Date
Monday 2nd June 2025, 13:00
Theme
Diagnosis and treatment
Location
Tsuzuki Lecture Theatre, St Anne's College, Oxford

Joint Centre for Personalised Medicine (CPM) & Oxford Centre for Cancer Early Detection and Prevention (OxCODE) event  

Following the huge success of HPV vaccination to prevent HPV-associated cancers such as cervical cancer, we are in an exciting era where vaccination to prevent other cancers is becoming a possibility. In Oxford and further afield, research scientists are developing new vaccines to prevent cancer in people with a range of conditions that put them at higher risk of cancer. Public awareness and discussion around vaccines have been heightened by the rise in vaccine hesitancy and reach of vaccine misinformation, causing many people to refuse even well-established vaccinations for preventable diseases such as measles.  

We wish to start the conversation on the opportunities and challenges of rolling out new vaccines for preventing cancer, including the perspectives of the potential vaccine recipients. Initial consultations undertaken with the Oxford Cancer patient and public group raised several important issues. They highlighted the importance of ensuring approaches to cancer vaccination do not exacerbate existing health inequities and are inclusive and applicable for diverse groups. They also felt that clear information about vaccines was essential for potential recipients and their families. Understanding these, and other key issues, will help to develop clear and consistent messaging around cancer vaccines. We will be better able to anticipate and address potential issues with recruiting people into clinical trials and, if the trials are successful, the eventual uptake of the vaccines.   

In this event, we’ll start to explore the possibilities and potential barriers associated with recruiting to vaccine trials and eventually rolling out new preventive cancer vaccines, through a series of talks and interactive panel discussions with academics, clinicians, members of the public, and other key stakeholders. 

We are delighted to be hearing from the following speakers: 

Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, Director, Oxford Vaccine Group 

Professor Sarah Blagden, Director, Oxford Cancer Immunoprevention Programme 

Dr Gillian Rosenberg, Innovation Transformation Lead, NHS Cancer Programme 

Professor Samantha Vanderslott, Vaccines and Society Unit, University of Oxford 

Mr Rashmi Kumar, patient and public representative 

If you are interested in attending this event, please email cpm@well.ox.ac.uk, and we will get back to you as soon as possible to confirm your place.  

Provisional Schedule  

(Please note that timings are subject to change, speakers titles are provisional) 

13.00-13.30 Arrival, registration and coffee  

13.30-13.40 Welcome  

13.40-14.00 Professor Sarah Blagden: Preventive cancer vaccines  – an overview 

14.00-14.10 PPI speaker: Personal perspective 

14.10-15:00 A conversation with Professor Sir Andrew Pollard  

15.00-15.30 Tea and coffee  

15.30-15.50 Professor Samantha Vanderslott: Vaccines and society  

15.50-16.00 Mr Rashmi Kumar: Personal perspective 

16.00-16.20 Dr Gillian Rosenberg: The national cancer vaccines perspective 

16.20-17.20 Interactive audience-led panel discussion 

17.20-17.30 Closing remarks  

17.30-18.30 Drinks reception