Our committees oversee the peer review of applications for CRUK funding and support delivery of our strategic priorities.
Recently funded awards
This page lists the investigator-led programmes, projects and fellowships that we have recently supported through our response-mode grant funding schemes.
Select a funding committee to see what they have funded to date in 2022-23 (for Grant Award Letters issued up to July 2023):
July 2023
Prospective Sample Collection Awards
Dr Anna Wilkins and Professor Emma Hall (Institute of Cancer Research)
3P sample collection application
Dr Ann Henry, Dr Finbar Slevin, Dr Alexandra Clipson (University of Leeds)
POINTER-PC SC: Evaluating molecular markers of radiotherapy efficacy and toxicity for pelvic nodal recurrence in prostate cancer
Dr Christopher Williams and Professor Andrew Beggs (University of Leeds)
ctDNA collection within the ARIEL trial: A biomarker enrichment trial of anti-EGFR agents in right primary tumour location, RAS wild-type, advanced colorectal cancer (aCRC)
Clinical Trial Awards
Professor Gordon Jayson and Professor Richard Adams (University of Manchester)
VALTIVE1b: Validation of Tie2 for VEGF inhibitors in Patients With Ovarian Cancer Treated With Olaparib and Bevacizumab Maintenance Therapy: Optimising the Design (Costed Extension)
Professor Michael Schmid, Professor Paula Ghaneh, Dr Ainhoa Mielgo, Professor Daniel Palmer (University of Liverpool)
Investigating the translational potential of inhibiting AXL in combination with adjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. (Pre-Clinical Package)
Experimental Medicine Awards
Professor Louis Chesler, Professor Darren Hargrave and Dr Isidro Cortés-Ciriano (Institute of Cancer Research)
Stratified Medicine Paediatrics 2 (StratMedPaediatrics2)
March 2023
Clinical Trial Awards
Professor Darren Hargrave, University of Birmingham
CRUK/23/002: BIOMEDE 2.0: Biological Medicine for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) Eradication
Dr Reuben Benjamin, Professor Christina Yap, Dr Charlotte Graham, Dr John Maher, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
CRUK/23/003: pCAR19: Phase 1, open label, dose escalation study evaluating the safety and efficacy of next generation anti-CD19 parallel chimeric antigen receptor T cells (pCAR19) in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphomas
Prospective Sample Collection Awards
Dr Elizabeth Phillips, Dr Kim Linton, University of Manchester
RADAR sample collection: a randomised phase III study with a PET response-adapted design comparing ABVD +/- ISRT with A2VD +/- ISRT in patients with previously untreated stage IA/IIA Hodgkin lymphoma
November 2022
Clinical Trial Awards
Professor Simon Bailey, Newcastle University
YCMB-LR: Prospective international SIOPE/CONNECT phase-III trial to improve neurocognitive outcomes in young children with low-risk medulloblastoma
Dr Toby Eyre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
ZEBRA - Zanubrutinib plus rituximab (Zanu -R) as fixed duration, early intervention versus observation for patients with indolent mantle cell lymphoma: a randomised phase II clinical trial
Experimental Medicine Awards
Professor Gary Middleton, University of Birmingham
KETO-LUNG: Assessing the impact of the adoption of a continuous ketogenic diet on the efficacy of combination chemo-immunotherapy using paclitaxel/carboplatin/pembrolizumab in advanced squamous cell cancer of the lung
Biomarker Project Awards
Professor Timothy Aitman & Professor Duncan McLaren, University of Edinburgh
Investigating the potential of cell-free DNA biomarkers to personalise radiotherapy for prostate cancer
Prospective Sample Collection Awards
Dr Jon Griffin & Professor James Catto, University of Sheffield
Novel markers of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in urothelial carcinoma in the GUSTO clinical trial
Dr Kwee Yong, University College London
Understanding tumour resistance and relapse in the RADAR study
Professor Jean Abraham, University of Cambridge
PARTNER Sample Collection (Costed Extension)
June 2023
Programme Awards
New Programmes
Professor Katrin Ottersbach, University of Edinburgh
The role of the microenvironment in the initiation and maintenance of infant leukaemia
Dr Ingo Ringshausen, University of Cambridge
