International Alliance for Early Detection funded projects

The International Alliance for Cancer Early Detection (ACED) funds research to drive innovation and change in how and when cancer is detected. The partnership was originally founded by Cancer Research UK, The University of Manchester, University College London, the Knight Cancer Institute at OHSU, The University of Cambridge and the Canary Center at Stanford University.  

ACED continues to grow and bring onboard new partners, supporting new and pioneering ideas, expanding multidisciplinary skills and driving forward exceptional science with a strong focus on innovation.  

Explore some selected examples from the ACED portfolio. 

Find out more about ACED

 

 

ACED Programme Awards

An ACED Programme Award provides long-term support for broad, multidisciplinary research where the aim is to answer an interrelated set of questions within early detection of cancer fields.

Harnessing the immune system for cancer early detection

Harnessing the immune system for cancer early detection

This programme aims to study which immune cells are responsible for cancer surveillance, the markers of whether they have seen early (or pre-) cancer, and if they could have been detected years before clinical diagnosis.  The programme includes an ambitious array of analytic modalities brought together by cutting edge machine learning.

Project leads: Jamie Blundell, Robert Bristow, Evan Lind, Parag Mallick and Benny Chain

Collaborating institutions: University of Cambridge, University of Manchester, OHSU, Stanford University and University College London

Early markers for ovarian cancer detection

Early markers for ovarian cancer detection

The team is identifying the early changes that occur in the fallopian tubes preceding ovarian cancer to establish strategies for identification of patients at high risk of developing ovarian cancer and for prevention of disease progression.

Project leads: Filipe Correia Martins, Christine Schmidt, Sharon Pitteri, Michelle Gomes and Marc Tischkowitz

Collaborating institutions: University College London, University of Manchester, Stanford University, OHSU and University of Cambridge

 

 

ACED Project Awards

The aim of this award is to fund exceptional science that builds on previously established research with supporting data and a strong focus on innovation.

assessing cancer risk using electronic health records data

Assessing cancer risk using electronic health records data

The project aims to improve how we can predict the risk of cancer in patients who visit their doctor with new symptoms.

Using data from medical records, this will help doctors decide when to refer patients for further tests to check for cancer.

Project leads: Yoryos Lyratzopoulos, Antonis Antoniou and Ruth Etzioni  

Collaborating institutions: University College London, University of Cambridge and OHSU 

Early prostate cancer detection

Early prostate cancer detection 

The team is using deep learning methods to connect prostate cancer imaging with past tissue evidence, enabling personalised targets to be forecasted without requiring a biopsy. 

Project leads: Yipeng Hu and Geoffrey Sonn 

Collaborating institutions: University College London and Canary Center at Stanford 

Deep histopathological analysis

Deep histopathological analysis 

This study aims to create machine learning tools that will analyse histopathological information with genetic signatures known to be correlated with poor outcomes.  

This will help to determine if the lesions have the potential to become aggressive cancer. 

Project leads: Rajan Kulkarni and Richard Marais  

Collaborating institutions: OHSU and University of Manchester 

Mapping of breast cancer premalignancy 

Mapping of breast cancer premalignancy 

The project aims to build a high-resolution map of cellular and molecular transition along the breast tumour development. Using this map, the team wants to understand the impact of germline mutations on tumour initiation and disease progression. 

Project leads: Walid Khaled, Hisham Mohammed 

Collaborating institutions: University of Cambridge and OHSU  

 

 

ACED Pilot Awards

These awards provide seed funding to support new and pioneering research ideas and pilot studies of high scientific risk, with no requirement for extensive preliminary data.

Hereditary kidney cancer

Hereditary kidney cancer

This project aims to identify new methods for early detection of hereditary kidney cancer by studying the molecular information in blood platelets from both hereditary and non-hereditary kidney cancer patients.

Project leads: Emma Woodward, Alice Fan, Eamon Maher and James Whitworth

Collaborating institutions: University of Manchester, Canary Center at Stanford and University of Cambridge

Prostate cancer progression

Prostate cancer progression

This team is developing AI software that analyses MRI images collected in patients on active surveillance over time to track changes in prostate tumours. The aim is to detect cancer progression early and automatically.

Project leads: Dean Barratt and Geoffrey Sonn

Collaborating institutions: University College London and Canary Center at Stanford

NanoOmics: a blood test platform

NanoOmics: a blood test platform

They are developing a blood analysis platform using nanoparticles to isolate tumour-specific molecules, making it easier to discover new biomarkers for cancer detection. 

Project leads: Marilena Hadjidemetriou and Parag Mallick 

Collaborating institutions: University of Manchester and Canary Center at Stanford

Measuring immunity in ovarian cancer

Measuring immunity in ovarian cancer 

The team is studying early immune responses in ovarian cancer to develop a blood test to detect specific immune cells. 

Project leads: James Brenton and Alice Fan 

Collaborating institutions: University of Cambridge and Canary Center at Stanford

 

 

ACED Pathway Award

This award supports early career researchers establishing their independence helping to expand their multidisciplinary skills, providing mentorship with eminent researchers in the field, and to obtain preliminary data for future independent fellowship applications.

Methylation clock

Methylation clock

This award is helping to create a new way to predict cancer risk by studying changes in DNA methylation over time and studying how these changes relate to aging and cancer development.

Project leads: Jamie Blundell, Hisham Mohammed and Adriana Fonseca

Collaborating institutions: University of Cambridge and OHSU 

 

 

Contact us

If you’re interested in hearing more about ACED, have a question about funding opportunities, or would like to discuss partnerships, we’d love to hear from you.