Symposium Agenda
Tuesday 3rd November 2026 | Crick Institute, London
08:45 - 09:15
Registration
Refreshments, informal networking, and poster mounting.
09:15 - 10:15
WELCOME
Dr Rosiered Brownson-Smith (King’s College London), Dr Penelope Edwards (Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden), and Katell Maguet (Change Katalyst)
OPENING KEYNOTE
"Mutagen exposures potentially contributing to increased risk of early-onset colorectal cancer"
Keynote speaker: Professor Mike Stratton (Wellcome Sanger Institute).
10:15 - 11:15
Session 1: Mechanisms and Biology of EOCRC
"How can cancer age inform screening in EOCRC?"
Invited speaker: Professor Trevor Graham (Institute of Cancer Research).
"Exploring the differences in tumour microenvironment in early-onset colorectal cancer: a tale of two cohorts"
Dr Susanti Susanti (Scotland CRUK Institute).
"Cross-tissue meQTLs reveal molecular mechanisms underlying genetic risk of early-onset colorectal cancer"
Dr Sergio Villicana (King’s College London).
11:15 - 11:30
COFFEE BREAK
SESSION 2: MICROBIOME, IMMUNOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT
"How do environmental exposures and the microbiome interact with the immune system to drive early carcinogenesis?"
Invited speaker: Mr James Kinross (Imperial College London)
11:30 - 12:30
"Treatment response and survival in patients with synchronous metastatic early-onset colorectal cancer: a comparison of sporadic early-onset colorectal cancer and genetic or inflammatory predispositions"
Dr Janneke Vedder (Cancer Center Amsterdam)
"Real time Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Colonoscopy (CADe) versus Conventional Colonoscopy for Improving Adenoma Detection in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis"
Ms Amna Atta (Allama Iqbal Medical College)
12:30 - 13:30
LUNCH
SESSION 3: SCREENING CHALLENGES
"How do we detect EOCRC earlier in those not captured in current screening?”"
Invited speaker: Prof Sally Benton (Royal Surrey NHS Trust)
13:30 - 14:30
"Optimising effective FIT performance in patients aged 18-49 years in primary care"
Dr Melissa Barlow (University of Exeter)
"FIT before Fifty in Greater Manchester: Patterns of Faecal Immunochemical Testing in Younger Adults in Greater Manchester"
Dr Glenys Somayajula (University of Manchester)
SESSION 4: PROSPECT
14:30 - 15:15
EAT-FIBRE RCT, PROSPECT-UK Digital Cohort and Impact of Patient Advocacy
Dr Sylvia Zanesco, Ms Grace Arrowsmith, and Dr Rosiered Brownson-Smith (all from King's College London). Dr Anisha Patel (Patient Advocate).
Panel discussion: From Discovery to Impact
15:15 - 15:45
“How do we accelerate progress in EOCRC? What will it take to move from understanding EOCRC to preventing it and treating it better?”
Professor Eva Morris (University of Oxford), Professor David Church (University of Oxford), Dr Jayant Rane (University College London), and Shikha Sharma (Patient Advocate)
15:45 - 16:00
COFFEE BREAK
16:00 - 16:45
POSTER PITCH SESSION
INITIATIVES
"COLOREACH UK: building a national collaborative platform for early-onset colorectal cancer research"
16:45 - 17:15
Dr Penelope Edwards (Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden)
"UK James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership for Early Onset Colorectal Cancer"
Dr Nick Dai (St Mark’s Hospital and Academic Institute)
17:15 - 17:30
CLOSING REMARKS AND PRIZE GIVING
17:30 - 19:00
NETWORKING DRINKS
Photos and videos will be captured at this event for use in future London EOCRC Symposium and COLOREACH science communications, including, but not limited to, newsletters, publications, and marketing materials. Individuals will not be identified by name or affiliation when using any media.
To opt out, please speak to a team member at the registration desk or email londoneocrc@outlook.com