Introduction from Michelle Mitchell, our chief executive

International Women’s Day is a moment to recognise the contribution women make across society, including in science and research. Their leadership and insight strengthen our organisation and accelerate progress for people affected by cancer.

We are seeing positive change. More women are moving into research careers, and our initiatives – such as Women of Influence, our coaching programme and Bridge to Academic Leadership – are helping to build skills, confidence and networks at key stages.

There is more to do. Women remain under‑represented at senior levels, and we must continue removing the barriers that limit opportunity.

On International Women’s Day, we renew our commitment to creating an environment where all talented researchers can thrive. I encourage our community to keep supporting one another and championing inclusion so we can make even faster progress together.

Professor Petra Hamerlik

Three people in a laboratory in lab coats. — Professor Petra Hamerlik with study participant Alex and his wife Emma.

It takes a long time to turn an innovative idea into something that could actually benefit patients. But that didn’t stop Professor Petra Hamerlik.

Hamerlik is a leading brain tumour researcher at the University of Manchester, where she and her team are exploring whether tear fluid can be used to detect brain tumours earlier. Her research is funded through Stand Up To Cancer, a joint initiative by Cancer Research UK and Channel 4.

Her team began studying tear fluid because of the close connection between the eyes and the brain. They suspected that brain tumours could trigger immune changes that could be detected in tears.

Three years later, once the team had optimised the analytical techniques, Hamerlik started the first clinical study: a Danish proof-of-concept study involving 164 participants, including healthy volunteers and people with brain tumours.

The early results were promising. Hamerlik’s tear-based tests could accurately distinguish brain tumour patients from healthy volunteers. Now, the research is progressing through a large, international clinical trial known as INFORM, running across the UK and Europe.

Her work is deeply personal as she lost her father to a brain tumour after more than a year of uncertainty.

“I don’t want anybody else to go through that anxiety, because I know what we have been through, what my father went through,’’ she says.

Marah Alassaf

When Alassaf was studying for her engineering degree in Syria, two women she knew were diagnosed with breast cancer. Their cancers were caught late and this experience inspired Alassaf to find a solution.

Cancer can affect anyone, and for Marah Alassaf it was her personal experience that inspired her research journey. She’s developing an “electronic skin” patch designed to make breast cancer testing more comfortable and accessible.

‘‘It really motivated me and made me wonder if engineering could help with early detection,’’ she says.

She went on to complete master’s degree in advanced microelectronics and then started a PhD in digital health in Bristol with Dr Faezeh Arab Hassani, where she began working on the skin patch.

Cancer can cause tiny temperature changes in the skin. So Alassaf designed and created a patch that could track the skin’s temperature over a long period of time.

“We’d be looking for a pattern of a higher temperature in a particular area. This would give us a sign that further investigation is required.”

What makes this project so special is Alassaf’s cross-disciplinary and creative approach.

“I wanted to combine my passion for medicine with my expertise in engineering. And I knew that I wanted to do something that has to do with cancer. So, I had all the ingredients I was looking for.”

If the clinical testing is successful, the patch could transform the way we screen for breast cancer, particularly in places with limited access to traditional diagnostic tools.

Find out more about Marah and her work

Professor Vicky Coyle

We know that exercise is good for our general health, but Professor Vicky Coyle, from Queen’s University Belfast, wondered just how important exercise really is. Could it improve cancer outcomes?

Coyle led the UK arm of the CHALLENGE trial, investigating whether tailored exercise programmes could help people survive bowel cancer.

“During the trial, we supported people to reach their weekly exercise target in a way that worked for them,” Coyle says. “This could be a brisk walk for around 40 minutes every day, but some patients were also doing circuit classes, cycling, swimming, and many other activities.” 

The CHALLENGE trial’s incredibly positive findings give policymakers and health services a clear reason to focus on using tailored exercise support to help more people survive cancer.

Coyle recently featured in our podcast series, That Cancer Conversation, where she discussed the trial and her broader research.

Learn more about the CHALLENGE trial

Driving progress

These women represent just some of the remarkable talent in cancer research. Positive progress is being made, but there are still many barriers women in academia face.

At Cancer Research UK, we continue to grow successful initiatives like the Women of Influence programme. This mentorship scheme pairs our scientists with leading businesswomen, providing support early in their research careers.

We’re committed to embedding equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) principles in our funding processes to remove barriers and boost participation for underrepresented groups.

By continuing to fund research that tackles cancer inequalities and creating more diverse and inclusive research environments, we can champion even more incredible cancer research that benefits everyone.