59th Annual Conference Speakers
IACR Award for Outstanding Contribution to Cancer Medicine and Research
Prof. Elaine Kay
Consultant Histopathologist, RCSI/Beaumont
Professor Elaine Kay graduated from medical school in TCD, Dublin and qualified as a surgeon before becoming a histopathologist. She worked as a Consultant Histopathologist in Beaumont Hospital/RCSI Dublin.
Her area of special interest was in the field of oncology, particularly breast, prostate and gastrointestinal malignancies and has published widely in the field, promoting the role of histopathology in human disease research and the value of multidisciplinary collaboration.
Irish Cancer Society Guest Lecturer
Prof. Peter J. O’Dwyer
Professor of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Co-Chair ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group
Peter J. O’Dwyer, MD, is a GI medical oncologist, Group Co-Chair of the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group, and professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Within ECOG-ACRIN, he co-chairs the landmark NCI-MATCH precision medicine cancer trial, and is the CEO and Chair of PrECOG.
Dr. O’Dwyer received his medical degree at the University of Dublin, Trinity College. Dr. O’Dwyer has published over 350 scientific papers, and participates in numerous national and international organizations.
Biomedical Session Speakers
Prof. René Bernards
Professor of molecular carcinogenesis at the Netherlands Cancer Institute
Dr. Frances Drummond
Research Manager at Breakthrough Cancer Research
Dr. Philip Dunne
Reader in Molecular Pathology at Queen’s University Belfast and a Group Leader at the Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Beatson Institute in Glasgow
Prof. Richard J. Gilbertson FRS
Li Ka Shing Chair and Head of Department of Oncology Director, Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre, University of Cambridge
Prof. William Jacot, MD, PhD
Head of the Translational Research Department at the ICM Val d’Aurelle Cancer Institute of Montpellier in France
Dr. Claire Kilty
Acting Head of Research, Irish Cancer Society
Prof. Johan Lundin
Professor of Medical Technology at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm and a Research Director at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki
Ms. Aoife Ni Mhuiri
CEO/Founder, Salaso
Prof. Catherine O’Brien
Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at University Health Network, and a Senior Scientist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Center
Dr. Edwin Roger Parra Cuentas
Associate Professor and Director of the Multiplex Immunofluorescence and Image Analysis Laboratory in the Department of Translational Molecular Pathology at The University of Texas
Prof. Bente Klarlund Pedersen
Professor of Integrative Medicine, a specialist in infectious diseases and internal medicine and chief physician at Copenhagen University Hospital – Rigshospitalet, Denmark
Prof. Ruth Travis
Professor of Epidemiology, Cancer Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford
Prof. David A. Wink
American Association for Advancement of Science Fellow, Deputy Chief, Cancer Innovation Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, NIH
Prof. Wilbert Zwart
Chair of the NKI Translational Research Board, Netherlands Cancer Institute
Survivorship Session Speakers
Isaiah Gitonga
Psycho-Oncology Researcher and Teaching Assistant at Maynooth University
Dr. Suzanne Guerin
Professor of Research Design + Analysis and Head of School at the UCD School of Psychology
Dr. Amanda Kracen
Associate Professor in Psychology at the National College of Ireland in Dublin, and Coordinator of the Irish Psycho-Social Oncology Network (IPSON)
Dr. Clíona Ni Cheallaigh
Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Medicine, TCD and a Consultant in Infectious Diseases and General Medicine in St James’s Hospital, Dublin
Elaine Quinn
Manager of the Patient Voice in Cancer Research and Institute Manager (Communications & Education) at UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular + Biomedical Research
Junior Council Session Speakers
Dr. Emma Dorris
Programme manager for PPI Ignite Network @ UCD
Dr Anne Forde
Careers Consultant for Life Science Postdocs, Careers Service, University of Cambridge
Dr. Ashleigh Hamilton
Academic Clinical Lecturer in the Centre for Public Health, QUB
Mr. Aidan McCormick
Chairperson of NI Cancer Research Consumer Forum (NICRCF). PPI Member of QUB PPI Network, NI Cancer Trials Network (NICTN) and All-Island Cancer Research Institute (AICRI).
Dr. Arman Rahman
Assistant Professor in the UCD School of Medicine. Principal Investigator in the Cancer Biology and Therapeutics Laboratory. Co-organiser of POI’s Invisible Spectrum program.
