Join us to celebrate the Inaugural Joan Reece Lecture with Richard Vile, Professor of Immuno-oncology and the newly-appointed Joan Reece Chair in Immuno-oncology at King’s.

The lecture will take place from 15:00 – 16:00, followed by a drinks reception.

Please note that numbers are limited and registration will close before the day of the lecture.

Professor Richard Vile

A Ray of Sunshine Never Dies - Joan Reece, Immuno-oncology and King’s

Abstract

Many patients are now benefiting from the activation of their own immune systems against their cancers. However, much still needs to be done to bring the full potential of immuno-oncology to bear across a range of different tumour types. Professor Vile’s laboratory seeks both to understand some of the basic mechanisms by which the immune system can be re-educated to fight cancer and to translate those insights into patient trials of novel, more gentle therapies than currently exist.

Biography

Professor Vile is a British scientist who completed his PhD at the University of London having previously studied biochemistry at the University of Oxford. He has been the Richard M Schulze Family Foundation Professor at the Mayo Clinic since 2008, a role based between the Departments of Molecular Medicine and Immunology. His research focuses on the development of experimental cancer therapies that stimulate anti-tumour immune responses and CAR-T cell therapies. He and his team are involved in clinical trials of several oncolytic viruses (viruses that can infect and destroy cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed) at hospitals across the US and worldwide, demonstrating exceptional treatment results. His appointment at King’s will allow us to take our already world leading expertise in immunology and oncology to exciting new levels.

The Joan Reece Immuno-oncology Research Programme

The Joan Reece Immuno-oncology Research Programme focuses on advancing ground-breaking work in immuno-oncology: harnessing the body’s own defences to better understand and treat cancer. The programme is dedicated to the memory of Joan, whose courage and warmth continue to inspire all who knew her and lives on through this crucial research programme.