February 20th-22nd saw the annual IACR conference return to Belfast, with a fantastic programme planned for the Europa hotel. A record number of attendees saw over 250 researchers and patient-advocates turn up to hear about the latest cancer research carried out across Ireland.

There was an exceptional session to kick off the conference, which saw early stage researchers present their research projects in layman's terms, ensuring that the studies were engaging and accessible for everyone in attendance.

Day two of the conference opened with a focus on precision medicine in cancer. This session was followed by a number of  selected speakers competing for the John Fitzpatrick Award. 8 speakers chosen from their poster abstracts were tasked with presenting their work in 5 minutes to a packed hall. ESR4, Niamh McCabe, was delighted to be chosen to present her work investigating pathways governing chemotherapy resistance in oesophageal adenocarcinoma in such a session.

This session was followed by research presentations highlighting the importance of metabolic transformations in cancer progression.

The final day of the conference opened with the proferred paper session, showcasing some of the fantastic advancements and findings made in centres across Ireland in 2018. It was a hugely successful conference, with a great collaborative atmosphere between the different research teams. ESR4 and the rest of the Queen's delegation are looking forward to IACR 2020 in Galway, where it is sure to be an even more impressive programme.

Media

Niamh McCabe

ESR4