Prevent Breast Cancer’s Research Conference

Prevent Breast Cancer will be hosting our first Research Conference, taking place in September 2024.

conference
Experts

We’re delighted to invite you to our Research Conference

The event will take place on September 24th and 25th 2024 at INNSiDE by Melia, Manchester City Centre. A full itinerary of speakers and topics will be released at a later date.

Event Details

Prevent Breast Cancer’s Research Conference will be an interdisciplinary conference focused on risk prediction and reduction. Organised by Prevent Breast Cancer Experts, and leading Clinicians and Scientists, Cliona Kirwan, Lester Barr, Sacha Howell, and Rob Clarke.

  • Date: September 24th – 25th 2024

  • Timings: Tuesday 24th, 12.30pm until 5pm, followed by a drinks reception. Wednesday 25th, 9am until 5pm.

  • Location: INNSiDE by Melia, Manchester City Centre

  • Ticket Pricing: Early Bird Tickets for Consultants and Researchers are £120. From 5th July 2024, standard tickets will be £150. Tickets for Nurses, Trainees, and Students are £80.

What topics will be covered at the conference?

  • Updates on: BRAID study, MyPeBS study, POSH study and the Sarah Harding Legacy Study.

  • Genetics

  • Polygenic risk scores

  • Predictive algorithms

  • Breast density

  • Lifestyle interventions
  • Risk-reducing medications, featuring both clinical and laboratory-based studies.

Speakers & Chairs

Hear from some of the fantastic experts at the Prevent Breast Cancer Research Conference who are working tirelessly to prevent the disease, covering topics from personalised screening to predicting young onset breast cancer:

Lester Barr Ted Talk

Lester Barr

Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon

Lester Barr MBE is a Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon, as well as a Co-Founder and Honorary President of Prevent Breast Cancer.

Cliona

Professor Cliona Kirwan

Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon, Clinician Scientist in Surgical Oncology, and Professor of Surgical Trials.

As well as being a Consultant Breast Surgeon, Cliona runs a research laboratory, delivers clinical research and clinical trials and is a key member of the Prevent Breast Cancer team, as Chair of our Scientific Advisory Board.

Professor Fiona Gilbert

Professor Fiona Gilbert

Department of Radiology, University of Cambridge

As an academic breast radiologist, Professor Fiona Gilbert is evaluating risk-based screening and impact of Artificial Intelligence and novel functional imaging in cancer.

Rob

Professor Rob Clarke

Professor of Breast Biology, University of Manchester

Professor Rob Clarke is Director of the Manchester Breast Centre and Head of the Breast Biology Research Lab in the Oglesby Cancer Research Building, Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester.

Sacha

Dr Sacha Howell

Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in Medical Oncology

Dr Sacha Howell runs the Family History Clinic at The Nightingale Centre and conducts translational breast cancer prevention research.

Dr Andrew Gilmore

Dr Andrew Gilmore

Senior Lecturer, Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester

Andrew is particularly interested in how breast cancer is initiated, as an important risk factor for breast cancer is raised mammographic density.

Rajiv Dave

Rajiv Dave

Consultant Oncoplastic Breast and Endocrine Surgeon, The Nightingale Centre

A valued member of the Prevent Breast Cancer team since 2021, Rajiv offers extensive expertise across various topics including information about breast cancer in men.

Sue Astley

Professor Sue Astley

Professor in Intelligent Medical Imaging, University of Manchester.

Professor Sue Astley’s research group develops AI-based imaging biomarkers for breast cancer risk prediction and early detection.

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James Harvey

Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon, The Nightingale Centre

James Harvey specialises in research into surgical outcomes from breast surgery and in the development and assessment of new devices in breast surgery.

Professor David French

Professor David French

Professor of Health Psychology, University of Manchester.

David has led several projects relating to breast cancer early detection, including examining psychological impact of receiving risk estimates or false positive test results.

Dr William Tapper

Dr William Tapper

Associate Professor of Genomic Informatics, University of Southampton

Dr Tapper’s research is based around improved cancer diagnosis, risk prediction and personalised treatment.

Dr Hannah Harrison

Dr Hannah Harrison

Research Fellow, Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester

Dr Harrison has over 20 years experience in cancer research and now covers topics from risk and prevention to invasive and metastatic disease.

Dr Bruno Simões

Dr Bruno Simões

Research Fellow, Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester

Dr Bruno Simões investigates molecular mechanisms that lead to aberrations in the tumour-initiating cells to develop better breast cancer chemoprevention approaches for high-risk women.

Major study updates

Alongside a comprehensive programme that covers the current status of breast cancer prevention, the conference will include updates on the following studies:

  • BRAID: This study is to find out whether extra scans with one of several types of scans, is helpful in diagnosing breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue.

