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MOONSHOT 2025

National Undergraduate Oncology Conference

Northwest

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Moonshot 2025 is the inaugural NUOC Northwest Conference, bringing together undergraduate students societies across the Northwest of England to propel change in cancer care.

Moonshot 2025 will take place at The University of Manchester on the April 5th, 2025.

NUOC Northwest 2025 is open to all undergraduate medical students and doctors. A ticket will give you access to the full day of events, including keynote lectures from cancer experts across the region, interactive workshops to explore various aspects of the Oncology multi-disciplinary team, research poster sessions, and networking opportunities. This ticket includes lunch.

Admission prices of £6 will be available to purchase until March 28th 2025, 5pm GMT..

After purchasing a ticket, you will be sent a separate form to fill in to complete registration. You may indicate dietary preferences and accessibility requests here. Please feel free to contact nuocnorthwest@gmail.com for any queries regarding registration and the event.

£1 from all ticket sales will be a direct donation to Maggie's Cancer Charity, who we are happy to be supporting through this conference.

[Registration has now closed. You are no longer able to purchase tickets.]

All those interested in presenting abstracts at the conference are invited to submit their work to the Committee for review. Any submissions will be anonymized prior to receipt by the committee and scored according to relevance, originality, scientific content, overall clarity and impact. The highest scoring abstracts will be invited to give a 5-minute presentation to the congress; all other submissions will be offered to present as a poster. There will be a prize for the winning presentation, and certificates for all presenters.

This conference is run by students, for students; please only submit if you are still within your university studies (this includes intercalating students). We welcome relevant submissions from students across all components of the Oncology MDT; Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Radiology, etc. Unfortunately we will not be accepting submissions from MB-PhD students.

Abstract instructions:

Maximum word count: 350 words. Any submissions in excess will automatically be rejected.

Please structure your abstracts as follows:

Background (brief introduction)
Methods
Results
Conclusion / Impact

Submissions open: February 3rd, 2025

Submissions close: March 3rd, 2025 [The abstract submission is now closed]

All successful applicants will be notified by March 10th 2025 to allow time for preparation of posters. In order to present, you must also register to attend the conference.

Please provide below the best contact email so that NUOC can get in touch with updates on your submission. Contact nuocnorthwest@gmail.com with any queries regarding submission, or message @nuocnorthwest on Instagram.

Where is it?

Samuel Alexander Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL

Who can attend?

The conference is primarily aimed at medical students of all years, but is open to attend by all undergraduate students and recent graduates.

What does it involve?

Moonshot 2025 will be an opportunity to network with students and doctors across the Northwest through participating in interactive workshops and keynote lectures from esteemed Oncologists and researchers within the Oncology MDT. We aim to provide undergraduate students with a unique opportunity to explore Oncology in an immersive way and facilitate career aspirations and networks in the field.

What does Moonshot mean?

Moonshot is the name of the American government's initiative and goal to propel progress in cancer research and reduce cancer deaths by 50% through fostering collaboration amongst scientists, doctors and patients globally. Moonshoot forms the backbone of the NUOC NW 2025 conference theme - we aim to highlight the importance of collaboration, advocacy and action in Oncology.

We are very excited to welcome participants to a day packed full of insightful and inspirational talks and workshops covering a range of topics within oncology, from careers in medical and clinical oncology, to innovation in cancer research, the role of palliative care and allied professions involved in the cancer multi-disciplinary team.

Participants will have the option to rank their preferences for workshops - information on these will be in the 'workshops' section.

Registration	Foyer, Samuel Alexander Building	8:30 AM
Welcome address	Lecture Hall, Samuel Alexander Building	9:00 AM
Maggie's Centres - Charity talk	Lecture Hall, Samuel Alexander Building	9:10 AM
Dr David Eaton - Advancements in Systemic Breast Cancer Treatments	Lecture Hall, Samuel Alexander Building	9:20 AM
Prof. Arthur Sun Myint - Advocacy in Radiotherapy: Should Patients Have a Choice?	Lecture Hall, Samuel Alexander Building	10:05 AM
BMA - Sponsor talk	Lecture Hall, Samuel Alexander Building	10:45 AM
Morning Break	Foyer	10:55 AM
Workshops - Session 1	Classrooms	11:15 AM
Flash talks (Research posters)	Lecture Hall, Samuel Alexander Building	12:00 PM
Lunch	Students' Union Building	12:30PM
Poster session	Classrooms	1:30 PM
Prof. Andrew Wardley - Global Perspectives in Bridging Cancer Care Gaps	Lecture Hall, Samuel Alexander Building	2:15 PM
Dr Jonathan Lim - The Cancer Immunotherapy Revolution	Lecture Hall, Samuel Alexander Building	3:00 PM
Manchester Cancer Research Centre - Sponsor Talk	Lecture Hall, Samuel Alexander Building	3:40 PM
Afternoon Break	Foyer	3:50 PM
Workshops - Session 2	Classrooms	4:10 PM
Prof Ann Henry - Why You Should Become an Academic Clinical Oncologist	Lecture Hall, Samuel Alexander Building	5:00 PM
Closing remarks & Awards	Lecture Hall, Samuel Alexander Building	5:40 PM
Participant departure	End of conference	6:00 PM

