Five of our CRUK City of London Radiation Research Centre (CoL RadNet ) PhD students recently showcased their research and patient and public engagement skills at the UCLH Celebrating Research Open Day 2026 on Thursday 8th October 2026. The event welcomed patients, hospital staff and members of the public for an afternoon of interactive activities highlighting cutting-edge health research and innovation taking place across UCLH and its partners.

The open day featured approximately 50 interactive stalls and provided opportunities for visitors to meet researchers and clinicians, explore emerging healthcare technologies, and learn more about medical research.

Representing CoL RadNet were Isobel Bonning (QMUL/KCL), Callum Emin (QMUL/UCL), Steph Leadbitter (UCL), Devika Singh (UCL/Crick) and Maria Janjua (UCL), supported by Philippa Pristerà and Esther Osarfo-Mensah from the CoL RadNet PPIE team. Throughout the afternoon via interactive demonstrations and discussions, the PhD students spoke with visitors about the ways in which radiation technologies are used to diagnose and treat disease through medical imaging and radiotherapy, and shared insights into their own research so far.

For our PhD students, the event provided a valuable opportunity to develop their patient and public engagement skills and gain first-hand experience communicating their work with diverse audiences:

“Taking part in the UCLH Research Open Day was a really rewarding experience. I particularly enjoyed engaging with patients and members of the public, explaining how radiotherapy works and discussing the latest research and advancements in the field. It was a valuable opportunity to develop my confidence in communicating complex scientific concepts in an accessible way. Speaking with visitors also reminded me of the importance of patient engagement and how research ultimately aims to make a meaningful difference to people’s lives.” – Maria Janjua

The event also enabled visitors to contribute their perspectives and questions, creating meaningful dialogue between researchers and the communities that ultimately benefit from research outcomes.

Public and patient involvement and engagement is a key part of RadNet City of London’s mission, ensuring that research is informed by and accessible to the wider public. By participating in events such as the UCLH Celebrating Research Open Day, our PhD students help to not only build understanding of radiation science, but also inspire interest in healthcare innovations.

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CRUK RadNet City of London Seminar Series #20

‘Current and future concepts in the management of rectal cancer’

Friday, 31st March 2023 at 3:00 – 4:00pm GMT

Join the Zoom Seminar:  https://ucl.zoom.us/j/96159011871?pwd=c2YrM0hWb08rL3dzUjJDZXJBWm9adz09

Meeting ID: 961 5901 1871
Passcode: 045331

Hosted by Dr Anthony Kong, Reader and Honorary Consultant Clinical Oncologist at Kings College London, we warmly welcome Professor Dr Emmanouil Fokas  to join us and deliver a seminar talk on ‘‘Current and future concepts in the management of rectal cancer’’

Abstract: 

Preoperative chemoradiotherapy and short course radiotherapy to patients with clinically staged TNM stage II/III rectal cancer has resulted in excellent local control. However, as the management of rectal cancer is shifting to organ preservation, various strategies have been explored to enhance clinical complete response. Here, the evidence on radiosensitizing options and intensified concomitant chemotherapy to achieve complete response and improve clinical outcome will be summarized. Studies using novel therapeutic agents will be discussed as well.

About our speaker:

Emmanouil Fokas is full Professor of Clinical Radiation Oncology at the Goethe University Frankfurt and Deputy Clinical Chair at the Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, University Hospital Frankfurt in Germany. He holds an MD from the Philipps University Marburg, Germany and a PhD (DPhil) in Clinical Oncology and Radiobiology from the University of Oxford, UK. He is a full-time clinician, also heavily involved in translational research. His scientific interests are gastrointestinal and translational radiation oncology with focus on the tumor microenvitonment, and is the PI and co-PI of several Phase I-III trials in rectal and anal cancer. Dr. Fokas has obtained several third-party funding grants in excess of 7M Euro. Dr Fokas is co-founding member of the Frankfurt Cancer Institute (FCI; 115M Euro) established in 2019 after a highly competitive process. Dr Fokas serves on the scientific board of several national and international societies and specialist groups. He has given over 120 invited seminars and lectures throughout the world and is a regular contributor to international medical publications and meetings. He has (co)authored over 150 peer-reviewed manuscripts, including first and last authorships in Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Nature Review Clinical Oncology, and JAMA Oncology.

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UCL have been awarded £790,000 from the Medical Research Council (MRC) to develop an exciting new training programme to help improve the use and curation of medical imaging data in research.

The new programme, Health and Bioscience IDEAS – Imaging, Data structures, genetics and Analytical Strategies, will focus on building researchers’ skills in data management and analysis.

Imaging data and associated information are playing an increasing role in research – helping with prevention, monitoring, diagnosis and treatment of multiple conditions, as well as advancing our scientific understanding of how the body functions. As a result, a larger and more diverse pool of researchers needs to be equipped with the skills to accurately analyse and securely manage often complex and sensitive imaging data.

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