Science Talk
With our Science Talk blog, we hope to lift the lid on the black box that is the ICR: to show you inside our labs, to introduce you to a few of the people here who make the discoveries, and to allow them to tell some of the stories behind the science. We try to put our discoveries in a wider scientific context, and give an idea of how our science is actually done. We also give you the view from the ICR of important developments in the wider world of cancer research.
“Developments that will enable early diagnosis of prostate cancer are vital” – Gilly’s story
Gilly Morgan, 60, was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer in 2014 at the age of 49. Fortunately, it was caught early and thanks to successful treatment, he has been living well ever since. Eleven years on, he reveals why he has made it his mission to raise awareness around prostate cancer, particularly among the Black community.
The Charity Research Support Fund: An overlooked, and neglected, lifeline for UK science
Ollie Richards, Advocacy Manager at the ICR, explores how a critical element of the Government's research funding – the Charity Research Support Fund – could be reformed to help support more specialist institutions and universities to do life-saving research.
“Being involved in a clinical trial saved my life” – Tony’s story
Tony McHale, a screenwriter, was invited to take part in the IMPACT study in 2012, an international clinical trial offering regular screening for men at increased risk of prostate cancer. Around 18 months later, he was diagnosed with the disease at the age of 61. After undergoing intense radiotherapy treatment, he has remained cancer-free ever since.
-invading-through-a-layer-of-fibroblasts-(stained-for-actin---red)-nuclei-were-counterstained-with-dapi---blue.jpg?sfvrsn=1a303c1_1 "Breast cancer cells (stained with anti-cytokeratin - green) invading through a layer of fibroblasts (stained for actin - red). Nuclei were counterstained with DAPI - blue")
Celebrating 25 years of pioneering breast cancer research
The ICR’s dedicated breast cancer research centre was launched 25 years ago. Robbie Lockyer explores the history of the centre and how our scientists working in it have made a difference for patients.
.jpg?sfvrsn=46058a37_1 "Godfrey Fletcher (Credit: John Angerson)")
“New research into prostate cancer will take away people’s fear” – Godfrey’s story
DJ and music promoter, Godfrey Fletcher, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2015 at the age of 47, shortly after his father was also diagnosed with the same disease. Since then, Godfrey has made it his mission to raise awareness and advocate for early testing, particularly among black men.
From molecules to medicines: the role of mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance
In the Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, high-precision technologies are transforming how we uncover the intricate details of molecules and accelerate the development of new cancer treatments. From weighing molecules with extraordinary precision to visualising their atomic structure, Robbie Lockyer visited the lab to understand how these tools are accelerating the journey from lab bench to hospital bedside.
-blurred.jpg?sfvrsn=614f5f3_1 "dan-dale-(credit-vincent-engel) blurred")
“I found a way to honour my mum’s memory” – Dan’s One More City story
Dan Dale recently joined a team of 37 riders to take on the One More City annual cycling campaign. The four-day challenge this September saw them ride from Pisa to Nice, covering nearly 600km and reaching climbs of 6,000m along the way, all to raise funds for our groundbreaking research into secondary breast cancer. Here, Dan reflects on his experience and his reason to take part…
Could expanding BRCA gene testing save lives in breast and ovarian cancer?
Although cancer is not usually inherited, certain types, including breast and ovarian, can be triggered by inherited gene faults, meaning they can run in families. Now that we can test for these mutations, could – and should – we be testing as many people as possible to identify those at higher risk? Isy Godfrey spoke with Beth Torr, Scientific Programme Manager in Cancer Genetics, to find out.
.jpg?sfvrsn=92cd40eb_1 "Chris cycling (credit: Vincent Engel)")
“Today I pedal with them, tomorrow they will be pedalling alone” – cycling to support secondary breast cancer
Cyclist Chris Clothier reflects on his recent ride from Pisa to Nice as part of the One More City team, raising vital funds for our groundbreaking research into secondary breast cancer.
From Bench to Bedside: Why Data and Statistics Matter
As we mark World Statistics Day, Carolyn McNamara, the Manager of the Research Data Management Team at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, explains how statistics are at the heart of every clinical trial.
From data to discovery: the impact of statistics in cancer research
Every five years, World Statistics Day is celebrated globally to recognise the vital role statistics plays in shaping societies, our research and supporting evidence-based decision-making. The fourth observance, on 20 October 2025, is held under the theme ‘Quality statistics and data for everyone’.
‘Developing new treatments is the only way to improve and save lives’ – Sam’s story
When he was five years old, Sam Cooper, now 33, lost his mum to sarcoma, a rare type of cancer that starts in soft tissues or bones. On 12 October, he will be running the Royal Parks Half Marathon in her memory, hoping to raise £1,000 to support our groundbreaking research.
.jpg?sfvrsn=dd4e680c_2 "Alex Jemmett (credit: Alex Jemmett)")
‘I’m running for the ICR because I know that funding is vital for cancer research to continue’ – Alex’s story
Alex Jemmett, 31, will be running the Royal Parks Half Marathon on 12 October to raise funds for our vital research in memory of three significant people in her life who she has lost to cancer.
Bridging the gap: Ensuring teenagers and young adults with cancer are not overlooked
Historically, we have tended to think of cancer in a binary way, labelling it as either ‘adult cancer’ or ‘childhood cancer’. But where does that leave teenage and young adult (TYA) patients?
Improving clinical testing to bring kinder treatments to children and young people with cancer
We speak with Professor Louis Chesler and Dr Sally George at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, who are working on refining and streamlining clinical testing to find better ways to detect and characterise cancers in young patients.
Running a marathon in memory of Professor Chris Marshall – “I wanted to mark 10 years since Chris’ death by supporting the research that was so important to him.”
Luke Wijsveld, 48, will be running the Berlin Marathon on 21 September, to mark 10 years since the death of his father-in-law, Professor Chris Marshall. Chris was a pioneering cancer researcher who spent 35 years working at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), making vital discoveries which have shaped our understanding of how cancers arise and have led to the development of advanced therapies to treat them.
Artificial intelligence provides new hope to people with skin cancer
Here, we speak with Dr Matt De Vries, who used melanoma cells to develop an AI tool that could help new drugs reach patients much more quickly.
“There cannot be enough research into cancer. That’s why a legacy gift makes perfect sense” – Jolyon’s story
Jolyon, 75, faced his own cancer diagnosis in 2018 and has also seen members of his immediate family and ‘too many friends’ touched by the disease. That’s why he has pledged to leave a gift in his Will to fund our ground-breaking research.
The impact of selective recruitment to clinical trials
Clinical trials offer people living with cancer the opportunity to try a new treatment while also helping the research community work towards defeating the disease. But could a selective recruitment approach be holding back both patients and scientists?
“I like to think I am contributing to our breakthroughs in cancer research” – Rick’s melanoma story
Rick Freedman, 50, who is Head of Research Finance at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), explains why our summer fundraising appeal, which is supporting our melanoma research, holds personal significance for him…