Bio-Partnering event success crucial to future of cancer therapeutics
Delegates from across the region gathered in Bradford recently for the second annual ‘Bio-Partnering’ conference.
The event is hosted by the University of Bradford’s Institute for Cancer Therapeutics (ICT) and is designed to bring academia and industry together.
Professor Sherif El-Khamisy, Director of the ICT and Associate Dean for Research at the University of Bradford in the Faculty of Life Sciences, said: “The event was a huge success, with around 90 people from over 50 companies. Bradford has a strong reputation when it comes to conducting cancer research and showing how scientific research can have a tangible effect on society.
“We are delighted to have established Yorkshire Bio-Partnering at Bradford as an annual event that brings together academia and industry to highlight the challenges and successes of collaborative translational research and provide the opportunity to ignite new relationships”.
The event follows from the success of the inaugural meeting in 2022, organised in collaboration with event partners BioNow.
A series of keynote speeches and selected case studies showed delegates where to find collaborative research funding and support available both in the region and nationally.
This year’s event featured keynote lectures from Prof Chris Twelves, nationally renowned medical oncologist from the University of Leeds, who discussed the UK Clinical Research Facility Network and how it supports collaborations between academia and the NHS in developing novel cancer therapeutics.
Sophie Dale-Black from the UK Network (Midlands and North of England, British Business Bank) who discussed funding opportunities for business and collaborative research.
The event (in April), sponsored by Avacta Plc, also saw the introduction of two panel discussions focussed on ‘Challenges Facing Business and Academics in Sourcing Funding and Support for translational research’ and ‘What are the Key Elements that make a Successful Collaborative Research project team’.
Prof. El-Khamisy said: “With the Yorkshire region and the M62 corridor being home to many innovative companies in the healthcare and bioscience sector, the event celebrated specialist expertise and collaboration in pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, nutraceuticals and specialty ingredients.
“The importance of translational research activities between industry, NHS and academia was highlighted, as a way of promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, increasing research funding, and making a valuable contribution the growth to the UK economy.”
The Yorkshire Bio-Partnering event was sponsored by Avacta Life Sciences, Turnbull Lynch IP, CrystecPharma and Incanthera.
The ICT and the university will be featured on BBC2 at 6.30pm on June 23 as part of Great British Railway Journeys.