Oncogene & tumour suppressor-mediated remodelling of the tumour microenvironment in B cell lymphoproliferative diseases
Professor Simona Parrinello, University College London
Glioblastoma Initiation and Re-initiation
Renewing Programmes
Professor Christian Siebold, University of Oxford
Molecular Mechanisms of Morphogen Signalling in the Tumour Microenvironment
Professor Mark Cragg, Professor Stephen Beers, University of Southampton
Targeting myeloid cells for improved antibody immunotherapy
Professor Ronald Hay, University of Dundee
New players in the targeted degradation of the PML-RARA oncogene by arsenic
Programme Foundation Awards
Dr Christopher Tape, University College London
Treatment Analysis via Individualised Organoid Responses (TAILOR)
Multidisciplinary Project Awards
Dr Ran Yan, Dr John Maher, Dr James Arnold, Prof Erik Arstad, Kings College London
Development of Novel 18F-labelled Molecular Probes for Long-Term CAR T-cell Tracking with Positron Emission Tomography (CART_PET)
Cancer Immunology Project Awards
Professor Jessica Strid, Imperial College London
Contribution of bioactive lipid mediators to inflammation and epithelial cancer development
November 2022
Programme Awards
New Programmes
Professor Paul Klenerman & Dr Benjamin Fairfax, University of Oxford
Defining the role of MAIT cells in Cancer Immunotherapy
Renewing Programmes
Professor Laura Machesky, University of Cambridge
Mechanosensing, cytoskeletal control and metabolic demand: how tumour growth and metastasis is fuelled by the microenvironment
Professor Derek Mann & Professor Owen Sansom, Newcastle University
Reprogramming neutrophils to reinvigorate the immunosuppressed HCC microenvironment
Professor Brian Huntly, University of Cambridge
The role of mutational synergy and oncogenic signalling to chromatin in initiation, maintenance and disease resistance in Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML)
Professor Kevin Harrington, Institute of Cancer Research
Strategies for optimised adjuvant immunotherapy following curative-intent radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for squamous cell cancer of the head and neck
Professor Steve Clifford, Newcastle University
Biomarker-driven individualisation of medulloblastoma therapy
Professor Karim Labib, University of Dundee
Regulation of metazoan replisome disassembly at stalled replication forks and during mitosis
Programme Foundation Awards
Dr Laura Greaves, Newcastle University
Determining and targeting metabolic vulnerabilities in colorectal cancer
Multidisciplinary Project Awards
Professor Nancy Papalopulu, Professor Robert Clarke & Professor Magnus Rattray, University of Manchester
A dynamical systems approach to understand plasticity and non-genetic heterogeneity in cancer
Dr Benjamin Schumann, Dr Ilaria Malanchi & Dr Paul Huang, Imperial College London
Glycosyltransferase engineering to probe the biology of O-linked protein glycosylation in metastatic breast cancer
May 2023
Project Awards
Professor Peter Murchie, University of Aberdeen
Achieving Self-directed Integrated Cancer Aftercare (ASICA) in melanoma: Optimising the intervention using pilot evidence, assisted intelligence and behavioural science
Professor Shankar Balasubramanian & Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald, University of Cambridge
Evaluation of G-quadruplex profiling for the early detection of oesophageal adenocarcinoma
Dr Ana Rio-Machin & Dr Kevin Rouault-Pierre, Queen Mary University of London
Deciphering the role of germline variants in the RNA-helicases to improve the early detection and management of familial MDS/AML patients
Dr Professor Richard Shaw & Professor Peter Weightman, University of Liverpool
Clinical and technical validation of infrared absorbance spectra to predict malignant transformation in oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs)
Dr Daniel Royston & Professor Jens Rittscher, University of Oxford
Integrating AI-based early detection and assessment of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) into routine clinical pathways
Dr Lizhe Zhuang & Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald, University of Cambridge
