The Early- and Mid-Career Researcher (EMCR) Network, hosted by WCRC, has now been running for over a year, so it’s time to reflect on the wealth of training and opportunities that have been presented during that time.
The network is a space for EMCRs to meet, collaborate, and expand their horizons in a supportive environment, showcasing insightful, informative talks, and providing the opportunity for EMCRs to deliver short presentations, showcasing their research to a cohort of peers.
Over the past year, the network has hosted some exceptional speakers:
In January 2025, we kick-started the network meetings with a talk from Dr Pamela Smith (Cardiff University), focussing on the significance of patient and public involvement (PPI) in research and how it enhances the relevance, quality, and impact of our cancer research outcomes.
At the March meeting, we welcomed Dr Lisa Spary and Abigail MacArthur, who introduced the Wales Cancer Biobank, and how they can support and advise on researchers’ projects; including physical, digital and ethical needs, identifying and consenting patient cohorts and the supply and/or storage of samples and data.
“WCB are immensely proud of our ongoing collaboration with the EMCR network and recognise the value of this vital research community. We are always grateful of the opportunities provided to link with and support local cancer researchers, ensuring the biobank is at the forefront of innovative research in Wales” – Abigail MacArthur, Wales Cancer Biobank.
In May, Bob McAlister (WCRC Research Partner) delivered a “very helpful and engaging” training session focussed on team management, helping to prepare researchers for running a team as an independent group leader, bolstering their skills as they begin their transition to becoming PIs.
Ed Day from the Science Media Centre presented to the group in July, delivering a wonderful talk highlighting the difference scientists can make by engaging with the news media, and the importance of effective and accurate scientific communication.
At September’s meeting Frances Smith, PhD, Research Grants Manager from Cancer Research UK gave an insightful talk focussing on top tips for fellowship applications for clinical and non-clinical researchers. If you would like to watch this talk, a recording is available on WCRC’s YouTube channel.
November saw the launch of the EMCR Mentoring Scheme, which was supported by an illuminating talk from Dr Wendy Francis and Dr Kate Chapman from Swansea University. They provided an interactive overview of the forms that mentorship can take, as well as discussing the potential benefits and barriers within mentoring. The EMCR Mentoring Scheme is now live, if you would like to be a mentor or mentee, please register your interest here.
Our January 2026 talk was from Dr Elisabeth Bik, she provided unique and fascinating insights into the world of scientific integrity and the prevalence of inappropriately duplicated images in scientific publications. Dr Bik outlined her journey as a ‘sleuth’ and discussed how AI can both assist and uncover research misconduct. A recording of the session can be made available to members of the EMCR network upon request – please email wcrc@cardiff.ac.uk.
“This talk was one of the most eye-opening talks I’d ever been to! I was shocked at the amount of papers Elisabeth found inappropriate doctoring of images, and the tools AI has developed to find them are really cool” – Dr Ella Reed, Cardiff University
Throughout the year at the Network meetings, 12 EMCRs from Cardiff, Swansea, Bangor and Aberystwyth Universities have had the opportunity to present their work. These presentations have covered a variety of cancer themes, from discovery science to behavioural intervention studies; showcasing the EMCRs’ research and fostering collaborations across institutes. If you would like to present your work at a future meeting, please contact wcrc@cardiff.ac.uk.
On 23rd March, WCRC will be hosting our annual Wales Cancer Research Conference. During the event, WCRC will be hosting a ‘Meet the Expert’ session, giving EMCRs the opportunity to rotate around tables covering a range of topics, including the transition to PI, scientific communication, collaborating with industry and many more. If you would like to attend the session, please complete this form – please ensure you are registered for the conference before you do so.
We hope this overview of the wealth and breadth of topics covered in the network meetings will encourage you to join and lend your voice to our wonderful community.
To register for the EMCR network, please complete this form.
For details of our next meeting, please visit the EMCR Network webpage.