The Cancer Research UK Convergence Science Centre is a strategic partnership between the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and Imperial College London. Directed by Professor Axel Behrens, the Centre brings together engineering, physical sciences, life sciences and medicine to develop innovative ways to address challenges in cancer research to benefit cancer patients. This is achieved through multidisciplinary collaborations that integrate otherwise distinct approaches to co-create new tools, technologies and methodologies to improve the understanding, detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The Centre is underpinned by a Major Centre award from CRUK, which provides the funding to foster new multidisciplinary collaborations between researchers at the two institutions and support the clinical translation of novel cancer technologies and therapeutics.

 

Convergence Science Training

Crucial to our strategy is the training of the next generation of convergence scientists who will become world leaders in cancer research. Opportunities are available for clinical and non-clinical PhD training. A bespoke training programme equips trainees with the skills and knowledge to work successfully across disciplinary boundaries.

Non-clinical PhDs in convergence science are supported by the CRUK Convergence Science Centre, which exposes trainees to cutting-edge research across both institutions through joint supervision from ICR and Imperial academics.

 

CRUK Clinical Academic Training Programme

In 2019, Imperial and the ICR successfully won a joint CRUK Clinical Academic Training Programme, which supports four intercalated PhDs (iPhDs) and four Clinical Research Training Fellows per annum. Their unique iPhD in convergence cancer research is for exceptional medical undergraduates who wish to include a PhD as part of their degree course. Projects are intended to be multidisciplinary in nature with supervisors from Imperial and the ICR. The Clinical Research Training Fellowship pathway supports outstanding medics to become world leading clinical academics.

To discuss the CRUK Convergence Science Centre funding and training opportunities please get in touch with the Convergence Science Centre Operations team