Cross-platform study of clonal heterogeneity and microenvironmental niches in initiation and progression of Barrett’s oesophagus and oesophageal adenocarcinoma
Primer Awards
Dr Abish Stephen, Professor Keith Hunter & Dr Geraint Morgan, Queen Mary University of London
Volatile metabolomics for early detection of aerodigestive cancers
Dr Xin Yang, University of Cambridge
Improving endometrial cancer risk prediction for prevention and early detection
Professor David Klenerman & Professor Richard Mair, University of Cambridge
Sensitive detection of P53 aggregates in biofluids for the early detection of cancer
Dr Luca Panariello & Dr Adam Creamer, Imperial College London
MagnetoCrisprZyme sensor for quantification of circulating microRNA in primary care settings
Dr Marta Canel, University of Edinburgh
Validating new models to investigate the impact of mutational heterogeneity in the early detection of pancreatic cancer
Professor Neil Hunt, University of York
Ultrafast 2D-IR analysis of liquid biopsies for cancer detection
Dr Marek Palace, Dr Christian von Wagner & Dr Carlos Santos Barea , Liverpool John Moores University
Developing multimodal data-driven art-inspired bowel cancer-screening promotion messages
Dr Ljiljana Fruk, University of Cambridge
Senescence-detecting, urine-based nanobiosensor for early detection of lung cancer
Professor Trevor Graham & Dr Callum Gabbutt, Institute of Cancer Research
Sensitive and specific pan-cancer early detection using fluctuating methylation clocks
November 2022
Programme Awards
Professor Caroline Dive & Dr Phil Crosbie, University of Manchester
Development of a multi-modal liquid biopsy for the early detection of lung cancer
Professor Clare Turnbull, Institute of Cancer Research, Dr David Adams, Wellcome Sanger Institute, and Dr Greg Findlay, The Francis Crick Institute
Defining the compendium of pathogenic germline alleles in cancer susceptibility genes via multiplex assays of variant effect (CG-MAVE)
Project Awards
Dr Jacqueline Shields, King's College London
Exploiting The Lymphatic System For Early Detection And Risk Stratification Biomarkers
Dr James Reading, Professor Sam Janes & Dr Maxine Tran, University College London
A multiomic T cell differentiation index (TEDI) for non-invasive early detection of lung and renal cancer
Primer Awards
Dr Gwen Murphy, Imperial College London
Serologic biomarkers of stomach cancer precursor lesions
Dr James Yarmolinsky, University of Bristol
Using reverse Mendelian randomization to discover novel circulating biomarkers for early detection of cancer
Dr Emma Woodward, University of Manchester
ATLAS - eArly deTection in Li frAumeni Syndrome
Professor Paula Mendes, University of Birmingham
Using superselective glycan-binding nanoparticles to create a clinical assay for early ovarian cancer detection
Dr Patrick Kierkegaard, Imperial College London
Developing an equity-focused Target Product Profile for non-invasive biomarker tests tailored to support mobile testing outreach programmes to reduce cancer inequalities
May 2022
Programme Awards
Professor Fiona Walter, Queen Mary, University of London, & Professor Stephen Pereira, University College London
CANDETECT: Accelerating detection of upper gastro-intestinal (UGI) cancers using a multi- cancer early detection platform in primary care
Project Awards
Professor Sam Janes, Dr Amy Webster and Professor Christina Thirlwell, University College London
Epi-ASCENT: The epigenetic landscape of screen-detected lung cancers
Dr Rasha Abu-Eid, University of Aberdeen
Integrating Raman spectroscopy and digital pathology as a novel tool for objective grading of oral epithelial dysplasia
Dr Floor Christie-de Jong, University of Sunderland, & Professor Katie Robb, University of Glasgow
Improving uptake of breast, bowel and cervical cancer screening among Muslim women: a feasibility study of a peer-led, faith-based intervention
Primer Awards
Dr Richard Hopkinson, University of Leicester
Detection of aldehyde cancer biomarkers by harnassing their carcinogenic reactivity
Dr Alexander Oldroyd, University of Manchester
The MyoScreen Study - Investigating the Utility of Liquid Biopsy as a Method of Early Detection of Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy-Associated Cancer
Dr Francesco Boccellato, University of Oxford
