Submitted by L. Millard on Mon, 31/10/2022 - 15:58
The latest in our monthly series of Cancer in Sight blogs is by IRC Programme Manager Claire McGlynn who considers the benefits of bringing together a multidisciplinary team and future prospects for the programme
This month’s blog titled ‘Targeted delivery – taking a multidisciplinary approach towards a shared goal’ follows the recent All-IRC Annual Meeting which saw around 30 IRC members including researchers, academics and clinicians from across the length and breadth of the country gather in Cambridge.
Programme Manager Claire McGlynn explains the purpose of meeting collectively which enables the researchers to hear from clinicians about the current treatment landscape for patients, catch up on developments within the IRC programme and engage in discussions that establish future aspirations and create all-important synergies.
The IRC programme is tackling an intractable problem that has immeasurable effects on real people's lives. The opportunity to help achieve that mission is therefore close to my own heart Claire McGlynn IRC Programme Manager
Reflecting on her role in the programme Claire writes: “This important real-world aim of the IRC is a strong personal motivation for me. I am passionate about the value of research to society, and I joined the IRC following previous roles managing other programmes for knowledge exchange and research impact. The IRC programme is tackling an intractable problem that has immeasurable effects on real people's lives. The opportunity to help achieve that mission is therefore close to my own heart.”
The blog highlights the multi-disciplinary structure of the programme which brings benefits to all members of the team: “Our combined effort between the physical sciences, life sciences, engineering and clinicians brings new perspectives that naturally leads to discussions continuing long after the event.” Discussing the importance of the programme leaving a lasting legacy, and how to lock that down and enhance outcomes to reach beyond the programme itself, Claire writes of the shared mission to drive better outcomes for patients.
“This year’s in-person event closed with a keynote presentation by Professor Dean Fennell, at the University of Leicester, who highlighted innovations in systemic therapy for pleural mesothelioma – a condition that has seen scant progress in terms of treatments and patient outcomes for decades. Professor Fennell’s team are testing new treatments for mesothelioma and his presentation of recent clinical trials show real promise. This is extremely encouraging and, I hope, provides our incredibly committed research team with a timely reminder of the difference their work could make to the future of people affected by these hard-to-treat cancers.”
• Read the full Cancer in Sight blog by Claire McGlynn titled Targeted delivery – taking a multidisciplinary approach towards a shared goal’ here.
