Professor Pockley will provide the background to the establishment of the Centre and will talk about its aims and highlight some of its pioneering world class research projects which are leading to ground breaking new diagnostics and treatments for cancer.

Graham became the Director of the John van Geest Cancer Research Centre in 2016, following four years as Associate Director under the Centre’s Founding Director, Professor Bob Rees.

He also retains an Honorary Professorship in the Department of Oncology and Metabolism at the University of Sheffield, where he worked previously.  He is an immunologist who has spent his career exploring the role of the immune system in health and disease and exploiting it for therapeutic benefit.

He sits on the editorial boards of several international journals, having published approximately 200 papers and co-edited three books.

He has served on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Breast Cancer NOW and currently sits on the Scientific Advisory Panels of the Prostate Cancer UK and Northwest Cancer Research charities.  He has also held the roles of President of the Cell Stress Society International and Treasurer and Trustee of the British Society for Immunology.

Professor Pockley also has a wealth of expertise in the commercial sector, having established his own company and undertaken consultancy projects for several entities in the UK and overseas.  This experience gives him a clear insight into the process of translating laboratory-based studies into the clinical setting for the benefit of patients.

Professor Pockley said: “Working at the forefront of cancer research on initiatives focussed on developing better ways to diagnose and treat patients with a variety of cancers with such a great team is impossible to put into words. Every day, we take one step further towards ‘making a difference’ and I am greatly looking forward to the opportunity to highlight the Centre’s activities and achievements to the business club.“

President of the club, Ian Roberts, said: “I had the opportunity to visit the Centre in early December and to say I was amazed by the work they are doing is an understatement. The work being carried out is some of the most cutting-edge cancer research in the world and I am sure our members will be fascinated to hear about its work. Cancer is a disease that affects so may people’s lives.