Early Cancer Institute
The Early Cancer Institute is a flagship initiative of the CRUK Cambridge Centre. It brings together basic, translational and clinical scientists, spanning a broad spectrum of disciplinary approaches and expertise in multiple cancer types. The Early Cancer Institute is led by Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald (Professor of Cancer Prevention and Honorary Consultant, Gastroenterology, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust). The Institute benefits from an engaged Steering Committee and a Scientific Advisory Board.

The vision of the Early Cancer Institute is to increase survival from cancer and improve quality of life through early detection and intervention. In order to achieve this, the research within the Institute focuses on:

The Early Cancer Institute funds and supports specific projects ranging from basic science to the societal impact of early cancer detection and encompasses early cancer biology; new detection technologies; public health and clinical translation. Dedicated early detection research labs investigating diverse aspects of early detection are also based in the Early Cancer Institute building.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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