NUOC Northwest 2026 | BONUS Official

ONCO X 2026

2nd ANNUAL
NATIONAL UNDERGRADUATE ONCOLOGY CONFERENCE

NORTHWEST April 25

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ONCO X 2026 builds on the success of Moonshot 2025, exploring often overlooked areas of cancer care from early life to end of life. With added emphasis on paediatric and palliative perspectives, the conference brings together student societies across specialties allied with oncology including surgery, radiology, and pathology fostering collaboration and dialogue across the multidisciplinary team.

From Early Life to End of Life; Exploring the Unexplored

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Admission prices of £6 will be available to purchase until April 17th 2026, 5pm GMT..

After purchasing a ticket, you will be sent a separate form to fill in to complete registration. You may indicate dietary preferences and accessibility requests here. Please feel free to contact nuocnorthwest@gmail.com for any queries regarding registration and the event.

A ticket (£6) will give you access to the full day of events, including keynote lectures from cancer experts across the region, interactive workshops to explore various aspects of the Oncology multi-disciplinary team, research poster sessions, and networking opportunities. This ticket includes lunch.

15% from all ticket sales will be donated to Northwest Cancer Research, who we are happy to be supporting through this conference

All those interested in presenting abstracts at the conference are invited to submit their work to the Committee for review.
Any submissions will be anonymized prior to receipt by the committee and scored according to relevance, originality, scientific content, overall clarity and impact.
The highest scoring abstracts will be invited to give a 5-minute presentation to the congress; all other submissions will be offered to present as a poster.
There will be a prize for the winning presentation, and certificates for all presenters. This conference is run by students, for students; please only submit if you are still within your university studies (this includes intercalating students).
We welcome relevant submissions from students across all components of the Oncology MDT; Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Radiology, etc. Unfortunately we will not be accepting submissions from MB-PhD students.

Abstract instructions: Maximum word count: 350 words. Any submissions in excess will automatically be rejected.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR ABSTRACTS

Where is it?

Liverpool Guild of Students

When is it?

April 25th, 2026

Who can attend?

The conference is primarily aimed at medical students of all years, but is open to attend by all undergraduate medical students and doctors.

Why Onco X?

The name Onco X was derived from Cancer X, the follow-up to the Project Moonshot initiative. Moonshot was the name of the American government's

initiative and goal to propel progress in cancer research and reduce cancer deaths by 50% through fostering collaboration amongst scientists, doctors and patients globally.

Time	Session
8:15	Registration
9:00	Welcome Address/MDU
9:10	Introduction to Medical Oncology and Translational research - Talk by Dr Phil Savage - Medical Oncologist
9:50	Introduction to Radiotherapy - Talk by Professor Peter Hoskin - Clinical Oncologist at the Christie/Mount Vernon
10:30	Northwest Cancer Research Charity Talk
10.40	Morning break
11:10	Workshops - session 1
12:00	Student Oral Presentations
12:30	Lunch/Poster Session
13:20	An Introduction to Paediatric Oncology -Hannah Simpson - Nurse and Oncology Medical Advisor at the Christie
14:00	Radiotherapy in Children and Young People - Professor Mark Gaze - Clinical Oncologist at UCLH/GOSH
14:25	Clinical oncology in children and young people
14:50	Sponsor talk
15:00	Afternoon break
16:40	Closing Remarks

Dr Mark Gaze

Clinical Oncologist,

UCLH/GOSH

Radiotherapy in Children and Young People

Mark Gaze is a Consultant in Clinical Oncology at University College London Hospitals and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, and Honorary Professor of Paediatric Radiation Oncology University College London.

His clinical practice involves the use of all types of radiation treatment for cancers in children and young people, including external beam photon and proton techniques, brachytherapy and molecular radiotherapy.

His principal research interest is in clinical trials for neuroblastoma, and he has collaborations with preclinical scientists.

He is past Chairman of the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group, and current president of the Global Paediatric Radiation Oncology Society.

Professor Peter Hoskin

Clinical Oncologist,

Christie/Mount Vernon

Introduction to Radiotherapy

Peter Hoskin trained in clinical oncology at the Royal Marsden Hospital London and has been consultant in clinical oncology at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre, Northwood UK since 1992.

He is Professor in Clinical Oncology in the University of Manchester, Honorary Professor in Clinical Oncology at University College London and honorary consultant in clinical oncology at the Christie Hospital, Manchester and University College Hospital, London.

In Manchester he leads the Radiotherapy Related Research Group (RRR) and personal research interests focus on brachytherapy, radiosensitisation, biomarkers, radiotherapy quality assurance and palliative radiotherapy.

He has published extensively and was Editor of Clinical Oncology for 15 years. He is now Clinical Editor for Radiotherapy and Oncology and sits on several journal editorial boards including Brachytherapy and the Journal of Contemporary Brachytherapy

Dr Philip Savage

Medical Oncologist

Introduction to Medical Oncology and Translational research

Dr Philip Savage trained in Medical Oncology at the Royal Marsden and Imperial Hospitals and was for a number of years a Consultant at Charing Cross Hospital in London where he was part of the team looking after the patients with gestational trophoblastic tumours. Dr Savage has jointly published over 50 papers on this rare malignancy focusing on treatments and outcomes, epidemiology, epigenetics and survivorship.

