Leading charity North West Cancer Research has pledged the cash to the North West Cancer Research Centre at the University of Liverpool which will sustain its work until 2021. Tony McDonough reports

World class cancer researchers at the University of Liverpool are being backed with an extra £1m of funding .

Leading charity North West Cancer Research (NWCR) has pledged the cash to the North West Cancer Research Centre at the university which will sustain its work until 2021.

NWCR has already invested more than £15m into the facility.

Pioneering research

The new investment includes provisions to fund pioneering research which will benefit cancer patients in Liverpool and across the North West, as well as supporting the next generation of researchers.

It will also facilitate the creation of a research development fund, which will ringfence money for seed funding for new projects, enabling researchers to gather initial data for their hypotheses.

This will enable researchers, scientists and clinicians to secure new funding and attract further investment in world class research to the city of Liverpool.

Up to six new PhD studentships will be created over the next three years, providing invaluable support for a variety of projects.

North West Cancer Research currently funds 16 PhD studentships at the University of Liverpool as well as providing seven places for medical students to further develop their skills in cancer research techniques.

New project

A first of its kind project which brings together the country’s top cancer and health experts, to help tackle Liverpool’s rising cancer rates, will also benefit from the funding deal.

The Liverpool Cancer Inequalities Research Network is conducting research which looks at factors such as the environment, social behaviour and diagnosis pathways, to better inform our understanding of how cancer is handled here in Merseyside.

‘Double our efforts’

North West Cancer Research Centre lead Professor Sarah Coupland, said: “Since our partnership (with NWRC) was formed in April 2014, our cancer research network across the North West has grown in size and strength.

“This additional funding through to 2021 will enable us to double our efforts in working with the people of Liverpool-Merseyside, the Liverpool City Council, the Hospital Trusts and Liverpool Health Partners to help address the serious health challenge that Cancer represents in this region”.

NWRC currently supports £4.2million worth of cancer research at the University of Liverpool.

This includes research into the behaviour of cancer cells and tumour spread in neuroblastomas, a rare childhood cancer and a new project looking at the effectiveness of blood testing for pancreatic cancer.