Computing Centre

Raj Jena.

Raj Jena

Professor of AI in Radiation Oncology, University of Cambridge Department of Oncology and Cambridge University Hospitals

Shaumya Kularajan.

Shaumya Kularajan

Patient affiliate

Tony Ng.

Tony Ng

Senior Vice President and Head of Oncology Translational Research, GSK

Explore our agenda

Tuesday 24 Feb 2026 (Day 1)

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09:00–10:00

Registration, networking and poster set-up

10:00–10:20

Welcome

Catherine Elliot, Cancer Research UK

10:25–11:00

Opening keynote

Michael Cuthbert, UK National Quantum Computing Centre

11:00–11:30

Networking break

11:30–12:40

Emerging technologies for cancer research: spotlight on quantum

Chair: Michael Cuthbert, UK National Quantum Computing Centre

Speakers: Chris Phillips, Imperial College London

12:40–13:40

Lunch and posters

13:40–14:40

Panel: Driving the next era of cancer research: data and collaborative innovation

14:45–15:05

Introduction to the CRUK Data Community Special Interest Groups

15:05–15:35

Networking break

15:35–16:35

Roundtable sessions: what will the next five years of data driven cancer research look like?

16:40–17:25

Closing keynote

17:25–1730

Closing remarks

Melissa Lewis-Brown, Cancer Research UK

17:30–18:30

Drinks and networking reception

Wednesday 25 Feb 2026 (Day 2)

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08:30–09:00

Registration and networking

09:00–09:10

Welcome back

Melissa Lewis-Brown, Cancer Research UK

09:15–09:45

Keynote: Why children are key to responsible AI

Mhairi Aitken, Turing Institute

09:50–10:35

Session 3: AI-enabled target/drug discovery

Chair: Greg Hannon, Cambridge Cancer Institute

Speakers: Diego Oyarzun, The University of Edinburgh

10:35–11:05

Networking break

11:05–12:30

Session 4: AI-accelerated early detection of cancer using imaging and multimodal data

Chair: Raj Jena, University of Cambridge

Speakers: Jacqui Shaw, University of Leicester

Heba Sailam, King’s College London

Konstantinos Zormpas-Petridis, Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic

12:30–13:30

Lunch and posters

13:30–14:35

Great Debate 2: AI in population genomics is more hype than help

Chair: Richard Lee, The Royal Marsden and Institute of Cancer Research Early Diagnosis and Detection Centre

Speakers: Kiley Graim, University of Florida

Montse Garcia-Closas, Institute of Cancer Research

14:30–15:00

Networking break

15:00–16:05

Session 5: Advances in AI and computation in personalised radiation therapy

Chair: Bill Nailon, University of Edinburgh

Speakers: David Noble, Edinburgh Cancer Centre

Marianne Aznar, University of Manchester

Andre Dekker, Maastricht University

16:10–16:50

Closing keynote: Agent AI and the future of drug discovery and development

Bissan Al-Lazikani, MD Anderson Cancer Centre

16:50–16:55

Closing remarks

Melissa Lewis-Brown, Cancer Research UK

17:00–19:00

Networking drinks reception (with bowl food)

Thursday 26 February 2026 (Day 3)

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08:30–09:00

Registration

09:00–09:10

Welcome back

09:10–09:50

Keynote: Why data matters: enabling large scale population health research in the UK in the 'big data' era

Cathie Sudlow, University of Edinburgh

09:55–10:20

Flash talks on the power of health data in personalised medicine

Chair: Cathie Sudlow, University of Edinburgh

10:20–10:50

Networking break

10:50–12:15

Session 6: Transforming medicine through digital twins

Chair: Tony Ng, GSK and King's College London

Speakers: Walter Kolch, Systems Biology Ireland, University College Dublin

Lena Granovsky, GSK

Jasmin Fisher, UCL Cancer Institute

12:15–13:45

Lunch and posters

13:45–14:45

Panel: balancing promise and risk - how do we best regulate digital twins and personalised medicine?

Chair: Mark Lawler, Queens University Belfast

Speakers: Angela Aristidou, UCL/Stanford

Irina Babina, Concr

14:45–15:15

Networking break

15:15–16:05

Is personalised medicine accessible to all? Biases and opportunities for diverse groups of patients

Chair: Melissa Davis, Morehouse School of Medicine

Speakers: Anna Schuh, University of Oxford

16:10–16:40

Closing keynote: From bias to breakthroughs: making precision medicine truly inclusive

Melissa Davis, Morehouse School of Medicine

16:45–16:55

Closing remarks

Meet our keynote speakers

Cathie Sudlow.

Cathie Sudlow

Director of the Usher Institute, School of Population Health Sciences, The University of Edinburgh and Director of the UKRI Adolescent Health Study

Why data matters: Enabling large scale population health research in the UK in the 'big data' era

Mhairi Aitken.

Mhairi Aitken

Senior Ethics Fellow, The Alan Turing Institute

Why children are key to responsible AI

Melissa Davis.

Melissa Davis

Director, Institute of Translational Genomic Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine

From bias to breakthroughs: making precision medicine truly inclusive

Bissan Al-Lazikani sat at a desk with her laptop.

Bissan Al-Lazikani

Professor of Genomic Medicine and Director of Therapeutics Data Science, Department of Genomic Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Centre

Meet our co-chairs

Greg Hannon.

Greg Hannon

Senior Group Leader, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute

Day 2 - Revolutionising cancer research: the transformative role of AI

Raj Jena.

Raj Jena

Professor of AI in Radiation Oncology, University of Cambridge Department of Oncology and Cambridge University Hospitals

Day 2 - Revolutionising cancer research: the transformative role of AI

Richard Lee.

Richard Lee

Consultant Respiratory Physician, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at The Royal Marsden and the Institute of Cancer Research

Day 2 - Revolutionising cancer research: the transformative role of AI

Bill Nailon.

Bill Nailon

NHS Clinical Scientist

Professor, Department of Oncology Physics at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre

Day 2 - Revolutionising cancer research: the transformative role of AI

Melissa Davis.

Melissa Davis

Director, Institute of Translational Genomic Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine

Day 3 - Personalising cancer medicine: the power of health data

Tony Ng.

Tony Ng

Senior Vice President and Head of Oncology Translational Research, GSK

Day 3 - Personalising cancer medicine: the power of health data

Mark Lawler.

Mark Lawler

Professor of Digital Health, Queen’s University Belfast

Scientific Director, DATA-CAN

Day 3 - Personalising cancer medicine: the power of health data