Bursaries reports 2026

Katie O'Fee (The Institute of Cancer Research)

BACR Conference | 8^th - 10^th July 2026 |  Nottingham

I had a fantastic experience attending the BACR 3D Modelling and Tumour Microenvironment conference in Nottingham, with huge thanks to the ARR travel award. The University of Nottingham provided a stunning (and surprisingly hot!) backdrop for the three-day meeting.

The 3D tumour modelling workshop was the focus of day one, where there was a wide range of talks on the latest in vitro approaches, from reductionist spheroid models to complex patient-derived explants and impressive tumour-on-chip technology. This was followed by a thought-provoking debate on the role of in vitro versus in vivo model systems in cancer research, which included representatives from NC3Rs, UKRI and industry on the panel.

I was delighted to present a poster of my latest work investigating the role of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the radiation response in bladder cancer using 3D spheroid cultures. 3D spheroids are particularly important for radiation research due to physiologically relevant parameters that can affect radiation responses not seen in 2D culture. These include cell-cell interactions, gradients of media availability and hypoxia, all of which are particularly relevant in bladder cancer. The poster sessions extended across the thee days meaning there was ample time to present my own work and network with others. I connected with presenters working on similar themes to my PhD and hope to set up collaborations in the future.

Days two and three of the conference focussed on the tumour microenvironment (TME), where I was particularly interested in learning about the spatial biology approaches used to determine TME niches involving CAFs and immune cells and associations with therapeutic outcomes.

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to attend the conference and present my PhD work. All of which would not have been possible without the support of my primary supervisor, Dr Anna Wilkins, and supervisory team Prof Kevin Harrington, Prof Victoria Sanz-Moreno, Dr Esther Arwert and Dr Carol Box. Thank you to Cancer Research UK for funding my PhD and again to the ARR committee for their support.

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Taha Lodhi (University of Manchester)

ARR 2026 | 17^th - 19^th June 2026 |  Cambridge

Thanks to an ARR travel award, I attended ARR 2026 in Cambridge this June, my first Association for Radiation Research meeting.

I was honoured to be selected to give an oral presentation on our work from the Translational Radiobiology Group at the University of Manchester, entitled “Multi-Model Convergence Identifies Core Radioresistance Networks and SV2A as a Candidate Biomarker in Prostate Cancer”. I presented research from my PhD, which aims to help predict how prostate cancer responds to radiotherapy. As a clinical oncologist, I have often discussed this uncertainty with patients and seen first-hand why a biomarker is urgently needed. Our findings suggest that resistant prostate cancer cells were already present before treatment began, with SV2A emerging as a candidate to investigate in our clinical samples.

Being there at this point in my PhD was a real blessing. It was great to meet clinicians and scientists at a similar stage and develop collaborations across the country, which I hope to take forward during my academic training. Talking through my work with experts I would rarely get the chance to speak to was very useful. Their feedback has helped me refine my research questions and explain my findings more clearly as I approach my thesis write-up and viva.

I enjoyed the programme’s breadth, from DNA damage and radiation protection to tumour heterogeneity. What struck me most was how often the same idea came up in other tumour types, with resistant populations described as being present before radiotherapy rather than created by it. It was reassuring to hear this from researchers outside prostate cancer. Professor Kaye Williams gave a wonderful Weiss Medal lecture. She taught me during my postgraduate training, and I have followed her research for years, so I loved hearing her speak again. Likewise, Professor Sir Stephen Jackson has also been a great inspiration to me, and I really enjoyed his insights during the DNA damage response session. Finally, my highlight outside the sessions was exploring the colleges and walking along the river in the evenings.

Thank you again to the ARR committee and sponsors, to Professor Choudhury and her team for all their help, and to Cancer Research UK and Prostate Cancer UK for supporting my PhD.

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Charlotte Heaven (University of Manchester)

ARR 2026 | 17^th - 19^th June 2026 |  Cambridge

Attending the ARR 2026 conference was a fantastic experience, which would not have been possible for me without the support given through this travel bursary. Cambridge provided a beautiful and inspiring setting for the meeting, creating a relaxed environment for networking and discussion alongside the scientific programme.

I was delighted to be invited to speak about my recent research with Dr John-William Warmenhoven at this conference on the in silico optimisation of clonogenic assays to improve RBE estimation. The feedback and discussions prompted by this talk raised important questions and allowed me to consider new perspectives and potential future directions for the work at a key time in the analysis.

The conference's focus on radiotherapy research, including specific tracks on models and DNA damage, aligned perfectly with my research interests and provided an excellent opportunity to learn about the most recent findings and emerging directions within the field. In addition to the scientific programme, attending ARR allowed me to develop my professional network. I was able to meet researchers at different career stages, discuss ongoing projects and establish new connections that may support future collaborations. As an early-career researcher, these interactions were particularly valuable for broadening my understanding of the wider research landscape and identifying opportunities for future development.