Following a career break in Vancouver Island, Canada, working for the British Columbia Cancer Agency, he has is now working in Cardiff primarily on translational scientific research focusing on immunotherapy and cancer epigenetics.

Dr Savage has written a number of regional and national treatment guidelines and published over 130 papers on clinical practice and cancer research

Dr Lynda Brooks,

Consultant,

Alderhey Children’s Hospital

An introduction to Paediatric Palliative Medicine

Lynda trained in paediatric oncology and palliative care before being appointed as a Paediatric Palliative Care Consultant at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Liverpool in June 2003. Lynda was a trustee of Claire House Children’s Hospice from 1999 - 2015 and has been a trustee of Liverpool Zoe’s Place Hospice since December 2024. She is recognised nationally and internationally as a leader in Paediatric Palliative care.

Lynda chaired the Association for Paediatric Palliative Medicine (APPM) from 2009 – 2012. Lynda took over Editor of the APPM Formulary for the 6th 2024 Edition having been Deputy Editor since 2020. She is now leading a number of initiatives developing the formulary further including supplements for renal impairment and neonates, translations into various languages and research collaboration with the aim of increasing the evidence base for prescribing in paediatric palliative care.

Lynda has contributed to the national and international literature including 12 peer reviewed publications, 3 book chapters and numerous presentations of original research and guest lectureships.

Lynda’s interests include improving understanding of the concept of palliative care amongst professionals and the general public. Her work on prognostication and identifying children with palliative care needs led to the development of the Spectrum of Children’s Palliative Care needs. Lynda developed advance care planning and advanced communication skills courses for paediatric palliative care. She has a keen interest in clinical ethics and in particular the best interests of the child particularly hearing the voice of the child as part of decision making and deciding for children when they cannot decide for themselves.

Arrival

Registration takes place from 8:00 AM to 8:30 AM.

You will be greeted by the members of the organising committee on arrival and given an ID badge as part of registration.

The Welcome Address will begin promptly at 8:30 AM.

Location

Liverpool Guild of Students

160 Mount Pleasant, Liverpool, L3 5TR

Parking

Information on parking can be found here - https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/about/visit-us/car-parking/

Travel and Transport Costs

As this is a student-led conference, unfortunately, we are unable to provide any financial support to participants in regards to travel, transport and accommodation.

Lunch

Lunch will be provided to all participants during the conference - the cost of this is included in the registration fee. If you do not wish to take the provided lunch, there are lots of cafes and shops within walking distance to the venue !

Participants Networking Group - BONUS App

We are happy to be collaborating with BONUS (British Oncology Network of Undergraduate Societies) !

Dr Matthew Clarke

Consultant Pathologist,

GOSH

Pathology of Paediatric Brain Tumours

Matt is a Clinician Scientist and Consultant Paediatric Neuropathologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research. He trained at Keele Medical School and completed a PhD in the molecular pathology of infant gliomas.

Matt is a former Chair of the RCPath Trainees’ Advisory Committee and of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Trainee Doctors’ Group. He is the BDIAP Meetings Secretary and former Editor of ‘ACP news’.

He has received awards for public engagement, research, and science communication and featured in the Pathology Power List 2021. He is RCPath lead for foundation and undergraduate pathology.

Neil Ranasinghe

CRCTU Chair

How to communicate effectively with relatives of cancer patients ?

Neil is a parent of a survivor of childhood cancer. He co-founded PORT - a group of parents that have reviewed documentation for over 40 paediatric oncology trials. He is also lay representative on numerous UK trials. Neil is chair of the CRCTU Patient Advisory Board, ensuring the patient voice is heard.

He is on the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) Global Mapping Programme Core Team and has an interest in supporting paediatric oncologists and paediatric oncology nurses in low resource settings.

Outside his patient advocacy voluntary work, he is a senior technical writer at the London Stock Exchange.

Dr Philip Savage

Medical Oncologist

GTD Tumours - A basic overview

Dr Savage has written a number of regional and national treatment guidelines and published over 130 papers on clinical practice and cancer research

Dr Rachel Flynn

Palliative Care Consultant, Blackpool

Need to know guide of Palliative Care (Workshop Session 1 Only)

My name is Rachel Flynn and I am a palliative care specialty doctor. I have worked in palliative care for just over 3 years and have a keen interest in non-malignant life limiting conditions and prescribing safety. I currently work full time in a hospice in Blackpool however I have previously worked within Blackpool's hospital palliative care team and a community palliative care team in Scotland. Outside of palliative care, I enjoy renovating my 100 year old bungalow, gardening and tending to my 5 chickens.

A NORTHWEST COLLABORATION

NUOC Northwest is an inter-university collaboration between the student oncology societies of The University of Manchester (Preston), The University of Leeds, University of Central Lancashire, University of Liverpool and Lancaster University - led by medical students, for students.