The All-Island Cancer Research Institute (AICRI) is a collaborative initiative that brings together ten universities on the island of Ireland, including Queen’s University Belfast and University College Dublin (UCD), to combine strengths of expert researchers and other stakeholders to tackle cancer, linking with US and other international colleagues.

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Buffalo, New York, hosts the largest academic cell and gene therapy facility for cancer in the world, providing the opportunity for researchers on the island of Ireland to receive a unique training experience and allowing them to bring back specific expertise to offer the latest advances to patients in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Speaking at an event in the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research at Queen’s University Belfast, Congressman Kennedy said: "I'm honoured to announce this partnership at a particularly important time, just before next month’s 25th Anniversary of the Ireland–Northern Ireland–US National Cancer Institute Cancer Consortium - an unparalleled transatlantic initiative that directly resulted from the Belfast Good Friday Agreement.

"Cancer does not discriminate, nor does it recognise international borders. The special connection that exists between our nations lends itself to forging meaningful partnerships in the global effort to defeat cancer, and the cooperation between Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Centre and Queen’s University Belfast, University College Dublin and the Al Island Cancer Research Institute will be well positioned to contribute to our efforts to eradicate this terrible disease."

Commenting on this new transatlantic partnership, Professor Mark Lawler, Professor of Digital Health at Queen’s and Co-Lead of AICRI said: “The joint work between the US and the island of Ireland over the last 25 years has helped save thousands of lives and improved the quality of life of thousands more. Cancer Knows No Borders. We are delighted to announce this new partnership that will help enhance cancer research, but more importantly make a real difference for cancer patients on this island.

"We are proud to be partnering with Roswell Park, the very first cancer research institute in the world when it was founded in 1898. Roswell Park was one of the first three NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centres, achieving excellence in clinical care and cancer research, emphasising its credentials as a quality partner for transatlantic research.

"It is fitting that the announcement is taking place in the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research at Queen’s, given that it was Paddy Johnston who was the architect of the Cancer Consortium all those years ago. He would have been proud to see the tradition of US-All-Island cancer research continuing to flourish.”

Professor William Gallagher, Professor of Cancer Biology at UCD, Scientific Director of the St Vincent’s/UCD Cancer Centre and Co-Lead of AICRI said: “The vision of the All-Island Cancer Research Institute is to offer hope to cancer patients and their families by enabling and promoting scientific discoveries and clinical advancements. Our mission is to provide an overarching framework for cancer research across the island of Ireland, in line with best global practices.

"This exciting collaboration with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Centre provides a key opportunity to upskill cancer researchers from Ireland and Northern Ireland in one of the most rapidly developing areas of cancer care. True collaboration works when each party has a shared vision and values. In this respect, this is meeting of like minds especially in respect to harnessing our combined cross-border expertise, both East/West and North/South, for betterment of cancer research and care.”

Commenting on the initiative, Candace S. Johnson PhD., Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Centre President and CEO said: “The exchange of knowledge, ideas and innovation fuels progress in medicine, especially in a disease as complex and widespread as cancer. By partnering with these outstanding institutions in Belfast and Dublin and with AICRI, we have an incredible opportunity to advance cancer care in our community and around the globe."

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Media inquiries to Sian Devlin at s.devlin@qub.ac.uk