The return of our in-person conferences is just around the corner but our January and February conferences showed us virtual is still as popular as ever. Seed and Soil: In Vivo Models of Metastasis was first up, showcasing the latest research in metastasis initiation, formation, and maintenance. The Structural Microenvironment: Breaking down the walls of cancer came to our screens the following month, delighting participants with in-depth discussion on the structural alterations that accompany cancer development.
Seed and Soil: In Vivo Models of Metastasis
Seed & Soil was organised in collaboration with the Metastasis Research Society and took place from 25 – 26 January 2022. The conference saw 92 attendees participate from across 23 countries around the world.
Participants who responded to the post-conference feedback survey were impressed by the range of talks on offer and the quality of the speakers. When asked why they might recommend EACR conferences to a colleague based on their experience at Seed and Soil, one participant said that “the topics of the talks were really interesting! Furthermore, very important is that almost all presenters were prepared very well and it was pleasurable to listen to them.” with another noting that the “talks were really interesting. The speakers clearly address the challenges and new avenues for studying metastasis outside the lab setting.”.
The Structural Microenvironment: Breaking down the walls of cancer
In February, we saw the debut of our conference focusing on tumour microenvironments. The Structural Microenvironment: Breaking down the walls of cancer had 178 delegates attend across the two day event, representing 27 countries.
100% of those who responded to the feedback survey said that they would recommend EACR virtual events to colleagues following this incredibly successful event. Reasons for this included the way “the conference addressed the challenges presented by the complexity of cancer through data sharing among experienced scientists, as well as younger researchers with diverse backgrounds and expertise”. The ‘Meet The Expert’ session with Neta Erez was noted by many as being their conference highlight. Neta discussed experiences throughout her career, with the talk being described as “very inspiring” by one attendee, and that they would “keep her advice in mind”. Sara Zanivan’s talk titled “CAF metabolism shapes the tumour microenvironment: roles in collagen production” also proved to be popular amongst attendees. Sara’s talk can be seen in full below, and on the EACR YouTube
As usual, we used a conference hashtag on social media to help participants engage with each other. Here are a few selected posts using the EACR hashtag:
Thanks to @NottmBCRC for supporting this research, and to @EACRnews for a fantastic event – the networking sessions on Gather were really great! #eacrStructuralMicroenvironment https://t.co/IcL4OJtf66
— Dr Jennifer Ashworth (@jenny_gels) March 11, 2022
Enjoyed two days listening to fascinating science #EACRstructuralmicroenvironment and starting new collaborations @SirioDupont thank you @ZanivanLab and co-organizers @EACRnews @BSRC_Fleming
— Vasso Kostourou (@KostourouVasso) February 24, 2022
Our co-organiser of the #EACRstructuralmicroenvironment @GoetzJacky on the stage. We are diving inside the tumour thanks to amazing intravital imaging! @EACRnews pic.twitter.com/oF1ztVrTvW
— Sara Zanivan (@ZanivanLab) February 23, 2022
Brilliant first day of EACR2022 SM conference🧠 Learning so much about CAF and TME in other cancers, providing excellent context for my PhD! Also amazing hearing from so many female researchers at the top of the field! 👩🔬#eacrStructuralMicroenvironment #WomenInScience
— Josephine 🎗💙 (@BuckinghamJosie) February 22, 2022
Our upcoming conferences
Our conference calendar is now fully confirmed until the end of 2022! Come and join us this summer for Liquid Biopsies in Bergamo, Italy in May; The EACR Congress 2022 in Seville, Spain in June; or Cancer Genomics in Oxford, UK in July. Following a short summer break we’ll be heading to Bilbao, Spain for Cancer Metabolism in October and Berlin, Germany for Cellular Bases in November before going back to virtual for The Invisible Phase of Metastasis in December. To find out more, please visit the EACR Conferences page of our website.
