CanDetect at the CRUK Data Driven Conference

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the CRUK Data Driven Cancer Conference in the historic city of Edinburgh. It was an intense few days filled with cutting-edge science, cross-disciplinary networking, and a shared vision for the future of oncology.

I was thrilled to present my poster focusing on blood tests as early markers of Upper Gastrointestinal (UGI) cancers. Using large-scale Electronic Health Record (EHR) data, my work explores how we can identify early signals in routine clinical data long before a formal diagnosis is made. The engagement at the poster session was great, with lots of interest from fellow early career researchers, as well as a number of PPI representatives.

The speaker lineup was impressively diverse, covering everything from quantum technologies to digital twins. I also got the opportunity to take in the brilliant architecture and atmosphere of the city. Overall, it was an incredibly motivating week that highlighted the current impact and future potential of data driven research.

Ben McGuirk