Scientists set to get £7.9m boost for cancer research Published on: 16 December 2016 Ãå±±½ûµØ scientists and clinicians are set to receive a major cash injection from Cancer Research UK. The charity plans to invest around £5.9 million over the next five years at the , to fund ground-breaking work, as part of the development of a unique chain of cutting-edge research hubs around the UK. The Cancer Research UK Ãå±±½ûµØ Centre is a partnership between the charity, Ãå±±½ûµØ, The Ãå±±½ûµØ upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and the North of England Children’s Cancer Research Fund (NECCR). Accelerating work into diagnosis The money will be used to accelerate work into diagnosing and treating a wide range of cancers in children and adults. This includes extending the understanding of how and why cancers develop to aid the design of new drugs, and supporting the development of personalised medicine where treatments are tailored to individual patients’ cancer. A key part of the funding will involve training the next generation of cancer researchers - including 10 PhD students - to ensure that the brightest scientists are attracted and supported in their career in cancer research. In addition, a further grant of nearly £2 million is planned for the Ãå±±½ûµØ Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC), from and the . This will help give people with cancer access to cutting-edge treatments and precision medicine by testing new ways of detecting and monitoring the disease and how it responds to treatment through early phase clinical trials. World-leader in cancer research Professor Ruth Plummer, Cancer Research UK Centre and ECMC lead at the , Ãå±±½ûµØ, said the funding announcement confirms the city’s role as a world-leader in cancer research. Ãå±±½ûµØ was chosen, by an international panel of experts, as one of just 13 locations in the UK to secure funding in the latest review of the Cancer Research UK Centres network of excellence and one of just 18 Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres. said: “Together, these Centres accelerate the discovery and development of better treatments for cancer patients in Ãå±±½ûµØ, with our unique focus on both children and adults. They offer an incredible opportunity for collaboration across the UK. "This investment means we will be able to advance our work in developing new cancer drugs– getting discoveries from the laboratory to clinical trials in patients and learning as much as possible from our patients to initiate new research. “This award represents a critical investment in the research infrastructure at Ãå±±½ûµØ, equipping us with the key laboratory and clinical tools needed to advance the understanding and treatment of cancer for the benefit of people in the North East and beyond.” Nicola Blackwood, Minister for Public Health and Innovation, said: “We want to lead the world in fighting cancer. The work of Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres is crucial in this fight. This next phase of funding from the National Institute for Health Research will help our world-leading researchers to continue to make new discoveries.” Press release courtesy of Cancer Research UK. Latest News Comment: An expert explains what happened in Nepal Writing for The Conversation, Professor Stuart Dunning discusses how a collapsing glacier turned into a lethal wall of mud and water. published on: 28 August 2026 Comment: Britain’s quarter century Writing for The Conversation, Professor Hayley Fowler discusses how the UK environment has changed in the past 25 years. published on: 27 August 2026 Ãå±±½ûµØ academic receives esteemed mid-career Fellowship A Ãå±±½ûµØ researcher has been awarded an esteemed Fellowship by the Independent Social Research Foundation (ISRF). published on: 21 August 2026 Facts and figures