A year in review: 2025

Our Research team has been very busy, with an unprecedented number of funding applications received this year.

New research funding

Cancer Research Wales exists to support the very best cancer research around the country and 2025 has seen us funding a slew of exciting new projects.

Last year we talked about the launch of our Brain Tumour Research Initiative (BATRI), which we announced in 2024 as a major new development for the charity. 

We were delighted to receive a lot of interest in BATRI and numerous high-quality applications for funding, which we whittled down to seven projects totalling £1 million.

The funded projects cover a range of research topics across the brain tumour patient journey. 

From a project exploring the use of cutting-edge MRI scans for children with brain tumours, through to a study standardising the care needs of brain tumour patients and others developing new drugs specifically targeting cancerous cells in the brain, the breadth of research we are funding is brilliant to see.

We are investing a further £1 million into BATRI this year, so keep an eye out in early 2026 for our announcement of more newly-funded projects.

Also in 2025, we awarded funding to five new PhD studentships as part of our commitment to supporting the next generation of cancer researchers in Wales. 

Spread across Bangor, Cardiff and Swansea universities, these projects will not only provide training to young scientists – they also deliver high-quality research in their own right.

The new projects cover areas including designing new anti-cancer drugs, engineering bacteria to attack cancerous cells and creating realistic laboratory models of prostate cancer to help our understanding of the disease. 

We are thrilled to be supporting these new studentships and wish the newly-appointed students all the best with their work.

Brain tumour conference

Friday 19 September 2025 was a very exciting day for our charity, as we hosted the first-ever Cancer Research Wales Brain Tumour Conference.

Our Brain Tumour Research Initiative aims to foster a thriving research community in Wales by bringing together academics, clinicians and patients to work collaboratively and drive innovation. Hosting a brain tumour conference was a key step towards this mission.

The Cancer Research Wales Brain Tumour Conference was an international event and the first dedicated conference of its kind in Wales. 

We were blown away by the level of interest and engagement it received. With almost 100 attendees, two international speakers and a

broad programme of presentations, the conference was a brilliant occasion that showcased the fantastic brain tumour research happening across Wales.

Commenting on the event, Dr Florian Siebzehnrubl, scientific lead for the BATRI Steering Committee, said:

“I was really amazed by the strong interest from researchers, clinicians, and professionals in the Brain Tumour Conference. The many abstracts we received highlighted the impressive level of brain cancer research across all themes of BATRI. 

We heard exceptional talks from the keynote speakers, but also from local delegates whose abstracts were selected for an oral presentation. I think the conference was a fantastic success.”

Communicating our work

Cancer Research Wales relies on the generosity of our supporters to be able to fund our amazing research and so it is vital that we spread the word about our work, both to reach new audiences and to give back to our supporters and show them the impact their fundraising makes.

This year, we were very pleased to return to both the Royal Welsh Show and the National Eisteddfod, held this year in Wrexham. 

These two events are real highlights in the calendar for many people in Wales and beyond, so as a Welsh charity they represent a great opportunity to communicate our work to a wide audience. It was great to see lots of people engaging with our stands and we made many useful connections as well as some fun and interesting conversations.

Over the year, we have hosted several lab tours for different supporters, which have been very well received. A highlight was in August when Miss World - Opal Suchata Chuangsri, came to visit our funded researchers in Cardiff, following an invite from our ambassador, and current Miss UK, Millie-Mae Adams. 

As a cancer survivor herself, Opal found the tour to be a wonderful opportunity to see first-hand the power of research.

We’ve also had the chance to showcase our research to hundreds of people across Wales with talks to community groups, schools and more – these talks are always great occasions and it’s inspiring to see how much our work interests and engages people of all ages. 

We’re always on the lookout for more people to speak to, so please get in touch with us if your club or group are interested in hearing more about Cancer Research Wales.

The Tessa Jowel Brain Cancer Mission

2025 also saw Cancer Research Wales becoming a partner of the Tessa Jowel Brain Cancer Mission. This a UK-wide initiative that seeks to drive up standards of brain tumour treatment, care and research. Our membership was acknowledged as an important factor that saw the South Wales Neuro-Oncology Network in Swansea and Cardiff being designated Tessa Jowell Centres of Excellence for their brain tumour services.

The next generation of researchers

A key element of our work is providing opportunities for researchers in Wales to develop themselves and their research. This includes those taking their first steps on their research journey by undertaking a PhD. This year one of our funded PhD students completed their studies – congratulations to Dr Amy Houseman!

Looking forward

As we look towards the future, there are some truly exciting developments on the horizon for Cancer Research Wales.

Next year we celebrate our 60th anniversary, which falls in 2026. Having been founded in 1966, the charity has been at the forefront of cancer research across Wales for almost six decades – we’re extremely proud of our contribution over that period. We have exciting plans to mark the anniversary, so keep an eye out for some updates.

We are currently funding four clinical trials which are taking place across Wales and they hold huge promise for delivering better outcomes for patients. 

All of these trials are progressing well, with several thousand Welsh patients recruited to take part so far. The results of these trials will come through over the next year or two and we truly believe they have the potential to make a huge difference for patients in Wales and beyond in the future.

Final thoughts

We live in difficult times and financial shortages are faced by a great many people and institutions, not least the NHS in Wales. 

With Senedd elections in 2026 likely to lead to a number of new Members of the Senedd, we will continue making the case that research and innovation have the power to deliver solutions that can make significant impacts for patients. Research should be at the heart of healthcare, not an ‘added bonus’.

As we look towards 2026, we hope that you will continue to support us in our work. 

From taking part in our fundraising events, to shopping; volunteering at or donating goods to our shops, leaving us a gift in your Will or sharing our social media posts, there are many ways in which you can help us create a brighter future for cancer patients in Wales.

From all of us Cancer Research Wales, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2026.