The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre is committed to providing the best cancer care to the people we serve. A strong research portfolio is essential to deliver this aim. Research studies offer patients a treatment choice, an opportunity to gain access to novel agents and elevate staff delivery and abilities.

The Research and Innovation Department is made up of the Research Governance and Management Team, Delivery Team and the Clinical Academic Unit. The Governance and Delivery Teams provide support to the Clinical Academic Unit and research active NHS Consultants.

We have a new and exciting research strategy that is patient-centred and reflects our mission and values. The strategy will provide tangible patient benefit and empower our dedicated team to enhance and improve our research performance as we transform cancer care across our region.

Our extensive portfolio of clinical trials includes early phase and first-in-human studies and we have a dedicated Early Phase Clinical Trials Unit at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre - Liverpool. We are part of Liverpool Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) with the University of Liverpool; partners in a Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) with The Royal Marsden, in London; and part of Liverpool Clinical Research Facility (CRF), which is hosted by Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

We aim to make every patient’s experience count and to enable our patients to be involved in all types of research from trials of novel agents, radiotherapy studies, immunotherapies, gene therapy and first in class drugs. We have a diversified portfolio and a strong Biobank to use samples donated by our participants to research into the mechanisms of cancer, to find new biomarkers for early detection of cancers and to understand why some patients respond better to certain treatments than others so that we can improve drug design. We also recognise the importance of well designed qualitative studies to reflect our reputation for compassionate care and we will increase the number of these studies that we support in order to give our patients choice and access to a well rounded study portfolio.

We value our relationships with Pharma and act as a participating site in a wide ranging portfolio of clinical trials of new and state of the art drugs. The team is skilled at complex trial delivery and work to assure safe care and access to a raft of studies that enable access to the latest treatments. We have expertise in the delivery of early phase trials and we are proud to be the NHS partner of the Liverpool CRUK Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre in partnership with the University of Liverpool. We also wish to foster links with Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Central Lancaster to grow our research partnerships.

Research is a core business and a key driver in all that we do. We not only act as a participating research site but act as Sponsor for studies developed by our own clinicians. We are Sponsor currently for a portfolio of studies across various disease sites, this means we can encourage and support our clinicians to lead national and international studies. We recognise and foster the strong partnership with the University of Liverpool Cancer Trials Unit as our preferred provider of study management and links with developing and supporting our clinician led research.

The support of CCC-led studies brings many benefits:

  • Raises our profile as a national opinion leader through clinicians acting as Chief Investigator for novel, impactful research studies.
  • Provides a clear research development pathway for our ‘home-grown’ clinicians and research and clinical fellows.
  • Makes us an exciting and attractive organisation to bring in talented research focused clinicians.
  • Brings forward academic partnerships (with the University of Liverpool and beyond) and collaborations for a total bench to bedside approach for research benefit.
  • Feeds into the ambition and aims of the ECMC and NIHR High Level Objectives.


The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre Research Strategy

Read our Research Strategy for 2021-2026.