6:00pm-7:00pm on Tuesday 31 March
Times shown are in GMT (UTC +0) up to the 26th March. For events on or after 27th March times are in BST (UTC +1).
Cambridge Union Society, Debating Chamber, 9A Bridge Street, CB2 1UB
Discover how team research is transforming the future of breast cancer care – from developing kinder, more personalised treatments to tackling health inequities and improving outcomes for everyone.
Join doctors and patient advocates as they explore how science, medicine and lived experience come together to design the research that matters to patients and the public.
Charlotte Coles is Professor of Breast Cancer Clinical Oncology and Deputy Head of the Department of Oncology at the University of Cambridge. She co-directs the Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Cambridge RadNet, a network of CRUK radiation research centres of excellence that are aiming to bring discovery science into the clinic for patient benefit.
Charlotte leads clinical trials that are aiming to adapt breast radiotherapy according to a patient’s risk of recurrence, and thus give them their best chance of a cure with the least side effects. She has played a major role in multidisciplinary research over the past two decades that has led to more-personalised breast radiotherapy being delivered in just 1 week. This has changed practice globally and reduced the burden of breast radiotherapy for patients and health systems. Charlotte is passionate about patient-centred research and tackling global challenges around health, gender and equity through her work with the Lancet Breast Cancer Commission.
Jean Abraham is Professor of Precision Breast Cancer Medicine, Director of the Precision Breast Cancer Institute and an Honorary Consultant in Medical Oncology at the University of Cambridge. She co-leads both the Breast Cancer Virtual Institute and the Integrated Cancer Medicine Virtual Institute within the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre.
Jean led the PARTNER trial, which showed that a new treatment approach can significantly improve survival for people with aggressive, inherited types of breast cancer. This trial also showed the impact and importance of giving drugs in the correct order. She also leads the Personalised Breast Cancer Programme, which provides whole genome sequencing to help doctors choose the best treatment for each patient.
Jean’s goal is to identify smarter, kinder treatments for breast cancer, ensuring patients receive the most effective care while avoiding overtreatment and unnecessary side effects.