The National Undergraduate Oncology Conference is very privileged to welcome 5 inspiring Oncologists across the northwest to speak about their work, careers and perspectives in the management of cancer. Participants will learn about innovations in cancer research, careers in oncology and the range of specialist fields within oncology.

Dr Jonathan Lim

Consultant Medical Oncologist, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

The Cancer Immunotherapy Revolution

Dr Jonathan Lim is a clinical senior lecturer and honorary consultant medical oncologist in advanced immunotherapy and cell therapy for solid cancers at The University of Manchester and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. He is passionate about translational research and in developing novel advanced therapies, especially in the settings of early-phase clinical trials and first-in-human studies. He actively serves as a member of the ESMO Translational Research Faculty, the ESMO Resilience Task Force, and is an Associate Editor of the ESMO IOTECH journal. He is an alumnus of the ESMO Leaders Generation Programme.

Professor Andrew Wardley

Consultant Medical Oncologist, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

Global Perspectives in Addressing Gaps in Cancer Care

Professor Andrew Wardley is an internationally-renowned consultant medical oncologist and breast cancer specialist with practice across the UK with Sciensus (Healthcare at Home). His expertise in breast cancer research, innovation and transformation has enabled him to ensure that the multiple international clinical trials he has led throughout his career, have been adopted in clinical practice to improve the outcomes and the experience of people with breast cancer. He is the current chair of the Association of Cancer Physicians and co-founded Manchester Breast Centre and helped to design and develop Manchester Cancer Research Centre.

Advancements in Systemic Breast Cancer Therapies

Dr David Eaton is a consultant medical oncologist at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust with an interest in Breast Cancer and Acute Oncology. His work specialises in the systemic treatment of breast cancer, from early to late stages, including the role of new and innovative systemic therapies in improving care for patients.

Dr David Eaton

Consultant Medical Oncologist, Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust

Professor Arthur Sun Myint

Consultant Clinical Oncologist, The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre

Should Patients Have a Choice?: Advancing Radiotherapy Techniques

Prof Sun Myint introduced contact radiotherapy for the treatment of rectal cancer to the UK, establishing the Papillon unit at Clatterbridge in 1993. He has served on the Council of Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland and the Royal College of Radiologists. He was elected president of International Contact Radiotherapy Society in 2013. In 2018 the Papillon team, led by Prof Sun Myint, won the prestigious BMJ Cancer Care team of the Year award. In 2021, Prof Sun Myint received a lifetime award for his contributions in advancing radiotherapy in Europe.

Professor Ann Henry

Consultant Clinical Oncologist, Leeds NHS Foundation Trust

Why Become an Academic Clinical Oncologist

Prof Ann Henry is an Associate Professor in Clinical Oncology at the University of Leeds. She specialises in the radiation treatment of urological cancers and was appointed as a clinical academic in 2014. Her research aims to optimise radiation treatments to improve overall survival and reduce treatment related side effects. She is co-investigator on a number of multi-centre CRUK funded radiotherapy clinical trials and Leeds Co-Investigator on CRUK funded Advanced Radiotherapy Technologies Network. She is the brachytherapy expert on the EAU (European Association of Urologists) Prostate Cancer Guidelines group and the NHSE Radiotherapy Clinical Reference Group.

Participants will have the chance to participate in 2 interactive workshops throughout the conference. We have 10 workshops, covering a wide range of topics across the wider cancer multi-disciplinary team (MDT). The aim of these workshops is to highlight the role of collaboration in oncology, and introduce participants to different members of the MDT. Preferencing for workshops will be communicated to participants via email alongside the registration form. We will try our best to allocate workshops based on preferences!

