Edinburgh hosts top cancer researchers

Edinburgh welcomes some of the world’s top cancer researchers to the city on Thursday for a Meeting of Minds.

St Andrews-based charity Worldwide Cancer Research is hosting the key event and they researchers have £4m to earmark for pioneering research projects.

The group will sift through ideas from scientists from 20 countries to identify the projects that will potentially have the greatest impact on the lives of people with cancer.

With an average research project costing around £200,000, the group will have to select around 20 from 130 projects.

Applications received include those from Argentina, Norway, Singapore and Scotland and cover topics ranging from how cells repair DNA to new immunotherapy techniques.

The charity claim research has helped to double cancer survival rates in the UK and developed better ways to prevent, diagnose and stop cancer sooner.

Dr Helen Rippon, chief executive of Worldwide Cancer Research, said: “Our Meeting of Minds is the most important date in the charity’s calendar.

“The cancer researchers all give up their time to review applications. They do this because they believe in ensuring that our supporter’s money is used in the most impactful way possible. They truly are heroes in and out of the lab.”

Dr John Maher, clinical senior lecturer at King’s College London, will chair the meeting and said: “Worldwide Cancer Research is unique as the only UK-based charity that funds research into any type of cancer, anywhere in the world.”