Tackling head & neck cancer with leading Indian institute

The University of Liverpool has launched a joint initiative with the All India Institute for Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to tackle head & neck cancer (HNC).

Terry Jones, Professor of Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Liverpool, Director of Research and Innovation at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS foundation Trust and Director of Liverpool Head and Neck Centre, attended an official ceremony hosted at AIIMS in New Delhi this week (Monday 12 February).

The University of Liverpool and AIIMS signed the Letter of Intent, committing to a major new UK-India initiative, in the presence of the Indian Minister for Health and Family Welfare, the British Deputy High Commissioner to India, Christina Scott, and Directors of AIIMS and the National Cancer Institute.

A key part of the partnership will be the opening of a Collaborative Centre for Translational Research in Head-Neck Cancer (HNC), situated at the National Cancer Institute at AIIMS’ New Delhi Jhajjar Campus. This hub will mark the start of a collaboration that delivers research and education programmes to revolutionise the care of HNC patients in the UK, India and globally.

HNC is the seventh most common cancer globally, accounting for more than 660,000 new cases and 325,000 deaths annually and incidence is increasing. In Liverpool, the incidence of HNC in some of the city’s most deprived urban areas is three times the national average, a level that is comparable to some of the most deprived areas of the world.

Professor Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool shared this video message with the delegation during the event:

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHWrRbB2nfA[/embed]

The AIIMS-University of Liverpool Collaborative Centre for Translational Research in Head-Neck Cancer builds upon the pre-existing collaboration and links between the Liverpool Head and Neck Centre (LNHC), University of Liverpool (UOL) and the Head and Neck Cancer unit at AIIMS New Delhi.

Professor Tariq Ali, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagements and Partnerships said: “We are delighted to be partnering with an institution as prestigious as AIIMS. By working together, we will have a significant impact on people lives in both our countries and globally. This latest collaboration forms part of the University of Liverpool’s strategic ambitions to develop and invest in a range of important international partnerships.”

The letter was signed by:

Professor Tim Jones, Vice Chancellor, University of Liverpool

Professor M Srinivas, Director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences

Professor Alok Thakar, Professor & Head, Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery & Head National, Cancer Institute, All India Institute of Medical Sciences

Professor Tariq Ali, Pro Vice Chancellor, Global Engagement and Partnerships, University of Liverpool

Professor Terry Jones , Professor of Head and Neck Surgery, University of Liverpool, and Director of Head- Neck Centre

More about Liverpool Head and Neck Centre (LHNC)

LHNC is a formal collaboration between Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LUHFT), The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust, The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Liverpool (UoL). LHNC was established in 2018 and has rapidly grown to become an acknowledged leading Centre of Excellence with pre-eminence in integrated clinical care, competitively won grant funding and cutting-edge research. Comprising more than 250 multidisciplinary clinicians and researchers, LHNC is, by far, the largest postgraduate centre for the treatment of, and research into, head and neck cancer in the UK and Europe.

For more information visit: https://livheadandneck.co.uk/

More about All India Institute for Medical Sciences (AIIMS)

AIIMS New Delhi is one of India’s most prestigious medical schools and hospitals in India. It is the largest cancer care centre in North India drawing from a population of over 100 million and has recently expanded its cancer care and research facilities to include a new cancer Centre (National Cancer Institute NCI-AIIMS) set up in 2019. The integrated Head-Neck Clinical teams at AIIMS and the NCI are drawn from basic sciences, preclinical and clinical services and enjoy leadership status nationally with regard to research publications, research funding, basic and translational research, and clinical care provided.