Design includes a 200-seat lecture theatre and glass-walled, open plan laboratories on the first and second floors, with scope to develop a further floor of laboratories in the future
A world-class centre of excellence in Cambridge, set to speed up the delivery of new ways of diagnosing, treating and preventing cancer, has enetered its final phase of development.
Designed to house up to 300 scientists, the £42 million venture, funded by the University of Cambridge, Cancer Research UK and Hutchison Whampoa, will ensure new discoveries in the lab reach the clinic more quickly.
Details of the centre were revealed at a topping-out ceremony, which marks the last significant steel beam being lowered into place in the roof.
The state-of-the-art design includes a 200-seat lecture theatre and glass-walled, open plan laboratories on the first and second floors, with scope to develop a further floor of laboratories in the future.
The centre, set on the campus of the world renowned Addenbrooke's Hospital, will add further strength to the world class cancer research already in Cambridge.
Fostering collaboration between scientists and doctors, new and improved approaches to cancer diagnosis, treatment and prevention will be developed for the benefit of cancer patients.
Innovative research is planned for the centre, including cancer genetics and the study of the earliest stages of cancer development. Bioinformatics, which is increasingly important for analysing complex research data, will be developed jointly with the university's department of mathematics.
The research will support clinical trials of new ways to prevent cancer and to detect and treat the disease in its earliest stages.
These trials will enrol and benefit patients from Cambridgeshire and throughout the region.
The centre will take advantage of the strengths of Cambridge science in chemistry, physics and engineering, as well as mathematics, to bring in new ideas and expertise from these disciplines and develop new avenues of cancer research.
Professor Alison Richard, vice chancellor of the University of Cambridge says: "We are celebrating a significant milestone for cancer research worldwide.
"It is extremely pleasing to me that the world-class research environment in Cambridge has attracted such major funding from Hutchison Whampoa and Cancer Research UK".
Professor Bruce Ponder, Cancer Research UK professor of oncology, University of Cambridge, says: "I am delighted that Cambridge has again been recognised as a world-leader in medical science.
"The partnership between the University of Cambridge and Cancer Research UK will make a unique contribution to turning cancer research into cancer treatment".
Cancer Research UK's chief executive, Professor Alex Markham, says: "We're very excited by the plans for the new centre, which will put Cambridge firmly at the forefront of cancer research not only in the UK, but indeed the world.
"Cutting-edge plans for research at the new centre are already in place and we expect new cancer therapies to reach clinical trials as a direct result of translational research in Cambridge.
"These trials should benefit cancer patients worldwide."
