Early Cancer Institute

The Early Cancer Institute at the University of Cambridge is the UK's only Institute dedicated to Early Cancer. We are a highly multidisciplinary, collaborative ecosystem of experts working to take early detection innovations from bench to bedside and move the world beyond the fear of cancer. We are based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and are currently home to eight research groups.

The Early Cancer Institute is affiliated with the CRUK Cambridge Centre
Vision and Goals of the Early Cancer Institute
  • Our key research objectives are:

    1. Risk prediction.

    2. Detection of early cancers.

    3. Interception to prevent lethal cancer developing.

Early Detection Research
Research

Earlier detection of cancer, before it has had a chance to spread, is crucial to improving patient survival. Our vision at the Early Cancer Institute is a world where people no longer fear cancer. Our work is pioneering a new paradigm in which we detect cancer early enough to cure it. Our key research objectives are:

  • Risk prediction
  • Detection of early cancers
  • Interception to prevent lethal cancer developing

The Early Cancer Institute is currently home to seven research groups performing ground-breaking work to understand how cancer develops and to inform novel clinical tests and interceptions to prevent cancer from developing.

ACED Alliance logo
ACED

ACED is a £55 million partnership between Cancer Research UK, the Canary Center at Stanford University, the University of Cambridge, the Knight Cancer Institute at OHSU, University College London and the University of Manchester. ACED unites world-leading researchers to tackle the biggest challenges in the early detection of cancer, which is a crucial and underserved area of unmet clinical need. Scientists in the Alliance are working together at the forefront of technological innovation and the biology of early lesions to translate research into realistic ways to improve cancer diagnosis, which can be implemented into health systems and transform cancer outcomes.

Early Detection collaborators
Collaborators

The Early Cancer Institute is committed to collaborative working and has established trans-Atlantic partnerships with the Canary Center at Stanford, the first US institute dedicated entirely to early cancer detection, and with The Knight Cancer Institute at Oregon Health & Science University. The Early Cancer Institute is funding joint research projects with the Canary Center, exploring innovative means of detecting certain cancers at an earlier stage. If you are interested in any collaborative projects with the Early Cancer Institute please do get in touch.

Early Detection Events
Events

The Early Detection Forum events offer opportunities for networking, communication and collaboration between researchers and partners across a wide range of disciplines. In addition, we organise a number of public-facing events to encourage public engagement in the early detection debate.

Early Detection opportunities
Opportunities

The Early Cancer Institute is a dynamic collaboration of researchers, clinicians and scientists based in the Cambridge area. Click below for an overview of opportunities with the Institute itself, early detection related vacancies with our collaborators, studentships and funding opportunities.

Cancer Prevention blog logo's
Shared Cancer Prevention Blog

This blog is set up by King's College London and is supported by the Early Cancer Institute. The blogs are written by a group of epidemiologists and population researchers studying the causes of or early events in the development of cancer. The aim is to be able to interfere and prevent cancer or diagnose it whilst still easy to treat.

Early Detection publications
Publications

Our website is regularly updated with early detection-related publications on which members of the University of Cambridge are collaborators.

Programme Contacts

University of Cambridge
Department of Oncology
Early Cancer Institute Director
University of Cambridge
Department of Oncology
Communications and Administration Manager
University of Cambridge
Department of Oncology
Administration and Communications Assistant
University of Cambridge
Department of Oncology