Cells are continuously multiplexing information during cell migration, cell division, protein and membrane trafficking, RNA trafficking, signalling, matrix sensing, and genome surveillance. Research groups in the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health tend to look at these processes in isolation, but cells are doing all of these tasks at the same time. The hypothesis is that ‘getting this wrong’ is the basis of disease and developmental abnormalities.

In this first in a series of forums to be organised by the Cellular and developmental systems (CDS) research domain, we have pulled together academic cancer clinicians and basic scientists (some who research cancer and some who don’t) to identify new collaborative opportunities.

17 speakers will give flash talks to encourage discussion and identify areas of collaboration that can be followed up after the forum.

We look forward to seeing you.

Cellular and developmental systems (CDS) research domain, FBMH

Website: https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/research/domains/cellular-development-systems/

Workshop agenda:

12.00noon Buffet lunch

12.50pm Welcome and Introduction (Karl Kadler) – pump priming and funding opportunities

1pm Flash talk 1: Rob Bristow – The Microenvironment and Genomics – Clash of Two Titans

1.10pm Flash talk 2: Mark Ashe – Cytosolic factories for the translation of glycolytic and translation factor mRNAs: perspectives in cancer

1.20pm Flash talk 3: Tim Illidge – Overcoming resistance in the tumour microenvironment to improve radiotherapy responses

1.30pm Flash talk 4: Viki Allan – Cell dynamics in complex environments

1:40pm Flash talk 5: Fiona Thistlewaite –  Adoptive cell therapy for solid tumours

1.50pm Flash talk 6: Andy Sharrocks – Transcriptional activation through the integration of multiple signals

2pm Flash talk 7: Santiago Zelenay – Manipulating inflammation to raise cancer immunogenicity

2.10pm Flash talk 8: Martin Humphries – Adhesion signalling in 3D

2.20pm Coffee break

2.40pm Short discussion session of any potential collaborations identified over the coffee break.

2.50pm Flash talk 9: Andrew Gilmore – Cancer cell heterogeneity in complex matrices

3pm Flash talk 10: Sarah Woolner – Cell division at the interface between oncogenic and wild type epithelial cells

3.10pm Flash talk 11: Tracy Hussell – Immunomatrix in lung cancer

3.20pm  Flash talk 12: Kaye Williams – Non-invasive imaging of tumour-associated immune cell populations

3.30pm Flash talk 13: Chiara Francavilla – Functional Proteomics to decipher cancer cell signalling

3.40pm Flash talk 14: Cathy Tournier – Looking at macrophages to understand tumour growth

3.50pm  Flash talk 15: Joe Swift – In vitro models of complex tumour microenvironments

4pm Flash talk 16: Adam Hurlstone – It takes a village

4.10pm Flash talk 17: Shane Herbert – Multitasking cell divisions: how to integrate tissue growth and movement in complex environments

4.20pm Closing discussion and potential collaborations

5pm  Close