Manchester Voices: A student podcast from The University of Manchester

To celebrate International Women's Day, Dorsa, Ella and Ruby got together to talk about their experiences of university life as women and what women inspire them. The group discuss what International Women's Day means to them; what women inspire them; their experiences of being women at university; and their greatest achievements! Not to mention, a special shout out to Taylor Swift,  Beyonce and all mums. 

Students Dorsa, Aurora and Natasha discuss what it's like to be an international student living and studying in the UK. Culture shocks, food, applying to study here and more! 

In this upcoming episode, Aurora, Natasha and Dorsa discuss life as an international student. What made them choose Manchester? What are the culture shocks here? Why does Aurora think she comes across as rude?! 

In this episode, we speak to Dr Emma Woodward and patient Nick Brown, about hereditary cancer predisposition, focusing on:

·      Li Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS), a rare cancer predisposing condition which gives a 70% lifetime risk of developing cancer, caused by germline mutations in the TP53 gene

·      Nick’s diagnosis with LFS syndrome and the affect this has had on him and his family

·      The current screening regime for LFS

·      The ATLAS study run by Dr Emma Woodward in collaboration with Ontario Institute for Cancer Research in Toronto, Canada, which is working to change cancer detection in LFS 

Show notes:  

Dr Emma Woodward research profile 

The George Pantzirka TP53 Trust 

Li Fraumeni Syndrome 

Speaker profiles:   

Dr Emma R. Woodward:

Dr Emma R. Woodward is a Clinical Geneticist specialising in hereditary cancer predisposition.

Dr Woodward studied medicine at the University of Cambridge where she also completed a PhD studying familial phaeochromocytoma and familial renal cancer. She then undertook training in adult medicine in London, Lausanne and N. Ireland prior to her higher specialist training in Clinical Genetics in Birmingham. During this time Dr Woodward received an NIHR Clinician Scientist Award and undertook further study of familial renal cancer. She became a consultant at Birmingham Women’s Hospital in 2008 and at Saint Mary’s Hospital in 2015.

Dr Woodward’s current research is aimed at improving cancer prevention and early detection strategies for families with a hereditary cancer predisposition. Dr Woodward is an Alliance of Cancer Early Detection (ACED) Director of Research for Trials and Principle Investigator of the ACED-funded study: ELECTRIC (Early Detection of Hereditary Renal Cancer), MAHSC -funded study: PRO-DIRECT (Direct genetic testing for prostate cancer) and a LifeArc-funded project to calculate risk of second primary cancers in hereditary retinoblastoma. Dr Woodward is also joint-PI for the Cancer Research UK/ Ontario Institute for Cancer Research-jointly funded ATLAS study (eArly deTection in Li frAumeni Syndrome).

Nick Brown: 

Patient Nick Brown is married to wife Amanda and has three children aged 25, 23 and 20. He is originally from North Yorkshire and after attending school in Leeds and University at Nottingham, he studied to be a chartered accountant with a big four firm. 

After qualifying and leaving the profession, Nick spent most of his career in textiles, initially working in carpets and for the last 20 years as finance director at Camira group. In 2019 he retired and remained as a non-exec director and has subsequently taken on a further non-exec role at a worsted suit manufacturer in Leeds. 

Nick first discovered he had LFS following the passing of his sister who died from multiple cancers in 2015. He was subsequently tested, and it was confirmed he had LFS in 2017. Since then, Nick has been under the care of the genetics team in Manchester and specifically with Dr Emma, Woodward. More recently all of Nick’s children are now in the process of testing to see if they also have LFS.  

Nick was asked by Emma if he wished to participate in the ATLAS project which he was very happy to do and acted as a lead advocate at a number of patient group feedback sessions. The aim of these sessions was to inform what the Atlas project was about and to obtain patient feedback about the outcomes which may arise from the project. 

With January exams well underway, this podcast explores the best ways to revise, as well as how to study in the lead-up. Dorsa, Daniella, and Iqra also discuss places to study, the Library team, their hacks and more. 

