From Ideas to Innovation

Our new, biennial research conference From Ideas to Innovation, was held at the Royal College of GPs on 17-18 April 2024. It saw Prostate Cancer UK-funded researchers come together to hear the latest research updates, network, and start new collaborations.

The event saw exciting results, invigorating research talks and inspiring stories from men living with prostate cancer. This gave the community the chance to network and collaborate in a way which has been lacking post-pandemic.

Building on this success, 2025 will see the return of Making Progress, which gives our early career researchers the opportunity to learn new skills and network. From Ideas to Innovation will return to bring the full research community together once again in 2026!

To ensure you don’t miss any updates on our upcoming research events, subscribe to the research newsletter and follow us on X (Twitter).

202404 Ideas To Innovation Research Event Rosie Lonsdale 26
202404 Ideas To Innovation Research Event Rosie Lonsdale 158
I loved to see that patients have been invited to share their stories. There was a wide range of topics and lots of time for networking. I found the whole atmosphere very friendly and I felt very welcomed.
Anonymous

What happens next?

2024 Research Conference Ideas To Innovation (1)

Did you form a new research idea, find a new opportunity, meet a new collaborator, or find out something new about how Prostate Cancer UK can support your research?

We want to hear about it! Let us know how From Ideas to Innovation helped your research and help us make this event as impactful as possible in the future.

As a new prostate cancer researcher, this event helped me feel part of the community and helped identify areas that we could support each other to improve research.
Anonymous

A meeting for researchers designed by researchers

We wanted to make sure this event serves our funded research community as best as it can, so we didn't want to make assumptions on what you need. We invited you to be part of our Scientific Organising Committee, and we are delighted that so many of you accepted our call. 

Members of our Scientific Organising Committee are: 

Professor Charlotte Bevan, Imperial College London

Dr Mick Brown, University of Manchester

Dr Victoria Dunne, Queens University Belfast

Professor David Elliott, Newcastle University

Dr Asma Ahmed Hassan Elshiekh, University of Glasgow

Dr Claire Fletcher, Imperial College London

Dr Susan Heavey, University College London

Dr Jennie Jeyapalan, University of Nottingham 

Dr Alan McWilliam, University of Manchester

Professor Paula Mendes, University of Birmingham

Dr Emma Scott, University of Newcastle

Professor Greg Shaw, University College London

Dr Ning Wang, University of Leicester

Dr Jason Webber, Swansea University.

202404 Ideas To Innovation Research Event Rosie Lonsdale 88
202404 Ideas To Innovation Research Event Rosie Lonsdale 14
It's great that you give a platform for patients to share their experiences and get the opportunity to speak to researchers about current ideas.
Gary Hooker, man with lived experience of prostate cancer

Read the programme for the event

Get the programme

Sessions and Speakers

Want to know who our speakers were? See the schedules below for days 1 and 2!

Day 1

Sessions and Speakers for Day 1 of From Ideas to Innovation.

Registration will be held at 30 Euston Square, London, NW1 2FB, United Kingdom.

Refreshments and snacks will be provided.

Dr. Matt Hobbs, Prostate Cancer UK

Chiara de Biase, Prostate Cancer UK

Professor Jan van der Meulen, Department of Health Services Research and Policy and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Professor Noel Clarke, The Christie and Salford Royal Hospitals, Manchester

Co-chairs:

Emeka Ojimba, 

Dr Jane Shortall,  University of Manchester

 

Speakers:

Emeka Ojimba

Dr Tanimola Martins, University of Exeter

Dr Jana McHugh, Institute of Cancer Research

Professor Dan Brewer, University of East Anglia

Dr Abraham Gihawi, University of East Anglia

Dr Claire Fletcher, Imperial College London

Hot lunch will be provided.

Co-chairs:

Paul Dennington, Session chair

Dr Jennie Jeyapalan, University of Nottingham

 

Speakers:

Paul Dennington

Dr Tristan Barrett, University of Cambridge

Professor Paula Mendes, University of Birmingham

Dr Veeru Kasivisvanathan, University College London

Dr Shonit Punwani, University College London

Prostate Cancer UK Research Team

Refreshments and snacks will be provided.

Co-chairs:

Gary Reeves

Dr Corinne Woodcock, University of Nottingham

 

Speakers:

Gary Reeves

Professor Hing Y. Leung, University of Glasgow

Dr Jason Webber, Swansea University

Professor Yong-Jie Lu, Queen Mary University of London

Dr Ashwin Sachdeva, University of Manchester

Dr Alan McWilliam, University of Manchester

Professor Hing Y. Leung, University of Glasgow

Co-chairs:

Robert Dimmick

Professor David Elliot, University of Newcastle

 

Speakers:

Robert Dimmick

Professor Greg Shaw, University College London

Professor Suneil Jain, Queen's University Belfast

Professor Rob Bristow, University of Manchester

Professor Ian Mills, University of Oxford

Dr Adriana Buskin, University of Newcastle

Dr Anastasia Hepburn, University of Newcastle

 

Networking opportunity. 

Day 2

Sessions and Speakers for Day 2 of From Ideas to Innovation.

Co-Chairs:

Martin Wells

Dr Demi Pritchard, Swansea University

 

Speakers: 

Martin Wells

Dr Ning Wang, University of Leicester

Professor Gert Attard, University College London

Dr Alison Tree, The Institute of Cancer Research

Dr Julia Murray, The Institute of Cancer Research

Professor Emma Hall, The Institute of Cancer Research

Professor Jayne Tierney, University College London

Dr Claire Vale, University College London

Co-chairs:

Tony Collier, BEM

Dr Susan Heavey, University College London

 

Speakers:

Professor Charlotte Bevan, Imperial College London

Professor Jason Carroll, University of Cambridge

Professor Johann de Bono, The Institute of Cancer Research

Dr Emma Scott, University of Newcastle

Dr Eileen Parkes, University of Oxford

Refreshments and snacks will be provided.

Co-chairs:

Gary Hooker

Dr Simon McDade, Queens University Belfast

 

Speakers:

Professor Simon MacKay, University of Strathclyde

Professor Helen McCarthy, Queen’s University Belfast

Professor Jonathan Coulter, Queen’s University Belfast

Professor Val Macaulay, University of Oxford

Professor Clare Verrill, University of Oxford

Gary Hooker, Co-chair

Hot lunch will be provided.

The networking sessions will be during this extended lunch break.

Grab your lunch then join us in the auditorium for discussions on topics chosen through our networking survey. We'll break-out into smaller groups to tackle challenges including striking a work/life balance, how to commercialise your research, and working with AI and other emerging technologies.

Part #1 of our future directions session:

Co-chairs:

Patrick Williams

Dr Kelly Coffey, University of Newcastle

 

Speakers:

Dr Abraham Gihawi, University of East Anglia

Dr Rachel Barker, University of Bristol

Dr Juan Manuel Jiménez Vacas, The Institute of Cancer Research

Dr Joe Taylor, The Institute of Cancer Research

Refreshments and snacks will be provided

Part #2 of our Future directions session: 

Co-chairs:

Patrick Williams

Dr Kelly Coffey, University of Newcastle

 

Speakers:

Dr Asma Ahmed Hassan Elshiekh, University of Glasgow

Dr Emma Scott, University of Newcastle

Dr Victoria Dunne, Queen’s University Belfast

Dr Edward O'Neill, University of Oxford

Laura Kerby, Prostate Cancer UK