Professor Jo Morris is studying how the BRCA1 protein affects cancer risk and treatment response.
Our research in Birmingham
In Birmingham, we work closely with our partners at the University of Birmingham, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and Cancer Research UK.
Last year we spent nearly £10m on research in Birmingham. By sharing their expertise, scientists, doctors and nurses are improving the care of patients across the Midlands and beyond.
Faulty genes and the BRCA1 protein
The role of the immune system in pancreatic cancer
Professor Paul Moss is studying how pancreatic cancer cells find ways to stop our immune cells from finding and destroying them.
Targeting cancer’s vulnerabilities
Dr Daniel Tennant is investigating what happens when cancer cells don’t get enough oxygen.
What we're doing now
Professor Pam Kearns is Director of the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit (CRCTU) at the University of Birmingham. The unit delivers innovative and practice-changing clinical research that impacts the care and outcomes for cancer patients in the UK and across the world.
Professor Gary Middleton is leading the world’s largest precision medicine trial in lung cancer. The National Lung Matrix Trial matches different treatments to different groups of patients based on genetic changes in their cancer.
Dr Clare Davies has identified a protein that is a key player in helping breast cancer cells grow, survive and become resistant to drugs. Dr Davies’ research now aims to work out how the protein does this and to identify potential new drug targets.
Professor Andrew Beggs is using bowel cancer samples from 200 people to grow mini tumour models, which will then be exposed to more than 2,000 drugs and treatments. The team hopes that this exciting new approach will speed up the development of new treatments to save more lives.
Our network of Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres (ECMCs) are unique partnerships between local NHS Trusts and universities that bring together lab scientists and cancer doctors to speed up the flow of ideas and new treatments from the lab to the clinic. The Birmingham ECMC, led by Prof Gary Middleton, has expertise in running clinical studies in both adults and children.
Karen Turner, our Senior Research Nurse in Birmingham, facilitates the delivery of high quality clinical trials and studies, getting new treatments into the clinic sooner.
Volunteer in Birmingham
We rely on volunteers to support our pioneering, life-saving research in many ways. Volunteer in Birmingham and help beat cancer sooner.
In Birmingham
- 7,800 people are diagnosed with cancer each year.
- 53% of cancers are diagnosed early.
- We spent nearly £10m on life-saving research in 2020/21.
We receive no government funding for our research. Our life-saving work relies on the money you give us.
Cancer news
From cutting edge science and debunking myths to patient stories, read the latest news, analysis and opinion on our news site.
Our strategy to beat cancer
For the past 120 years, we’ve been making discoveries that have saved countless lives. But we have so much more to do. Our strategy sets out how we'll accelerate progress towards a better future.