This travel bursary was instrumental in enabling my attendance at the conference, providing me with both scientific and professional development opportunities that would otherwise have been more difficult to access. I am very grateful to the ARR committee for their support and for inviting me to share my research.

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Annet Nakkazi (University of Manchester)

ISMRM and ISMRT conference | 9^th - 14^th May 2026 | Cape town, South Africa

It was a great experience of attending the 2026 annual meeting & exhibition of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) and International Society for MR Radiographers & Technologists (ISMRT), which took place in Cape town, South Africa from 9th to 14th of May 2026. This was my first time at ISMRM and I am very appreciative of the bursary I received from the Association for Radiation Research, which significantly contributed to my ability to attend the conference.
 
The conference was packed with great knowledge spanning across tumour imaging for diagnosis, treatment planning and follow-up; body irradiation together with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); insights on how to optimise MRI image quality; various MRI sequences to study flow of body fluids, MRI data analysis techniques, MR Spectroscopy, MRI safety, and use of AI in improving MR image quality and analysis.  From these presentations, I was equipped with great knowledge that I will apply in my thesis, and also gained insights on practical things I can improve on to reduce animal motion while scanning (note: animal or patient motion greatly affects image quality). 
Apart from that, the first two days were filled with educational sessions from world-leading experts in MRI research field, which helped us to understand a bit more about MRI and its role in diagnosing and treating a variety of diseases such as tumours, cardiovascular conditions, musculoskeletal conditions, neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders. I was particularly fascinated by sessions on translation of preclinical imaging to clinical imaging in brain tumours, delivered by Jeff Dunn (University of Calgary) and Jenine Lupo (University of California). Here, they highlighted key challenges in transitions focusing on differences in subject body sizes (mice brains vs men brains) and suitable protocols for efficiency in clinic. While protocols that can provide high-quality images can be run in preclinical models, these usually take longer time, and may not be efficient in the clinic, especially if the MRI machine is on high demand by patients. Thus, radiographers tend to apply protocols with shorter scanning times, resulting in low quality images, which can affect image interpretation. This highlighted gaps in studies needed to further develop and validate imaging techniques that can provide high-quality images but in a shorter time.
We also had a wide-range of posters and pitch presentations, some of which were relatable to my PhD work, and I was able to get contacts of these presenters with an aim of establishing a potential collaboration in the future.

Lastly, sharing our research entitled *Effects of brain irradiation on cerebral blood flow, BBB water exchange, vascular integrity, and recognition memory in mice* to such an audience was an honour in addition to our abstract having received a Magna Cum Laude award from ISMRM. This award is given to a few top-ranked abstracts, so I truly felt grateful. I highly thank my supervisor, Dr. Ben Dickie, for the guidance and endless efforts that led to all these opportunities and recognitions. I also thank all other co-authors, especially Dr. Duncan Forster for spending hours doing experiments, Dr. Jennifer Fletcher for her contributions on statistical analyses, and then the insightful feedback on the abstracts from Prof. Anthony Chalmers, Prof. Kaye Williams and Dr. Douglas Dyer. 

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Ellen Slay (University of Manchester)

TERMIS - EU 2026 conference | 21^st - 24^th April 2026 | Palma de Mallorca, Spain

I recently attended the TERMIS-EU conference with thanks to funding from the ARR. Attending this conference proved to be a valuable and inspiring experience for both my current research and future career development. I thoroughly enjoyed the poster session where I presented my work and received a high level of engagement from attendees. The discussions were insightful and constructive, offering new perspectives on my research direction. Importantly, this session also provided an excellent opportunity to establish connections with fellow researchers, and I am optimistic that these interactions may develop into meaningful collaborations in the future.

The conference featured a series of engaging and high-quality scientific talks. I particularly enjoyed the plenary lectures, which showcased cutting-edge advancements in the field. The presentations delivered by Prof Carlijn Bouten, Prof Jason Burdick, and Prof Maria Jesus Vicent were especially impactful, offering both depth and clarity while addressing key challenges and innovations in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

In addition, the career award sessions were highly motivating. Talks by Prof Martin Van Griensven and Prof Valeria Chiono not only highlighted their scientific achievements but also provided valuable insights into career progression, leadership, and perseverance within academia and research.

I also found the student and young investigator career-focused sessions particularly beneficial. The panel discussions on funding applications and establishing independent research labs were especially relevant to my current stage. These sessions offered practical advice, shared experiences, and strategies that I can directly apply moving forward. They left me with a renewed sense of motivation and a clearer understanding of how to navigate the next steps in my research career.

Overall, attending TERMIS-EU has been a highly enriching experience, strengthening both my scientific perspective and professional aspirations. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to ARR for the travel grant that made my attendance at this conference possible. Their support is greatly appreciated and has contributed significantly to my professional development.