TSJCI Annual Report 2021

Trinity St James’s Cancer Institute Annual Report 2021 32 7.2 Key Priorities for 2022 • A priority for 2022 is to launch a research funding scheme, the Cancer Research Stimulus Awards (CREST Awards) that will provide seed funding to foster and develop new research collaborations across the Cancer Institute. These awards have arisen from generous philanthropic donations totaling €120,000 from The Dr Margaret Sau Sheung Ip and Dr Jonathan Chiu Fund. • Our goal is to support short-term new, innovative research projects that will enhance the ability of TSJCI clinician and non-clinician researchers to foster new avenues of cancer research and to generate impactful data to leverage significant external funding. • Another of our priorities for 2022 is to reinstate the International Cancer Conference and Burkitt Medal Award, delayed due to covid-19. We will host this as TSJCI 12th International Cancer Conference, on October 13-14th. The conference theme is ‘Harnessing Fundamental, Translational and Clinical Research for the Benefit of Cancer Patients’ and it will provide a unique forum for exchange of ideas and knowledge -between academics, clinicians, patients, and industry- relating research and clinical therapeutic innovation to excellent patient care. Including world-class international and local speakers presenting on advances in cancer prevention and early diagnosis, molecular and precision oncology, cancer immunotherapy and survivorship; proffered papers and posters; a public-focused symposium; and an expert panel discussion on comprehensive cancer centres of the next decade. • Other Key Priorities for 2022 include securing funding of scale to lead research across the island of Ireland on liquid biopsies for cancer diagnosis and for predicting response to therapy. Furthermore, we wish to educate and disseminate, as widely as possible, information on how some cancers may be prevented.