Fröhlich Lecture Series in Physics 2015/16 - Professor Jeff Holly
3:30pm - 4:30pm /
Wednesday 2nd March 2016
/ Venue: Rotblat Lecture Theatre Chadwick Building
Type: Seminar /
Category: Research
- Professor Peter Weightman
- Admission: N/A
- Book now
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“Now that it is becoming clear that cancer is not a genetic problem; how can we re-engage the other sciences?”
Professor Jeff Holly
University of Bristol
Refreshments will be served at 15.15 outside the lecture theatres
The Fröhlich Lectures are presentations by research leaders which are intended to be accessible to a general audience at the advanced undergraduate level.
Abstract
There are few people who are, at some stage in their life, unaffected by cancer; either directly suffering themselves or affecting one of their close family or friends. As we live longer the prevalence of clinical cancers continues to rise and many aspects of our “Western’ lifestyle accentuate the growing epidemic. It is now 45 years since Richard Nixon famously declared war on cancer and yet, despite huge effort and considerable advances in our understanding, limited progress has been made in tackling the clinical disease. Over this period the main focus of the research effort has been on understanding the molecular genetics of cancer. Advances in technology has facilitated rapid advances in understanding and the discovery of considerable detail regarding the nature of cancer at the molecular and cellular level; but for most of the new targeted therapeutics that have emanated from this work, success is measured in prolonging survival by just a few months. In this talk I will review how recent advances have provided some explanations for this limited progress but how they have also challenged many of the dogmas that have underpinned the research of the last few decades. I will also review the growing evidence indicating that clinical cancers are more affected by our lifestyles than by our genes and hence may be preventable. I will highlight the new challenges that have to be overcome to make a real impact on cancer and the need for new approaches that would benefit from investigators from different disciplines who could bring new expertise to address the new challenges.
Professor Jeff Holly
University of Bristol
Refreshments will be served at 15.15 outside the lecture theatres
The Fröhlich Lectures are presentations by research leaders which are intended to be accessible to a general audience at the advanced undergraduate level.
Abstract
There are few people who are, at some stage in their life, unaffected by cancer; either directly suffering themselves or affecting one of their close family or friends. As we live longer the prevalence of clinical cancers continues to rise and many aspects of our “Western’ lifestyle accentuate the growing epidemic. It is now 45 years since Richard Nixon famously declared war on cancer and yet, despite huge effort and considerable advances in our understanding, limited progress has been made in tackling the clinical disease. Over this period the main focus of the research effort has been on understanding the molecular genetics of cancer. Advances in technology has facilitated rapid advances in understanding and the discovery of considerable detail regarding the nature of cancer at the molecular and cellular level; but for most of the new targeted therapeutics that have emanated from this work, success is measured in prolonging survival by just a few months. In this talk I will review how recent advances have provided some explanations for this limited progress but how they have also challenged many of the dogmas that have underpinned the research of the last few decades. I will also review the growing evidence indicating that clinical cancers are more affected by our lifestyles than by our genes and hence may be preventable. I will highlight the new challenges that have to be overcome to make a real impact on cancer and the need for new approaches that would benefit from investigators from different disciplines who could bring new expertise to address the new challenges.