The historic city of York was the setting for an inspiring gathering of more than 100 scientists, clinicians, and patient advocates at the 2025 Researcher Workshop, hosted by Brain Tumour Research. Now in its eighth year, this annual event brought together researcher personnel supported by the Charity from our Centres of Excellence and Funded Initiatives.
From the outset, the atmosphere was one of collaboration and shared purpose. Dr Karen Noble, our Director of Research, Policy and Innovation, opened the workshop with a clear vision for the two-day event with a focus on the theme of ‘Novel Therapeutics and Accelerating Treatments’.
Our research community received updates on the progress being made at our Centres of Excellence and Funded Initiatives and learned about the importance of political and community engagement to accelerate treatments for patients. In a thought-provoking panel discussion, Hugh Adams and Thomas Brayford, members of our Campaigning team, and Dr Joanna Birch, a lead researcher at our Scottish Centre of Excellence, demonstrated the impact of involving researchers in political discussions in order to remove the barriers to research in the UK.
A particular highlight was the panel discussion on molecular diagnosis and genomic sequencing, an especially timely topic, as it was the focus of the most recent meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Brain Tumours in Parliament last month. Clinical and research experts, including Dr Julia Cockle, a paediatric Neuro-Oncologist at the Royal Marsden, explored how whole genome sequencing has the potential to transform diagnostic pathways, as well as the challenges that still need to be overcome to bring this to all patients.
In a memorable moment, our researchers donned our pink t-shirts and took part in a Walk of Hope through York’s historic streets. This fundraising event not only raised vital support for research but also energised everyone for the packed scientific agenda that followed.
Delegates heard from two world-class keynote speakers. The first, Dr Michelle Monje, Brain Prize winner and Professor of Neurology at Stanford University, was a true inspiration. Her pioneering work on diffuse midline glioma (which includes diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma) and discoveries in cancer neuroscience are reshaping our understanding of tumour biology and treatment.
The second keynote was delivered by Mr Richard Mair, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgical Oncology at the University of Cambridge and a member of our Scientific and Medical Advisory Board. He focused on translating research into clinical trials and providing a timely update as we await the funding decision, on the NIHR Brain Tumour Consortium and how this will progress clinical trials for brain tumour patients.
The poster sessions were equally impressive, with 30 presentations from PhD students and early career researchers all supported by the Charity. The engagement with the research presented and scientists starting out in their career demonstrated everyone’s commitment to nurturing new talent and helping to grow research capacity.
Dr Karen Noble, our Director of Research, Policy and Innovation, said: “Throughout the workshop, the spotlight was firmly on building synergy, collaboration and supporting researchers at every stage of their careers. Through these annual workshops, we aim to connect researchers from our Centres of Excellence who are not only world-class scientists in their own right, but by working together, become greater than the sum of their parts.”
The event showcased the strength and commitment of the Brain Tumour Research community, and it’s clear that the conversations and connections made here will drive progress in the months and years ahead as we all work to find a cure for all types of brain tumours.
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