Prevention and Population Research Committee
The Prevention and Population Research Committee (PPRC) supports a broad portfolio of prevention and population research aimed at understanding the epidemiology of cancer, cancer risk, incidence and survival and preventative interventions.
Research areas
PPRC Programme Awards can be awarded in one or more of the following areas:
• Population-based studies, including classical, clinical and molecular epidemiological approaches, to help understand risk and disease aetiology, and to test and validate strategies to improve the prevention and control of cancer in patients and the public.
• Translational research seeking to harness mechanistic, biological insights in order to: develop novel cancer prevention targets, agents and strategies; apply understanding of cancer risk/aetiology to ameliorate risk or better target preventive strategies; work towards precision prevention (through pharmacological, immunological, behavioural or other means). This includes areas of priority highlighted in CRUK's prevention research strategy, including application of immunology, infection, metabolism, ageing and accumulation of somatic mutations.
• Incidence rates of cancer, including changes over time and geographies. Investigation into the changes in cancer survival, driven by risk factors or other relevant factors.
• Methodological and statistical research relating to prevention and population sciences.
• Population-level epidemiological studies of secondary physical effects of cancer treatment.
• Risk stratification and associated cancer prevention studies, including identification of high-risk groups for whom preventative interventions would be beneficial and in which preventative intervention research could be conducted.
• Exploratory and confirmatory clinical trials seeking to test the efficacy and safety of chemopreventive agents.
• Development and evaluation of behavioural and lifestyle interventions to support prevention of cancer, including cancer recurrence, across a range of risk factors, which may include tobacco, alcohol, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, obesity and UV exposure (individual or population level).
• Screening as a form of prevention, including population-level trials of screening approaches.
• Policy-focused research to help develop Cancer Research UK’s policies and advocacy strategies concerning cancer prevention, including policy research on tobacco control.
PPRC funds prevention and population research across all cancer types, treatment modalities and stages in the patient journey, while prioritising the objectives set out in our Research Strategy.
How proposals are judged
Applications are judged on the basis of scientific excellence, innovation and relevance to cancer research. The Committee and its expert review panels meet twice a year and assess all applications on the basis of their scientific, strategic and clinical importance, whilst also studying the scientific and patient and public involvement (PPI) expert peer review which is collated for each grant.
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To find out about exciting opportunities in prevention and population research, including our new strategy, funding initiatives and upcoming events please sign up to our mailing list
Observing funding panels and committees
As part of our commitments to supporting the next generation of researchers and equality, diversity and inclusion in research, we're offering early- to mid-career researchers the opportunity to observe our panel and committee meetings across our funding remit. This scheme will include positive action to offer individuals from underrepresented groups priority places to overcome the underrepresentation that has been highlighted by our diversity data report.
Through this experience we hope you can:
- Understand how grant funding decisions are made to ensure we fund the best quality research
- Develop your own successful research proposals in the future
- Help develop your skills as peer reviewers
- Have the opportunity to give feedback to us to help improve our review processes
Schemes reviewed by this committee
Bringing biology to prevention research
Our new Biology to Prevention Award supports research that harnesses biological and mechanistic insights to provide new targets and approaches for cancer prevention.
Our prevention research strategy
Our prevention strategy outlines how we’ll work with our research community to create a world where many more types of cancer are prevented from developing.
Committee and panel members
Chair
Professor Kay-Tee Khaw – University of Cambridge
Vice-chair
Professor Karen Brown – University of Leicester
Members
Dr Leila Akkari – Netherlands Cancer Institute
Professor Krishnan Bhaskaran – London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Professor Sarah Blagden – University of Oxford
Ally Boyle – Patient and Public Representative
Professor Nilanjan Chatterjee – John Hopkins University
Professor Helen Coleman – Queen's University Belfast
Professor Amanda Cross – Imperial College London
Dr Filippos Filippidis – Imperial College London
Dr Olivera Finn – University of Pittsburgh
Professor Graham Moore – Cardiff University
Professor Masashi Narita – University of Cambridge
Dr Stuart McDonald – Queen Mary University of London
Dr Michael Pollak – McGill University
Dr James Reading – University College London
Professor Peter Sasieni – King's College London
Professor Linda Sharp – Newcastle University
Dr Alex Smith – University of York
Professor Andrew Steptoe – University College London
Dr Eva Szabo – The National Cancer Institute
Professor Dawn Teare – Newcastle University
Professor Evropi Theodoratou – University of Edinburgh
Lisa Townsend – Patient and Public Representative
Professor Mark Tully – Ulster University
Dr Juliet Usher-Smith – University of Cambridge
Expert Review Panel on Prevention and Population Mechanistic Insights, Immunology and Translational Research
Chair
Professor Amanda Cross – Imperial College London
Vice-chair
Dr Eva Szabo – The National Cancer Institute
Standing Panel member
Professor Walid Khaled - University of Cambridge
Professor Ann Williams - University of Bristol
Expert Review Panel on Prevention and Population Epidemiology, Trials and Behavioural Research
Chair
Professor Mark Tully – Ulster University
Vice-chair
Professor Linda Sharp – Newcastle University
Standing Panel member
Professor Rebecca Hardy - Loughborough University
Our Patient and Public Review Panel reviews all full applications with a focus the potential patient/public impact and patient and public involvement plans. Its Co-Chairs are voting members of the Early Detection and Diagnosis Research Committee and Prevention and Population Research Committee.
Co-Chairs
Ally Boyle
Lisa Townsend
Panel members
Dr Alison Allam
Dr Catherine Biggs
Phil Buck
Sue Duncombe
Musa Garba
Katherine Glen
Jax Hamil
Angela King
Emily Lam
Patrick McGuire
Liz Middleton
Stella O'Brien
Phil Pocock
Malcolm Rhodes
Lisa Adam
Orouba Almilaji
William Crosbie
Firoza Davies
Mark Edwards
Elsa Graviil
Kate Hawley
Ike Junior
Heena Karania
Emily Slade
Eve Smyth
Contact for this committee
Dr David Crosby
Head of Prevention and Early Detection Research
Tel +44 (0) 20 3469 6086
Dr Anbalakan Paramasivam
Research Programme Manager
Email: pprc@cancer.org.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3469 8824
Dr Alice Burke
Research Grants Manager
Email: pprc@cancer.org.uk
Ms Emily Friar
Research Grants Manager
Email: pprc@cancer.org.uk
Other opportunities for prevention and population researchers
We support a broad portfolio of prevention and population research aimed at understanding cancer aetiology, risk and incidence, and translating this into future preventive interventions.
We fund investigator-led projects, partnership initiatives, research facilities and resources, and we have a range of opportunities to help you develop your research career.