Celebrating 70 years of fighting cancer through research
This year we are proudly celebrating our 70-year partnership with North West Cancer Research. To honour our long-standing partnership, the University of Liverpool hosted a special on-campus celebration earlier this week at our iconic Victoria Gallery and Museum, bringing together colleagues, partners and supporters to reflect on the partnership’s impact and to discuss the breakthroughs still to come.
The partnership began in 1956 and in that time North West Cancer Research has funded £100 million in cancer research at the University of Liverpool, transforming the lives of countless people affected by cancer and working towards a cancer-free future.
The evening provided a powerful opportunity to reflect on everything the partnership has achieved. Thanks to research and advances in science and care, more people than ever survive cancer today and it was inspiring to hear how research undertaken thanks to the partnership has contributed to this progress.
The event was attended by the CEO of North West Cancer Research, Alastair Richards, the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tim Jones and more than 40 esteemed guests connected to the work.
Speaking about the event, Alastair Richards, CEO of North West Cancer Research said: ““Celebrating 70 years of partnership with the University of Liverpool is a powerful reminder of what long-term commitment to research can achieve.
“Working together, we have invested in bold ideas, exceptional people and pioneering science that has helped transform outcomes for people affected by cancer across our region and beyond. While we reflect on the extraordinary progress made over the past seven decades, our focus remains firmly on the future — accelerating discoveries, developing kinder and more effective treatments, and continuing our mission to create a cancer-free future for generations to come.”
Vice-Chancellor Professor Tim Jones said: “The event was a great success and it was an honour to hear about the power and impact the partnership has had on the lives of so many people affected by cancer. As an institution, we are incredibly proud of our long-standing relationship with such a vital organisation and what we can achieve together in the future.”
North West Cancer Research
North West Cancer Research is the leading cancer charity for the North West and North Wales.
Living in the North West, people are 25% more likely to be diagnosed with cancer than anywhere else in the UK. That is why North West Cancer Research pride themselves on putting the region’s cancer needs first and fund pioneering research to:
- Tackle the cause of cancer
- Find the cure for cancer
- Improve cancer-care
In alignment with the North West Cancer Research’s guiding principles, here are a few of the ways the University and the charity have worked together since 1956.
How researchers are tackling the cause, improving care and finding the cure for cancer
Academics have been working alongside North West Cancer Research to create a cancer-free future. Projects include:
- In 2024, researchers from the University, including lead researcher Dr Mark Morgan, uncovered a key mechanism in driving breast cancer invasion and drug resistance. The research shed light on the biology of cancer progression and provided a potential roadmap for developing new strategies to counteract drug resistance.
- The Liverpool Tumour Microenvironment Team, led by Professor Ainhoa Mielgo and Professor Michael Schmid, is looking to understand the interactions between cancer cells and immune cells to find better treatments for cancer.
- Dr Gemma Cherry and Dr Jennifer Kirton, in partnership with Dr Lynda Appleton at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, are working on a project to reduce health inequalities and improve autistic adults' experience of cancer care. The study aims to co-develop recommendations and guidance that help healthcare professionals better support autistic patients in the North West.
- Dr Carrie Duckworth has begun a five-year projected entitled OrganoZplore, which aims to develop personalised treatment strategies to reduce gastric cancer deaths.
With one in two people predicted to get cancer in their lifetime, continued cancer research is vital. For decades, the partnership between the University of Liverpool and North West Cancer Research has shaped the careers of nearly 1,000 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, creating an outstanding legacy of people whose work continues to transform the field of cancer research. This long‑standing support has given many early‑career researchers their crucial first step, enabling them to build research groups, secure tenure, make the transition to longer and larger programmes of funding and drive global impact.
Many of the University’s most distinguished cancer researchers began their journey with North West Cancer Research support, and that continues today. Owen McGreevy is a PhD student in Dr Laura Randle's lab, and funding from North West Cancer Research has given him the opportunity to grow as an early career researcher. Owen's research focuses on characterising the immune microenvironment of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) - bile duct cancer - and evaluating human precision-cut tumour slices (hPCTS) as a preclinical platform to assess immunotherapy responses.
Speaking about the partnership, McGreevey said: “North West Cancer Research funding has given me the opportunity to grow as an early career researcher, both scientifically and professionally. Science and problem solving have always been a big part of what I enjoy, and their support has allowed me to build that into my PhD research.
“It has helped me grow in confidence, trust my own judgement, and contribute to meaningful cancer research, while also building connections in a city I love and supporting work that helps tackle cancer inequalities across the North West and the wider UK. I like to think it has given me the chance to do my small part in the wider fight against cancer.”
Photos from the event
To mark the occasion, which took place on Wednesday 25 February 2026, we created a photo album of the evening. You can view the gallery here.
Find out more
To find out more about the partnership and our work, visit North West Cancer Research’s webpages