  • MyPeBS: Comparing personalised breast cancer screening with the standard breast cancer screening for women between 40 and 70 years old.

  • POSH: A study looking at the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in younger women with and without an inherited genetic change.

  • Sarah Harding Legacy: BCAN-RAY (Breast Cancer Risk Assessment in Young Women) has been set up following Sarah’s dying wish to find new ways to spot the signs of the disease earlier.

Provisional programme

Click the date below to see the full provisional programme for each day of the conference.

Chaired by Lester Barr and Sumohan Chatterjee

Predicting Young Onset Breast Cancer – Polygenic risk scores (POSH study and beyond)
Dr William Tapper, Southampton

Predicting Young Onset Breast Cancer – Breast density and the BCAN-RAY study
Prof Sue Astley, Manchester

The biology of breast density
Dr Andrew Gilmore, Manchester

The imaging of breast density (BRAID study and beyond)
Prof Fiona Gilbert, Cambridge

Personalised screening within the NHS screening programme
Prof David French, Manchester

Personalised breast screening – next steps (MyPeBS study and beyond)
Prof Gareth Evans and Prof Fiona Gilbert

Drinks Reception

Chaired by Sumohan Chatterjee

Risk reduction through preventative medication – current status
Dr Sacha Howell

Current status of Risk-reducing surgery
James Harvey, Manchester

Translational research and preventative medication
Dr Sacha Howell, Manchester

The Hydrogel model
Dr Hannah Harrison tbc, Manchester.

Artificial Intelligence and automated software in research
Dr Bruno Simões tbc, Manchester

Health Inequalities and Reverse Innovation
Rajiv Dave, Manchester

Open Forum for Press and Public
Chaired by Prof Cliona Kirwan

The importance of breast cancer prevention research

How good are we at personalised risk prediction?

The Sarah Harding legacy study
Dr Sacha Howell, Manchester

How effective is risk reducing medication?

How good are we at risk reducing surgery?
James Harvey

Personalised breast screening – current status

A vision for the future – harnessing lab, clinic and artificial intelligence
Prof Rob Clarke

4pm – Research Grant Proposal ‘Dragons Den’ – Chaired by Prof Cliona Kirwan

The concept for this session is to invite researchers to pitch a research proposal to the team (as an alternative to a proffered paper on research already conducted). The team of experts (our main speakers) would have discretion to award grants up to £10,000 to winning pitches and offer advice to other candidates.

Sponsors

We would like so say a huge thank you to our event sponsors for making this conference possible. Please note the sponsors have had no input into the content of the event or any related materials.

Event Sponsors

Conference Tickets

Early Bird Tickets for Consultants and Researchers will be £120 until 5th July 2024. Standard tickets will then be £150. Tickets for Nurses, Trainees, and Students are £80 per person.

FAQs

The venue for the conference is located 1km from Manchester city centre at INNSiDE by Melia. The address is 1 First Street, Manchester, M15 4RP, United Kingdom.

If you are taking public transport, the nearest tram stop is Deansgate-Castlefield and the closest train station is Deansgate. Manchester Airport is 14km from the city centre and has regular connections to the city via tram and train.

Discounted hotel residents parking is available at Q-Park First Street car park which is at the rear of the conference venue, INNSiDE by Melia hotel.

Discounted parking (25%) must be pre-booked using the discount code – MHQPFS25. You will be asked to input the vehicle registration number when entering and exiting the car park, which will lift the barriers.

There are 700 spaces including 28 disabled spaces. The entrance height is 2.3m.

The address is One First Street, First Steet, Manchester, M15 4FN.

The conference will be held at the hotel INNSiDE by Melia. We have a limited amount of discounted bed and breakfast rooms available for £140 on Tuesday 24th September 2024. Please use this link to book. If you have any further questions about accommodation, please email innside.manchester@melia.com and quote “Prevent Breast Cancer Research Conference – Block ID 331803″

Other nearby options are Holiday Inn Express Manchester, Leonardo Hotels, and The Hilton Hotel.

About Prevent Breast Cancer

Prevent Breast Cancer is the only UK charity entirely dedicated to the prediction and prevention of breast cancer – we’re committed to freeing the world from the disease altogether. Unlike many cancer charities, we’re focused on preventing, rather than curing. Promoting early diagnosis, screening and lifestyle changes, we believe we can stop the problem before it starts. And being situated at the only breast cancer prevention centre in the UK, we’re right at the front-line in the fight against the disease. Join us today and help us create a future free from breast cancer. If you have any questions or concerns, email us today.