Professor Mark Middleton opened the meeting by highlighting the Centre’s objectives and the achievements and attainments from the past year.
A three-day cycle from Oxford to Paris was undertaken to support the launch of the Oxford Oesophageal and Stomach Organisation (OOSO) Research Fellowship Scheme, with Richard Owen and Mark Middleton participating, raising £30000 to support the scheme. Other highlights included publication of a high impact review in The Lancet and research on chromosomal instability published in Science Advances .
Several major funding successes were also celebrated:
- Bruno Beernaert has been awarded an Early Career Researcher Development Grant (Guts UK) to investigate the tumour microenvironment in OGC.
- Eileen Parkes’ team have secured a Worldwide Cancer Research project grant to fund a three-year postdoctoral position focused on myeloid cell interactions in chromosomally unstable OGC.
- Sheraz Markar received an NIHR ROK-UK SMART Trials Award to develop collaborative gastric cancer trials between Oxford and Korea, and Richard Owen is a collaborator on a CRUK Grand Challenge Award.
The meeting day showcased the breadth of work across the Centre and beyond:
- Professor Jens Rittscher (IBME) spoke on advances in multi-modal analysis of GI endoscopy.
- Professor Helen Byrne (Mathematical Institute) demonstrated how mathematical modelling can help unravel interactions between fibroblast subtypes and immune cells within the tumour microenvironment.
- Dr Francesco Boccellato (Ludwig Institute) delivered a vibrant talk on the Role of Bile in Gastro-Oesophageal Carcinogenesis.
- Dr Aglaia Skolariki (DPhil student, Centre for Immuno-Oncology) gave an insightful overview of immune interactions in chromosomally unstable OGC.
- A particularly impactful presentation from patient representative Mr Dave Chuter (Chair ICPV DiCE/OG Support UK) and Dr Chris Jones (University of Cambridge) shared findings from a qualitative study published in Gut exploring patients’ key concerns during treatment, with nutrition and supportive care emerging as clear priorities.
- Visiting from Queen’s University Belfast, Professor Richard Turkington provided an engaging and comprehensive overview of Barrett’s oesophagus and identifying high-risk lesions.
- External speakers also included Mr Stefan Antonowicz (Imperial College London), who described how tumour structure may influence treatment response in oesophageal adenocarcinoma, and PhD student Courtney Savage (King’s College London), who presented her work using patient-derived cancer organoids to support personalised treatment strategies in gastro-oesophageal cancer.
The symposium concluded with an international contribution from Professor Lorenzo Ferri (McGill University Montreal), who presented innovative work on patient-specific tumour-on-a-chip models integrating whole genome sequencing to advance personalised therapy approaches.
Overall, the day reflected the Centre’s collaborative ethos and continued commitment, both within and beyond Oxford, to improving outcomes for patients with oesophagogastric cancer.