01 Jul 2026

Alicia-Marie Conway - Winner of the 2026 BACR Early Careers Award

Senior Clinical Lecturer, Division of Cancer Sciences, The University of Manchester, Honorary Consultant in Medical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, and Clinician in Residence, Cancer Research UK National Biomarker Centre, The University of Manchester.

Dr Conway completed her medical training at the University of Manchester in 2010 during which she undertook a research masters in viral oncology. She commenced academic medical oncology training in 2015, completing a PhD at the Cancer Research UK National Biomarker Centre in September 2022. Dr Conway’s doctoral research investigated the role of liquid biopsies in patients with Cancer of Unknown Primary (CUP) to aid diagnosis and treatment stratification. This work developed in a novel blood test, CUPiD, that could predict the tumour origins of cancers when standard tests fail. Her work has already led to multiple first-author publications, including a high-impact manuscript in Nature Communications. Recently appointed at The University of Manchester as a Senior Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Consultant at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Hepato-pancreato-biliary and Neuroendocrine Neoplasms. She continues to research the role of liquid biopsies in rare and difficult to diagnose cancers through her Clinical in Residence post at Cancer Research UK National Biomarker Centre.

Reflections on BACR ECR 2026 award

I am incredibly honoured to receive the British Association for Cancer Research (BACR) 2026 Early Career Award. While this award recognises my work and achievements to date, it also reflects the contributions of many people who have supported me and the research throughout my career - mentors, collaborators, colleagues, trainees, patients, and their families. Translational cancer research is a true team effort, and I have been fortunate to work alongside outstanding scientists, researchers and clinicians at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, The University of Manchester, and the Cancer Research UK National Biomarker Centre.
I have always had a passion for cancer research and during my undergraduate medical training at the University of Manchester I undertook a Master of Research in Viral Oncology, which exposed me to the technologies that can reveal the genetic underpinnings of cancer development. I continued to embed cancer research within my postgraduate medical training before commencing my speciality training in Medical Oncology in 2015. The foundations of my translational research career were established during my PhD (2017-2022) at the Cancer Research UK National Biomarker Centre, University of Manchester, under the supervision and mentorship of Professor Caroline Dive and Dr Natalie Cook, funded by the National Institute for Health Research Manchester Biomedical Research Centre.
My PhD research focused on one of the most challenging cancers – Cancers of Unknown Primary (CUP). A cancer where patients often face a long diagnostic journey, with no primary tumour found and limited treatment options. During my time at Cancer Research UK National Biomarker Centre, we developed a blood test called CUPiD, that can identify where a cancer has started by examining the small amounts of tumour DNA that circulates in the blood (Conway et al., Nature Comms, 2024). This work was driven by a simple goal: helping patients receive the right diagnosis to enable the right treatment as quickly as possible.
One of the most valuable lessons from my career so far has been that scientific discovery alone is not enough - new technologies must be practical, accessible and deliver meaningful benefits for patients. Through my clinical research work as Associate Principal Investigator on the CUPCOMP trial, led and mentored by Dr Natalie Cook, I have had the opportunity to study both the promise and the challenges of implementing genomic testing for patients with CUP (Pre-print, BJC, 2026). Working across NHS, academic, industry and technology partnerships has provided important insights into the factors and challenges that influence testing, trial design and adoption of new tests in routine practice (Conway et al., EJC, 2025). It has been particularly rewarding to see this work contribute towards real-world impact, including blood and tissue molecular testing for CUP now available to patients through the NHS National Genomic Test Directory.
Today, I am building a new research programme focused on biliary tract cancers, a rare group of cancers that are often diagnosed at an advanced stage. I am grateful to have been supported by a Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation Research fellowship enabling me to begin to study the molecular differences between biliary tract cancer subtypes with the hope to develop new blood-based biomarkers to improve cancer detection and diagnosis and deliver more personalised treatment approaches in the future.
Throughout my career, I have been motivated by a curiosity and desire to better understand cancer, but also by the patients at the heart of our research. The support and generosity of patients, their families, advocates and the charities that work tirelessly to improve outcomes for patients has been invaluable to my research to date. None of the work I have achieved would have been possible without the funding and support from Cancer Research UK, The Christie Charity, AMMF, the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, the UK CUP Foundation (Jo’s Friends) and the World CUP Alliance. 
Receiving this award is a moment for reflection. It reminds me how much can be achieved when people from different disciplines come together, share ideas, and work towards a common goal. As I establish my own research team, I hope to build a supportive and compassionate environment that nurtures the next generation of researchers, particularly women pursuing careers in oncology and cancer research. Most of all, this award motivates me to continue striving for research that can make a real difference to patients facing some of the most challenging cancer diagnoses.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-marie-conway-b5a448244

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