Submitted by Administrator on Wed, 05/08/2020 - 16:18
Connecting cancer researchers across the UK
The CRUK Open Lab Initiative connects cancer researchers using an online ‘matchmaking’ platform, rather like a dating website. Research groups with mutual or complementary interests and expertise are matched together to spark creative discussions, generate novel scientific ideas, and potentially establish new research collaborations.
Based on an initial idea by CRUK Cambridge Centre Director Richard Gilbertson, the concept was developed by a team of Centre Programme Managers. The pilot phase was put together and launched to the four CRUK major Centres – in Cambridge, London and Manchester – in April 2020.
The Open Lab Initiative is now being rolled out nationwide across the entire CRUK Centres Network so cancer researchers from Glasgow to Southampton will be able to sign up. Already over 50 research groups have signed up and 17 matches have been made, almost all linking groups from different locations, forming new collaborations where they might not have done otherwise.