Scientists spearhead new £6 million initiative to find better ways to prevent cancer

Queen's University scientists are helping to spearhead a new £6 million initiative to find better ways to prevent cancer.

The new initiative, led by Cancer Research UK with matching investment from the BUPA Foundation, aims to support cutting-edge research to find better ways to prevent cancer.

It is estimated that more than four in ten cancer cases could be prevented by lifestyle changes, such as not smoking, keeping a healthy body weight, cutting back on alcohol, eating a healthy diet, keeping active and staying safe in the sun.

Professor Frank Kee, who directs the UKCRC Centre of Excellence for Public Health Research in Northern Ireland at Queen's University, has been invited to join the International Advisory Board (IAB) of the new Cancer Research UK/Bupa Foundation Cancer Prevention Initiative.

Professor Kee, from the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences at Queen's, said: "Advancing knowledge and changing lives is at the core of what we do at Queen's University.  I am honoured to be part of this initiative which aims to do just that.  It is a tribute to the CRUK and BUPA that a bold new initiative like this has been developed. It shows how major research funders want to support prevention science and the value they place in the sort of collaborations across disciplines that are required to fight cancer. Building capacity in this area is vital if new discoveries are ever to be translated into better outcomes for patients and the population."

"I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with Professor Linda Bauld, the new Cancer Research UK Prevention Champion and with the IAB, and I look forward to seeing the fruits of this initiative in years to come."

Professor Kee also spoke on Creativity in Science at last week's inaugural 'Sandpit' event for of the new Cancer Research UK/Bupa Foundation Cancer Prevention Initiative in Oxford.

The sandpit provided an opportunity for early career researchers across the country from a wide variety of backgrounds to work with research users and stakeholders to generate novel ideas that could lead to new interventions for cancer prevention.

Dr Helen Coleman, Cancer Research UK Fellow and Lecturer in the UKCRC Centre of Excellence at Queen's joined the 'Sandpit' as one of the mentors and facilitators for the participating early career researchers and was able to share her experience of working at the boundaries of different disciplines to drive new forward insights in prevention science.