The Physics of Cancer

19-20 May 2015
Avon Gorge Hotel, Bristol
Workshop Chair: Simon Hanna, Jeff Holly and Clare Perks, University of Bristol

The Avon Gorge Hotel, Bristol

This meeting is the fourth of a series of focussed workshops which will consider several themes of the EPSRC NetworkPlus in ‘Understanding the Physics of Life’. These themes were developed through intensive discussion of participants during the network’s three earlier plenary conference events.

Here we will focus on specific challenges at the physical/life sciences interface relating to the role of physics in understanding the initiation and progression of cancer. These challenges involve questions spanning length scales from molecules to whole organisms and include, but are not limited to: the role of physical interactions in tumourigenesis, DNA replication and mutation, cell division, mechanical forces in the cancer microenvironment, cancer stem cells and tumour initiation, the dynamics of cancer tissue topology, information and energy flows in cancer, cancer cell mobility, evolutionary models of cancer, stochastic processes, multiscale modeling of cancer, imaging circulating tumour cells as well as far-reaching questions related to understanding the physical mechanisms of tumour metastasis. The meeting will include a series of short talks from leading cancer biologists and biophysicists to “set the scene” for intensive discussion into developing novel and exciting lines of interfacial research in this area.

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Purpose

Our Focussed Workshop will provide a mechanism to nucleate new collaborative partnerships that will lead to outstanding science and the award of grants by research councils. Discussion sessions will be a very important element of the event, and it is hoped that all attendees will come ready to engage fully in that element of the programme. Our aim by the close of the meeting is to have seeded potential new collaborations and novel lines of cutting-edge interdisciplinary research in this area.

Who should attend?

We invite participation by academics (including early- and mid-career research fellows), clinical researchers and industrial scientists in the UK who are interested in the central goal of generating new collaborative research interactions at the physical/life sciences interface focussed on challenging questions pertaining to physics of cancer. The main business of these meetings will be to provide opportunities for researchers to talk and interact through, for example, brief flash presentations, speed-dating exercises, poster presentations, facilitated discussions and other activities.

Confirmed speakers and their talk titles

Prof Yihai Cao, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm
‘Tumor angiogenesis and therapy’
Dr Jacky Goetz, INSERM, Strasbourg
‘Looking at the metastasis cascade from a biomechanical and high-resolution perspective’
Prof Jeff Holly, School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol
‘Now the genie is out of the bottle: in order to turn the tide on cancer do we need to rethink the questions?’
Prof Tim Newman, University of Dundee
‘44 years after Nixon declared war on cancer: how Physics can make a difference’
Prof. Caterina La Porta, Università degli Studi di Milano (University of Milan)
‘Population dynamics of Cancer Stem Cells’

Programme

Day 1

12.30	Registration and Lunch
13.30	Welcome and Introduction – Simon Hanna
13.35	PLENARY: “44 years after Nixon declared war on cancer: how Physics can make a difference’ Prof Tim Newman, University of Dundee
14.20	TALK 1: “Now the genie is out of the bottle: in order to turn the tide on cancer do we need to rethink the questions?” Prof Jeff Holly, University of Bristol
15.00	Coffee break
15.20	Discussion sessions – important issues in ‘physics of cancer’
16.10	Discussions report back
16.30	Flash presentations – approx. 10 presenters
17.00	Presenters put up A3 sheet highlighting their area/issues/capabilities/questions/problems ready for discussion
17.30	Flash presentations – approx. 10 presenters
18.00	Presenters put up A3 sheet highlighting their area/issues/capabilities/questions/problems ready for discussion
18.30	Break for delegates to check into accommodation or enjoy the hotel cash bar before dinner
19.00	Dinner
20.20	TALK 2: “Tumor angiogenesis and therapy” Prof Yihai Cao, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm
21.00	Hotel cash bar available to guests

Day 2

9.00	TALK 3: “Population dynamics of Cancer Stem Cells” Prof. Caterina La Porta, University of Milan
9.40	Flash presentations – approx. 10 presenters
10.10	Presenters put up A3 sheet highlighting their area/issues/capabilities/questions/problems ready for discussion
10.40	Coffee Break
10.50	Discussion sessions – funding focuses and challenges
11.40	Discussions report back
12.00	TALK 4: ‘Looking at the metastasis cascade from a biomechanical and high-resolution perspective’ Dr Jacky Goetz, INSERM, Strasbourg
12.40	Final thoughts
12.45	Lunch

Registration

This workshop is heavily subsidised by the Network, and the full registration fee of only £150 includes lunch on both days and dinner, bed and breakfast in the hotel for the night of May 19th. Registration for delegates has closed as the event is now sold out.

Directions

Please follow this link for directions to and from the venue on the Avon Gorge’s website.