Early detection of gastric cancer by the identification of functional markers driving pre- malignant alterations of the tissue
Dr Lauren Ford, Imperial College London
IntelligentToilet
Dr James Flanagan, Imperial College London
Combining diet and symptom management for earlier detection of cancer using transactional data
Dr Samantha Hiu Yan Ip, University of Cambridge
Investigating transportability of cancer detection models across datasets and time using population-wide electronic health data
Dr Jennifer Heaney, University of Birmingham
Improving myeloma diagnosis using a simple rapid test
Dr Denitza Williams, Cardiff University
Novel decision support intervention to support choice in cervical screening modality
Dr Qiang Wang, University of Edinburgh
Towards in-vivo in-situ early lung cancer detection using fluorescence lifetime imaging endomicroscopy: a preliminary study on data-driven characterisation of lung cancer using label-free autofluorescence lifetime images on unstained lung cancer tissue
Dr Sarah Haywood-Small, Sheffield Hallam University
Vocs-box breathomics: early detection and diagnosis of mesothelioma
Dr Leonid Nikitenko, University of Hull
EARLY DIAPAC: EARLY DIAgnosis of PAncreatic Cancer by combined proteomics and genomics testing of pancreatic cyst fluid
Dr Christopher Rowlands, Imperial College London
Cancer Led Optical Ultrasound Detection
Dr Christian von Wagner, University College London
Development and evaluation of a chatbot to support informed choice in the UK Bowel Cancer Screening Programmes
Professor Ferdia Gallagher, University of Cambridge
Early detection of structural and metabolic changes in small renal masses using advanced MRI to differentiate benign from malignant lesions
Dr Ardhendu Behera, Edge Hill University
LungHealth AI: Using AI to improve early detection and diagnosis of lung cancer
May 2023
Project Awards
Dr James Yarmolinsky, University of Bristol
Obesity and pancreatic cancer risk: leveraging genetic, observational, and molecular approaches to provide novel insights into causal intermediates to inform cancer prevention
Professor Richard Martin, Professor Jenny Donovan, Professor Freddy Hamdy & Professor David Neal, University of Bristol
Answering key questions needed to inform prostate cancer screening policy: long-term follow-up of the ProtecT (15-year) and CAP (18-year) randomised controlled trials.
Professor Doug Easton, University of Cambridge
Characterisation of novel breast cancer susceptibility genes through large-scale targeted sequencing
Biology to Prevention Awards
Professor Walid Khaled & Dr Sara Pensa, University of Cambridge
Targeting BRCA driven premalignant cellular changes in the breast
Professor Kwee Yong, University College London
Understanding and restoring NK cell (dys)function in smouldering myeloma to optimise intervention strategies to prevent development of multiple myeloma
November 2022
Project Awards
Renewing Programme
Professor Amanda Cross, Imperial College London
Screening, Prevention and Diagnosis of Gastrointestinal Cancer
Project Awards
Professor Chris Cardwell, Queen's University Belfast
Antibiotic use and survival from breast cancer
Dr Jamie Hartmann Boyce & Dr Nicola Lindson, University of Oxford
Synthesising evidence on e-cigarettes: two living systematic reviews exploring their efficacy and safety for smoking cessation, and how to stop using them
Dr Tom Dudding & Dr Barry Main, University of Bristol
Head and neck 5000 – Identifying factors affecting survival and secondary physical effects of treatment at 10 years
Dr Laura Woods, Newcastle University
Developing a screening engagement index (SEI) for England
Dr Toral Gathani, University of Oxford
The Associations of Ethnicity and Breast Cancer
May 2022
Programme Awards
New Programme
Professor Claudia Allemani and Professor Michel Coleman, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Global surveillance of cancer survival (CONCORD-4): 20-year trends in survival from 22 adult cancers and all childhood cancers, for patients diagnosed during 2000-2019 or later
Project Awards
Dr Simon Lord and Professor Sarah Blagden, University of Oxford
Exploring metformin’s mechanisms of action in mTP53-driven cancers
Professor Shahid Khan and Professor Simon Rushbrook, Imperial College London
