Prof Jack Gleeson delivered the UPMC Lecture ‘Future Cancer Medicine: Bridging the Academic/Clinical Interface’ in UCC on 10th May.

14 May 2024

This is the second lecture in our CoMH Philanthropic Series, organised in conjunction with Alumni & Development.

Professor Jack Gleeson is the newly appointed Associate Professor of Medical Oncology at University College Cork (UCC) and Consultant Medical Oncologist at Cork University Hospital (CUH).

Prof Gleeson’s appointment, funded by UPMC, is backed by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) and will support national and international research collaborations between UCC, CUH, UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh.

Professor Gleeson spoke about the UCC Futures - Future Medicine initiative which focuses on collaboration between renowned world leading scientists, engineers and clinician investigators at University College Cork (UCC) and affiliated hospitals to deliver high-impact, transformational, next generation medicines and medical technologies.  

“We are focused on creating step-change advancements in earlier detection, faster prognosis and targeted treatments to reduce the global health burden and improve quality-of-life for patients with many conditions, including cancer”. Prof Gleeson

• Prof Gleeson says clinical trials are an essential source for advances in oncology care. 

• Currently, only 2-3% of cancer patients are enrolled on clinical trials. The National Cancer Strategy target is 6%, while OECI targets 10%.

• Clinical researchers who bridge the academic/healthcare interface and have time dedicated to both seeing patients and academic research have a crucial role in the future of cancer medicine. 

• With patients and clinicians working in partnership we can design better trials that ensure the patient voice is heard and the right research questions are asked and answered.

• The future of cancer medicine is to develop novel, more effective and more personalised cancer medicines that increase survival, with improved quality of life and no/minimal toxicity from treatment.

Professor Gleeson is the first of two academic medical oncologists appointed to UCC resulting from a partnership with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre (UPMC) to advance cancer research in the region.

Prof Helen Whelton, Head of College of Medicine and Health, Mr Eamon Fitzgerald, Managing Director, UPMC Ireland and Prof Roisin Connolly, Director Cancer Research @UCC all spoke during this philanthropic lecture, delivered to a full house in UCC and to numerous colleagues who attended online.

Prof Gleeson's UPMC Philanthropic Lecture Recording

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Caroline Seacy | Marketing and Events Manager  caroline.seacy@ucc.ie