Two Population Health Science academics receive Cancer Research UK prizes

Two senior UCL academics in the Health Behaviour Research Centre have been recently awarded prestigious prizes, recognising their achievements and world-leading research potential by

cancerresearchuk.org/" target="_self">Cancer Research UK.

Dr Jo Waller, Principal Research Associate, was awarded the first ever 'Jane Wardle Prevention and Early Diagnosis' prize - established to honour the achievements of Jane Wardle as a pioneer in population health research to help control cancer, and her devotion to developing the new generation of researchers. Dr Waller, who herself trained and worked with Jane between 1998 and 2015, has made substantial advances in our understanding of women's attitudes to cervical screening and HPV vaccination - identifying the psychological challenges facing women who receive a positive HPV result through screening. Her contributions have also been pivotal to the better understanding of emotional and cognitive factors involved in delayed help-seeking for symptoms that may be due to cancer. Her outputs have directly influenced the Cervical Screening Programme in England. 

Dr Georgios Lyratzopoulos, Reader in Cancer Epidemiology, was awarded the 'Future Leader in Cancer Research' prize - the first epidemiologist to be given this prize. His research has contributed to a better understanding of factors influencing diagnostic delays in cancer after presentation, highlighting the importance of biological factors expressed as the 'symptom signature'. It has also provided large-scale evidence for the influence of psychosocial factors in early presentation, highlighting the importance of ongoing community campaigns about cancer symptoms. His outputs have been influential in guiding and targeting early diagnosis policies and research priorities.

The prizes were awarded at the recent National Cancer Research Institute conference in Liverpool in November 2016.

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