Dr Thitikorn Nuamek (Pao)

Clinical Research Fellow, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust

Building a Standout Medical Portfolio: Your Path to Success!

Are you unsure how to build a strong medical portfolio that sets you apart? Wondering what really matters when applying for jobs or opportunities? Join us for an interactive and engaging workshop designed to help medical students craft a compelling portfolio that highlights their strengths, achievements, and aspirations. Pao is the current Technology lead for the British Oncology Network of Undergraduate Societies (BONUS) and the Early Career Researchers in Cancer (UK ECRC). With his experience in Oncology and building a national network throughout medical school and post-graduate training, Pao will be able to provide valuable insights and guidance.

Interventional Oncology: Where Radiology Meets Cancer Care

Dr Zhong is a clinical academic and Cancer Research UK Clinical Trial Fellow in Interventional Oncology working in the Leeds Institute of Medical Research and Leeds CRUK Clinical Trials Unit. His work involves studying the effects of combining image-guided ablative modalities with immunotherapy in liver and kidney cancer to improve patient outcomes. He is also an Honorary Consultant Radiologist specialising in Interventional Oncology and performs tumour ablation in solid organs tumours of the lung, liver and kidneys.

Dr Jim Zhong

Clinical Research fellow, Leeds NHS Foundation Trust

Dr Amy Gadoud & Dr Amara Nwosu

Marie Curie Hospice, Lancaster Medical School

Palliative Care in Oncology

This is a joint workshop with Dr Amy Gadoud and Dr Amara Nwosu. They will explore the role of palliative medicine in the cancer care pathway.

Amy Gadoud is a Senior Lecturer in Palliative Medicine at Lancaster Medical School where she is NIHR Integrated Clinical Academic Training Lead. She works with colleagues in the International Observatory on End of Life Care, Lancaster University. Her main research interest is ensuring equality in access to palliative care using a range of research methods from analysing large datasets to qualitative studies.

Dr Amara Nwosu is a Senior Clinical Lecturer in Palliative Care at Lancaster Medical School. He is also the Research lead for Marie Curie Hospice Liverpool and a former Research Scholar for the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) North West Coast Clinical Research Network (CRN)). Clinically, I am an Honorary Consultant in Palliative Care at the Royal Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Artificial Intelligence and Digital Pathology in Oncology

Dr Xu Xuan Lim is an FY1 doctor at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, and an honorary clinical research fellow at the Christie NHS Hospital. He has an interest in Pathology and has a wide range of experiences in academic research. This workshop will focus on digital pathology, working with AI, and the importance of inter-specialty collaboration in cancer care.

Dr Xu Xuan Lim

Honorary Research Fellow, FY1

The Christie NHS Hospital

Gynaecological Malignancies: Diagnosis and Management

Dr Adishesh is a consultant gynae-oncology surgeon in Lancashire, with a wide experience in research and treatment for gynaecological cancers. This workshop will focus on the management of gynaecological cancers, including a range of case-based discussions to introduce participants to the patient-pathway.

Dr Meera Adishesh

Consultant in Gynae-Oncology, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals

Mr Michael Brockdorff

PhD Candidate, The University of Leeds

Dr Mariam Obeid

Registrar in Oncology, The Christie NHS Hospital

Dr Charlotte Nixon

Clinical Research Fellow, The Christie NHS Hospital

Dr Ereny Saad

Registrar in Oncology, The Christie NHS Hospital

Soft Magnetic Surgical Robots in Cancer-related Applications

Michael is current PhD candidate with STORM Lab at the University of Leeds, where he is reading for a PhD in Medical Robotics. Michael is a member of Robotics at Leeds post-graduate Network. He has undertaken internships at the University of Tokyo and University of Malta, developing his research portfolio and expertise in embedded systems programming and compressive sensing for ghost imaging applications. He completed an MSc at Imperial College London in 2020, focused on neurotechnology. Soft robots are increasingly common due to their inherent safety when interacting with people and their potential to be fabricated at a low cost. Michael’s team are exploring pneumatic, hydraulic and magnetic soft robots to provide minimally invasive access to specific surgical sites. Website: https://www.stormlabuk.com/

Managing Brain Metastases: SRS (Stereotactic Radiosurgery)

Dr. Mariam Obeid is a Clinical Oncology Registrar at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester. She is the former Co-Chair of the Royal College of Radiologists’ (RCR) Oncology Registrar Forum (ORF) and has contributed as a representative on multiple RCR committees. With a strong commitment to advancing cancer care, she is particularly passionate about the role of radiotherapy in curative treatment, striving to improve outcomes and innovation in oncology. This workshop will explore the presentation, management, and complexities of brain metastases, with a special focus on Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS)—a highly precise, non-invasive radiation therapy that delivers targeted high-dose radiation to brain metastases while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. In addition to the discussion, this session will include a practical demonstration on how to contour and plan an SRS case.

