Our Research Involvement Network is a group of people who each have a personal connection to pancreatic cancer, including patients, carers, loved ones and survivors.
They help shape Pancreatic Cancer UK’s work and the work of researchers by getting involved in a variety of different opportunities ranging from commenting on lay summaries before funding applications are submitted, reviewing applications, attending focus groups, reviewing patient information sheets and sitting on committees for different clinical trials.
The group has a diverse range of views and experiences and their insight helps to ensure that only the highest quality research is being conducted.
By involving people affected by pancreatic cancer at all stages of the research process, we’re able to increase our understanding of pancreatic cancer and ensure that the research being conducted is relevant to the needs of people affected by pancreatic cancer.
This means moving beyond thinking of patients as participants in a study, but as partners in setting research priorities, selecting the research that should be funded and guiding researchers with their work. No research background is required to be a member of the Network.
Through monthly bulletins, we keep the network up to date on the latest research involvement opportunities, events and news.
Members can choose how, when and to what extent they want to contribute and can be involved as much or as little as they like.
I can't tell you how much this is helping me. It's now been 8 years since losing my sister Lorraine, and the experience was so devastating it is still raw. If we (I'm including Lorraine here) can help others affected by pancreatic cancer then it wasn't all for nothing.
If you’re looking to join the Research Involvement Network, please fill in the application form below. You can also contact us via research@pancreaticcancer.org.uk.
If you’re a researcher and would like to find out how you can involve people affected by pancreatic cancer in your research, please visit our lay involvement page
Chanthirika Ragulan and Professor Anguraj Sadanandam at The Institute of Cancer Research are examining how KRAS mutations drive growth, spread, and immunotherapy resistance of pancreatic cancer to improve treatments.
Dr Zainab Rai and a multidisciplinary team at University College London are using donated pancreatic cancer tissue to improve and personalise treatments, making them safer and more effective for people living with pancreatic cancer. They would like to hold a virtual focus group with you in early March.
Dr Charley Lovatt-Travers from Cardiff University is creating “smart” viruses which can infect and kill cancer cells, but leave healthy cells undamaged, to deliver anti-cancer medicines to pancreatic tumours.
Dr Peter Wan at the University of Oxford is hoping to develop bispecific T cell engagers to activate the immune system to simultaneously target cancer and stromal cells with minimal toxicity in clinically relevant pancreatic cancer biopsy-based models.
Dr Patrick Kierkegaard, Dr Shayan Bahadori and Dr Bowen Su from Imperial College London and the Institute of Cancer Research are developing a toolkit to help GP surgeries get ready to use new pancreatic cancer tests. They would like you to give your input to ensure the toolkit is practical and effective and share your experiences and thoughts through interviews and focus groups.