Mary Roche
Career, Executive and Transformational Life Coach and Facilitator
Prof. Patrick G. Johnston Award for Excellence in Cancer Research Outreach
Wed, 22 February 2023, 18:15 – 19:15
Six early career researchers have been selected based on their lay abstract submissions to IACR 2023. Those selected will take part in a patient communication workshop prior to IACR 2023 and will prepare a lay presentation on their work. Presentations will be delivered to peers and a lay audience at The Patrick G. Johnston Award for Excellence in Cancer Research. The winner is chosen by the audience and judging panel. Every year the event is open to the public.
Ms. Anastasija Walsh
University of Galway
My name is Ana and I am a PhD student from Dublin. In 2019 I graduated with a Bachelors in Molecular Medicine, followed by a Masters in Immunotherapeutics from Trinity College Dublin and then started my PhD in Medicine in the University of Galway. Here, I work with Dr. Aideen Ryan to investigate the role of extracellular vesicles in the colorectal tumour microenvironment.
Izabela Cymer
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
My name is Izabela, and I am a PhD student at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. In 2022, I began a PhD under the supervision of Prof. Ann Hopkins and Prof. Siobhan Glavey. My research focuses on developing a fast and cost-effective alternative model for tumour development and drug testing using the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). This model has the potential to accelerate the testing of new therapeutics while making research more accessible.
Luna Stockmann
Dublin City University
My name is Luna and I am a 1st year PhD student in Dublin City University with Dr Neil Conlon. I am from Germany and graduated from the University of Goettingen (Germany) in 2023 with a BSc in Molecular Medicine. At the end of my Bachelors degree, I did an internship In DCU and undertook my bachelor's thesis research there as well. I returned in 2024 and started my PhD project investigating combination treatments for ovarian cancer. I work with Antibody-Drug-Conjugates (ADCs) and different DNA damage inhibitors to find more effective and kinder treatment options for ovarian cancer patients.
Michéal Ryan
Queen’s University Belfast
My name is Michéal, and I am a third-year PhD student at Queen’s University Belfast. In 2021, I graduated with a BSc in Biomedical Science from Ulster University and began my PhD at the PGJCCR in September 2022. I am part of the Liquid Biopsy Consortium of Ireland (CluB), working with Prof. Paul Mullan to develop a diagnostic blood test for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer using circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA). Research has shown that a substantial amount of tumour-derived information enters the bloodstream, making liquid biopsies a promising, non-invasive alternative to surgical biopsies. In this project, our group aims to identify DNA methylation (DNAme) events in tumours that could serve as potential biomarkers for the improved diagnosis of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.
Dr Myra Castel
Dublin City University
My name is Myra, and I just completed my PhD earlier this year in Dublin City University in the Cancer Biotherapeutics Research Group headed by Assistant Professor Denis Collins. I graduated with a Master's degree in Biotechnology from a French graduate engineering school in 2020 and I started my PhD right after that. My research focuses on identifying new indications and novel combinations for a small molecule inhibitor that is already approved for the treatment of HER2+ breast cancer.
Shauna McClelland
Queens University Belfast
My name is Shauna, and I am a 3rd year PhD student at Queens University Belfast. I completed a BSc in Biological Sciences (2019) and MSc in Cancer Medicine (2020) from QUB. I worked for a year within a safety laboratory for clinical trials before beginning my PhD in 2022. Here I work with Dr Melissa Wilson and Dr Cristina Branco along with my collaborators and funders in AstraZeneca. My project focuses on unlocking new therapeutic options to treat advanced and resistant prostate cancer. To do this we are investigating a protein pathway involving CXCR1/2 and its partner IL-8, which helps tumours grow, spread, and evade treatment. If we can block this pathway, it could provide new hope for men with advanced, treatment-resistant prostate cancer.
59th Annual Conference Sponsors
2025 Charity Sponsors
2025 Biomedical Sponsors
2025 Careers Session Sponsors
PPI Attendance is support by
IACR 2025 is suppported by
Donate to Cancer Research
All donations to the IACR go directly towards supporting early-stage oncology scientific researchers in their work.
IACR 2023 Carer’s Bursary €300
Apply for funding towards additional costs of care while attending conference. Five Bursaries Available.
Registration/ Membership for IACR 2023
Registration for the 59th Annual Conference in the Radisson Blu hotel, Athlone is Now Open.
EACR Membership is Included
The IACR is an affiliated national society and its members benefit from full membership of the EACR.
Contact Us
Contact Us
Irish Association for Cancer Research
9A Coolkill, Sandyford, Dublin 18
Irish Association for Cancer Research (IACR) is a registered charity on the Register of Charitable Organisations.
Registered Charity Number (RCN): 20030117
Design by patterns.ie
© 2022