Asp-PSC: Effect of Aspirin on Reducing Cancer in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
Dr Crawford Moodie, University of Stirling
The Adult Tobacco Policy Survey: Understanding how smokers and ex-smokers respond to tobacco control policies in the UK
Professor Nicholas Timpson and Dr Vanessa Tan, University of Bristol
Role of directly measured metabolic profile as an intermediate between adiposity and endometrial cancer: triangulation of evidence from independent sources
May 2023
Senior Cancer Research Fellowship
Dr Ivana Bjedov, University College London
Defining novel mechanisms of selective radioprotection to improve cancer radiotherapy
Advanced Clinical Science Fellowship
Dr Amaya Viros, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute
Melanoma metabolic programmes of metastasis, tropism and immunotherapy response by anatomic site
Senior Cancer Research Fellowship
Dr Andrew Blackford, University of Oxford
Genetic and functional interactions of RecQ helicases in cancer
Career Establishment Award
Dr Mirjana Efremova, Queen Mary, University London
Characterising the cellular state transitions mediating colorectal cancer metastasis
Clinician Scientist Award
Dr Sarah Aitken, University of Cambridge
Identifying image biomarkers in the spatial evolution of liver cancer
Pre-doctoral Research Bursary
Dr Khaylen Mistry, University of East Anglia
Molecular characteristics and outcomes of melanoma in England: a national cohort study
Dr Riccardo Masina, University of Cambridge
Modelling drug response with multi-omics using machine learning in PDTC high-throughput drug screening
Dr Daniele Scotto, University of Nottingham
Characterisation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells as a therapeutic target in glioblastoma multiforme
Dr Georgios Solomou, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
Delineating glioblastoma cell state transitions during cell invasion using a patient-derived glioblastoma ex vivo organoid model (GBO)
Postdoctoral Research Bursary
Dr Thomas Hubbard, University of Exeter
Investigating the changes in breast cancer post neoadjuvant chemotherapy with Raman Spectroscopy
Dr Akshay Patel, University of Birmingham
Investigating Regulatory B cells as determinants of immune-related adverse events following checkpoint blockade therapy
Dr Robert Morgan, University of Manchester
Exploiting a Living Biobank to develop targeted therapies for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer
November 2022
Career Establishment Award
Dr Barrie Peck, Queen Mary, University of London
Understanding and exploiting Acetyl-CoA metabolism in Small Cell Lung Cancer
Senior Cancer Research Fellowship
Dr Jörg Mansfeld, Institute of Cancer Research
Discovery and functional investigation of how ROS can regulate the cell cycle
Clinician Scientist Fellowship
Dr Ayesha Noorani, Wellcome Sanger Institute
Mapping the clonal dynamics and somatic mutations of the human oesophagus during disease, development and carcinogenesis
Dr Sung Pil Hong, Imperial College London
Single-cell multi-omic profiling of intratumoral heterogeneity to tackle oesophageal cancer cell adaptation to chemotherapy
Dr Gurdeep Mannu, University of Oxford
Pre-invasive and Invasive breast cancer: from risk factors to optimal treatment
May 2022
Career Establishment Award
Dr Manavendra Pathania, University of Cambridge
The role of partner mutations in histone-mutant paediatric glioma
Dr Oscar Rueda, University of Cambridge
A statistical dynamic system for breast cancer prognosis and patient monitoring
Senior Cancer Research Fellowship
Dr Sophie Acton, University College London
Harnessing the lymphoid tissue niche to boost anti-tumour immunity
Clinician Scientist Fellowship
Dr Ehsan Ghorani, Imperial College London
Deciphering mechanisms of immune dysfunction and immunotherapy sensitivity in gestational trophoblastic neoplasia
Advanced Clinician Scientist Fellowship
Dr Jyoti Nangalia, Wellcome Sanger Institute
Deciphering timelines and trajectories to blood cancer
More facts and figures about our research funding
Find out more about how and where we supported research in the last year with our interactive map and infographics.
Successful applicant case studies
Awards funded in FY2021-2022
See list of awards funded in FY2021-2022