What are the first few weeks of university like? What is Fresher's Week like? Is university how you expected it to be? How have you settled in to university? How often do you speak to family? Do you feel different from the university experience? Student Dorsa asks fellow students Daniella and Jacob all about student life at the start of the university experience at The University of Manchester.

As referenced in the podcast: 'Lessons I’ve Learned From My Course (That Have Nothing To Do With the Course)': https://studentnews.manchester.ac.uk/2023/05/02/lessons-ive-learned-from-my-course-that-have-nothing-to-do-with-the-course/ 

Professor Brian Cox: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Cox_(physicist) 

Our Lockdown Lecture with Professor Brian Cox: https://www.manchester.ac.uk/coronavirus-response/coronavirus-home-learning/lockdown-lectures/brian-cox/

Dorsa, Iqra and Khadijat talk honestly and openly about the cost of studying. The group discuss what they spend their money on, how they manage their finances and what part-time jobs they have to earn money while studying. 

In this episode, we speak to Corinne Faivre-Finn, a Professor of Thoracic Radiation Oncology about lung cancer clinical trials, focussing on:

·      Radiotherapy: what it is and how it’s used to treat lung cancers

·      Clinical trials: what are they, who are they for and how are they set up

·      The RAPID-RT clinical trial that launched at The Christie in early 2023, and how it could improve survival rates for lung cancer patients

·      The involvement of AI and rapid learning in this trial, and the benefits this has for data collection   

·      Integrating patient voices into the trial

Speaker profile:   

Corinne Faivre-Finn, FRCR, MD, PhD, is a Professor of Thoracic Radiation Oncology at the Division of Molecular and Cancer Sciences (University of Manchester) and Honorary Consultant Clinical Oncologist (The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester) with a specialist interest in lung cancer. Prof Faivre-Finn trained in Paris until 1998 and accepted a consultant post at The Christie in 2001. She has numerous professional roles including: Radiotherapy Research Lead and Radiotherapy Big Data Lead for Manchester Cancer Research Centre, Radiotherapy Research Lead for the CRUK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence and Early NSCLC Chair of EORTC Lung Group.  She is the Co-lead of the Christie/Manchester Cancer Research Centre Patient Reported Outcome Group.

Show notes:  

Professor Corinne Faivre-Finn's research profile

The Telegraph: AI utilised to help prevent lung cancer patients getting heart disease 

CRUK clinical trial research website

RAPID RT, The University of Manchester

Dr Gareth Price research profile

We are Vocal home page

Using real world data and rapid learning to drive improvements in lung cancer survival

Students Aidan, Maansi and Grace discuss what to pack for university, what to buy when you arrive, moving away from home, accommodation, joining societies, and saving money and they affordability of being a student in Manchester. 

In this episode, we speak to Dr Fabio Gomes, a Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, about lung cancer in never smokers, focusing on:

• The commonality of lung cancer in never smokers
• Why never smokers are susceptible to lung cancer, and why you only need lungs to get lung cancer
• ALK positive mutations in non-small cell lung cancer
• His research project looking at The UK ALK project
• The ALK Education programme and educating healthcare professionals through data and case studies

Speaker profile:   

Dr Fabio Gomes is a Consultant Medical Oncologist who specialises in the care of patients with lung cancer, focussing specifically on the ALK positive mutation in Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). He also has a special interest in the care of senior adults with cancer and is the Clinical Director of the multidisciplinary senior adult oncology service launched at The Christie in 2022.

Fabio also works with the digital services where he directs the clinical outcomes unit. This unit focuses on the use of clinical data generated as part of the daily practice across the hospital to identify the outcomes of groups of patients and promote improvements.

Dr Gomes is an elected board member of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG). He is also a Clinical Research Training Fellow alum at The University of Manchester.

Show notes: 

Dr Fabio Gomes’ research profile

Non-small cell lung cancer information from Macmillan

The ALK project: A real-work national network and database

ALK Positive UK

ALK Positive Org

Ruth Strauss Foundation