CRIS Science Day 2026
12.6 Million Invested in Cancer Research
CRIS Cancer Foundation proudly celebrated CRIS Science Day 2026 this last April bringing together leading international researchers, clinicians and supporters to highlight the latest advances in cancer research and reaffirm the Foundation’s commitment to accelerating breakthroughs for patients worldwide.
A key milestone of the event was the announcement of 12,6 million pounds in funding to support cutting-edge cancer research projects led by outstanding investigators across the United Kingdom, Spain and France. The investment reinforces CRIS Cancer Foundation’s mission to drive innovation and support scientific excellence with the potential to transform patient outcomes.
The day also featured the III International CRIS Symposium, which welcomed internationally renowned experts including Prof. Antoni Ribas (UCLA), Prof. Daniel Powell (University of Pennsylvania) and Prof. Regina Barzilay(Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Discussions focused on the latest developments in immunotherapy, cell therapies and artificial intelligence, highlighting how these rapidly evolving fields are reshaping the future of cancer treatment.
One of the highlights of the event was the introduction of the new cohort of CRIS fellows from the UK, whose pioneering projects reflect the innovation and scientific excellence championed by the Foundation.
Among the newly announced fellows:
Dr Niamh McKerr (Queen’s University Belfast) is investigating how calcium signalling enables prostate cancer to develop resistance to treatment.
Dr Rebecca Ling (University of Oxford) is studying the earliest origins of aggressive childhood myeloid leukaemia.
Dr Casmir Turnquist (University of Oxford) is developing advanced diagnostic tools to improve the precision and speed of identifying key alterations directly in paediatric sarcoma tumour samples.
Dr Jacky Leung (The Institute of Cancer Research, London) is researching how oxidative stress alters the androgen receptor and contributes to resistance in advanced prostate cancer.
CRIS Cancer Foundation also recognised Dr Kathy Chung Ying Chan (The Institute of Cancer Research, London), the new CRIS–Prostate Cancer Foundation Fellow, whose research is focused on developing innovative radiotherapy approaches combined with immunotherapy to treat advanced prostate cancer.
The Foundation was additionally honoured by the presence of Dr Dimitrios Doultsinos, CRIS Cancer UK Fellow, alongside Marta Brime, Chair of CRIS Cancer Foundation, and Lola Manterola, Co-founder of CRIS Cancer Foundation.
CRIS Science Day 2026 once again underscored the importance of international collaboration, scientific excellence and sustained investment in research to deliver new hope for people affected by cancer worldwide.