Systemic Approaches to Managing Metastatic Bladder Cancer

Dr. Charlotte Nixon is a Clinical Research Fellow with both the Experimental Cancer Medicine Team (ECMT) and the Urology Research Team at The Christie Hospital. Her work with ECMT focuses on early phase clinical trials for all solid organ tumour types while the trials she works on with the Urology Team focus on those with urological malignancy and are typically in the later phases of research. This workshop will follow a fictionalised patient from their original diagnosis with localised disease through to their metastatic diagnosis and their referral to the clinical trials team. The workshop will highlight the latest advancements in systemic therapies for metastatic bladder cancer and the ongoing research into novel treatments including targeted therapies.

Radiotherapy Planning: Bladder Cancer

Dr Saad is a senior clinical fellow doing a fellowship in advanced radiotherapy techniques. Their research focuses on implementing advanced radiotherapy techniques to improve cancer outcomes and patient experience with radiotherapy. This workshop will introduce participants to the concept and techniques behind planning radiotherapy. Ever wondered how oncologists target radiation to the tumour, while avoiding dosing healthy organs? Learn about dosimetry, types of radiation beams and avoiding high risk organs to reduce side effects. This workshop is perfect for the budding clinical oncologist.

Arrival

Participant registration will open from 8.30 AM - 9AM in the foyer of the Samuel Alexander Building. Here, you can collect ID badges and meet other participants. The conference programme will start promptly at 9AM in the lecture theatre.

Getting there

The conference will be held at the Samuel Alexander Building, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road,
Manchester, M13 9PL

By Train - The nearest station is Manchester Oxford Road, however, if you are travelling from further away, there may be more connections from Manchester Piccadilly Station. The venue is easily accessible from both stations via bus.
By Bus - Many services from the city centre pass near the venue down Oxford Road, including: 15, 41, 141, 142.
By Tram (Metrolink) - If you are travelling to the centre of the city, get off at St Peter's Square Tram Stop, or at Picadilly Gardens. From here, you can take the bus or walk.
By Foot - From Oxford Road station, turn right and just walk straight for 19 minutes! Once you pass the big 'tin can' building (University Place), in 3 minutes the venue will be on your right, just behind the Manchester Students' Union Building. It is a 27 minute walk from Manchester Piccadilly - we recommend using Google Maps.

Parking

You may also wish to drive to the conference. Parking at the university is traditionally limited; however, as the conference will be taking place over the weekend and does not coincide with major events such as graduation, we do not anticipate any significant issues. Please give plenty of time to secure a spot to avoid last minute delays. The following car parks are nearby:

Cecil Street Car Park
Booth Street West Car Park
Booth Street East Car Park
NCP Manchester Circle Square (15 minute Walk)

Travel and Transport Costs

As this is a student-led conference, unfortunately, we are unable to provide any financial support to participants in regards to travel, transport and accommodation. There is a £2 cap for any length bus journey across central Manchester, which is cheaper than the tram. For those travelling from further away, we suggest reaching out to other participants to split the costs of accommodation.

Lunch

Lunch will be provided to all participants during the conference - the cost of this is included in the registration fee. If you do not wish to take the provided lunch, there are lots of cafes and shops within walking distance to the venue, including Sainsbury's across the road. The provided lunch consists of meal deal items from the Students' Union Cafe. Therefore, meals are packaged and individualised, there is no open buffet. If you have any dietary requirements, please state so in the registration form that will be emailed to all participants, before the stated deadline.

Participants Networking Group - BONUS App

We are happy to be collaborating with BONUS (British Oncology Network of Undergraduate Societies) in delivering the NUOC website. We have also created a section on the BONUS mobile app, and a group discussion page for participants to network before and after the conference. Information to join this group will be communicated to participants.

A NORTHWEST COLLABORATION

NUOC Northwest is an inter-university collaboration between the student oncology societies of The University of Manchester (Preston), The University of Leeds, University of Central Lancashire, University of Liverpool and Lancaster University - led by medical students, for students.