The highlight of this on cancer research focused day was the contribution by Ms. Riccarda Melchior. In her presentation, ‘Charity Concert for Cancer Research in Memory of Simone Rido’, she explained how relatives and friends of people affected by cancer can take the initiative to directly support cancer research groups financially.
Research thrives on people sharing their findings, learning from each other and finding new solutions together. Especially in complex areas such as cancer research, collaborations between experts from different disciplines is crucial to achieving progress.
This is precisely where the Cancer Research Network Bern (CRNB) comes in. On the one hand, the state is increasingly supporting longer-term projects with larger, interdisciplinary teams. On the other hand, networking allows research results to be translated into practice more quickly, which ultimately benefits patients.
The year 2025 marked a new milestone. The CRNB Annual Meeting 2025 was held for the first time under the auspices of the University Comprehensive Cancer Centre Inselspital (UCI), which was officially designated as a Centre of Excellence in oncology (Comprehensive Cancer Centre) last November 2024.
12 oral and 38 poster presentations, 2 awards
In addition to three excellent keynote speakers, 12 oral and 38 poster presentations of projects were given, mainly by young cancer researchers from various research groups affiliated at the Inselspital and the University of Bern.
The various research projects were actively discussed and ideas exchanged, while further intensifying and expanding the network. Two researchers received awards for the best talk and the best poster. The awards were presented by Prof. Deborah Stroka, member of the Steering Committee of the Cancer Research Network Bern.
The event demonstrated the strong commitment of Inselspital and the University of Bern to basic, translational and clinical cancer research in order to serve patients with the latest research advances.
Keynote Speakers
- Prof. Dr. phil. nat. Sylviane Muller
Director of the Strasbourg Institute for Drug Development and Discovery (IMS), Strasbourg, France - Dr. phil. nat. Frédéric Saltel
Director Bordeaux Institute of Oncology (BRIC), Université de Bordeaux and Coordinator of the ENLIGHT Cancer Network - Prof. Dr. med. & Dr. phil. nat. Sacha Rothschild
Medical Director Tumor Center & Chief Physician Oncology & Hemotology at the Cantonal Hospital Baden (KSB)
Talk
- Riccarda Melchior, organiser of charity concerts in aid of cancer research, friBenefiz
Award for best oral presentation
- Verdiana Trappetti, in the research group of Prof. Dr. med. Valentin Djonov; Institute of Anatomy at the University of Bern, in the field of melanoma radiotherapy research, ‘Towards clinical translation of sub-millimeter spatially fractionated radiotherapy’
Award for best poster presentation
- Cheuk Ting Wu, in the research group of Prof. Dr. med. Valentin Djonov; Institute of Anatomy at the University of Bern; in the field of radiotherapy in hepatology, ‘Microbeam radiotherapy: a safer approach to liver cancer treatment?’
***
Cancer Research Network Bern (CRNB)
The annual meeting was held for the first time in 2025 under the umbrella of the University Hospital Insel's Centre of Excellence, the University Comprehensive Cancer Centre Inselspital (UCI). The CRNB represents the research arm of the UCI. – www.uci.insel.ch
