Pictured: An Oxford Cancer DPhil student presents ongoing research to a group of patients and members of the public.
"At Oxford Cancer, we’re proud to have a dedicated Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Group of 65 members who help shape our work and the research we support. Our members either have lived experience of cancer or share a strong interest in contributing to cancer research, and their insights are invaluable.
Three times a year, we host in-person meetings here in Oxford, giving our PPI members the chance to meet face-to-face, connect with one another, and hear directly from researchers.
At each meeting:
-
Research teams are invited to present their work and receive feedback from our PPI members.
-
We run two dedicated sessions for DPhil students to help them build confidence and develop the skills needed to engage with patients and the public.
-
We share updates on involvement opportunities that members have taken part in.
-
We provide news on the work we’re supporting as a Centre.
These sessions give our members the opportunity to feed into every stage of the research process, from early idea generation and grant development all the way through to sharing research findings.
In 2025, we held three half-day meetings, attended by 44 PPI members.
“I found the talks interesting and the enthusiasm of the speakers amazing.”
— PPI Group Member, October 2025
We’ve seen first-hand how these meetings help spark connections within the group, encourage broader participation in research, and create spontaneous conversations between members and researchers, often leading to new collaborations. Our members tell us they especially value hearing about research at different stages of development and learning more about the structures that support academic research.
“Thank you very much for providing a platform for me to engage with your lovely PPI Group… I found it a really useful experience presenting and chatting to the panel members afterwards.”
— DPhil Student, October 2025
Looking ahead, in 2026 we plan to introduce two online meetings alongside our in-person gatherings, ensuring that members who can’t travel to Oxford still have the opportunity to join and take part.
If you would like to find out more about the group or are interested in possibly presenting your work at a future meeting, please do get in touch with the Oxford Cancer PPI Team."
