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Cancer Care Research Group

Our mission is to improve cancer care for all. We work with experts from a diverse range of disciplines, including technology, science, engineering and psychology. We work alongside NHS professionals, Government, patients and their families, from the very young, to the very old. When we work together, we create innovative ways of being diagnosed quicker and living well, with and beyond cancer. Our work helps optimise cancer outcomes and impacts positively on experiences of care.

Research interests

Evidence shows that people with cancer have unmet needs, particularly at the point of diagnosis, end of treatment and longer term. Whilst some people feel well, others are struggling with the consequences of cancer treatment, creating a burden of illness that impacts on quality of life, patient outcomes and family life. Early diagnosis is considered a cornerstone of improving cancer survival- and is importantly related to improved patient experience and quality of life.

Our work focuses on changing the way we diagnose and support people with cancer – and families managing cancer – in order to meet increasing demands and care needs. We work across the age span and disease course - from diagnosis to survivorship and palliative care.

Research areas

  • Early diagnosis
  • Inequalities in cancer outcomes (individually and intersectionally)
  • Cancer as a chronic condition
  • Influence of cancer treatment on people, informal carers, parents, siblings and other family members. Specific interests include:
    • Symptom assessment and management
    • Psychological support needs
    • Decision-making
    • Multi-morbidity
    • Survivorship
    • End-of-life care.
  • Patient reported outcome and experience measures
  • Optimising teamwork and patient care
  • Digital health/connected health, supportive technologies and web-based programmes to support mental and physical health for people with cancer.

Research methodologies

  • Participant co-design
  • Mixed methods
  • Development and evaluation of complex interventions
  • Film technologies
  • Creative arts based approaches.
  • Research Priority Setting Partnerships
  • Questionnaire design and validation approaches
  • Data linkage, statistical and machine learning

Areas of interest for doctoral study

We welcome approaches from people wishing to undertake postgraduate research with us. We particularly welcome enquiries in the following areas:

  • Prevention and early diagnosis
  • Supportive care and innovations
  • Cancer in children, teenagers and young adults
  • Digital health.

Please contact Freda Mold (freda.mold@surrey.ac.uk) and Jenny Harris (jen.harris@surrey.ac.uk), our postgraduate research directors, if you are considering postgraduate research.

Our studies

Publication highlights

Research Group members

Research Group leads

Katriina Whitaker profile image

Professor Katriina Whitaker

Professor of Psychology and Lead for Cancer Care

Robert Kerrison profile image

Dr Robert Kerrison

Senior Lecturer and Co-Lead for Cancer Care

Research Group members

Susie Aldiss profile image

Susie Aldiss

Research Fellow (Child Health)

Anne Arber profile image

Dr Anne Arber

Visiting Reader in Cancer and Palliative Care

Jo Armes profile image

Professor Jo Armes

Professor of Cancer Care and Lead for Digital Health

David Bartlett profile image

Dr David Bartlett

Senior Lecturer of Exercise Immunology

Laura Boswell profile image

Laura Boswell

Postgraduate Researcher

David Brighton

Lecturer, (adult nursing)

Gemma Bryan profile image

Dr Gemma Bryan

Research Fellow

Hugh Claridge profile image

Hugh Claridge

Postgraduate Research Student

Zoe Clothier

Research Assistant

Christos Dadousis profile image

Dr Christos Dadousis

Research Fellow in Health and Biomedical Informatics Research Group

Sara Faithfull profile image

Professor Sara Faithfull

Visiting Professor of Cancer Nursing Practice, Lead for Clinical Innovation

Faith Gibson profile image

Professor Faith Gibson

Professor of Child Health and Cancer Care

Natalie Gil profile image

Natalie Gil

Postgraduate Research Student

Jenny Harris profile image

Dr Jenny Harris

Senior Lecturer in Cancer Care and Health Statistics

Chris Jacobs profile image

Dr Chris Jacobs

Associate Professor, Genetic and Genomic Counselling

Robert Kerrison profile image

Dr Robert Kerrison

Senior Lecturer and Co-Lead for Cancer Care

Agnieszka Lemanska profile image

Dr Agnieszka Lemanska

Senior Lecturer in Health Data Science

Afrodita Marcu profile image

Dr Afrodita Marcu

Research Fellow (RA II)

Jackie McBride profile image

Jackie McBride

Associate Head of School – Education

Tetyana Perchyk

Research Fellow in Health Data Science

Claire Price profile image

Claire Price

Postgraduate Research Student

Alexandra Pritchard

Postgraduate Research Student

Emma Ream profile image

Professor Emma Ream

Professor, Director of Health Sciences Research

Katie Sutton profile image

Dr Katie Sutton

Research Fellow

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