From Small Fish to Big Data: How We Understand Cancer

Professor Richard White is a Professor of Genetics at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at the University of Oxford. With a background in both clinical oncology and laboratory research, he now primarily leads a research group. His work focuses on understanding cancer as one of the world’s most complex challenges, where tumour cells behave like evolving systems that continuously adapt and resist therapies. In this talk, he will share his journey from treating patients to studying cancer in fish, and explore how looking in unexpected places can sometimes lead to the most important scientific insights.

Dr Adam Lewandowski is Deputy Chief Scientist for UK Biobank and an Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Science at the University of Oxford. He helps shape the scientific strategy and future direction of UK Biobank, one of the world’s most unique biomedical resources. Population-based cohorts like UK Biobank follow large groups of people over time, capturing genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that influence disease risk. By identifying early patterns and interactions, they enable researchers to predict who is most likely to develop specific conditions, supporting a shift towards earlier detection and prevention.
In his talk, he will highlight how UK Biobank data are being used to predict cancer risk by linking genes, lifestyle, and health data over time. He will also discuss how these insights are informing new prevention strategies, as well as ongoing work to better characterise cancer subtypes — including projects linking to clinical digital histopathology images — and the opportunities this presents for future cancer research.