Ensuring Research Quality

Pancreatic Cancer UK is delighted to have been accepted as a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities. This means that the charity's grant giving and scientific process has been rigorously reviewed by an independent expert body and found to be best practice in the field.

External Peer Review Process

All research applications to the charity are reviewed by a range of independent external experts in the field. Their recommendations are then assessed as part of a further review by the charity's Scientific Advisory Board.

Scientific Advisory Board (SAB)

The charity has a Scientific Advisory Board with a strong international membership to ensure that funds raised will be spent as effectively as possible.

SAB Chair:

• Professor Peter O'Hare, Section of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London

SAB Vice Chair 2012/2013:

• Professor Nick Lemoine, Director of the Barts Cancer Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London

A number of distinguished international experts in the field also serve as members of the Board:

• Prof James L. Abbruzzese. Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M, Houston, USA
• Prof Francisco X. Real. Programa de Patología Molecular, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas, Madrid, Spain
• Professor Andrew Biankin. Head of Pancreatic Cancer Research Group, Cancer Research Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, Australia
• Dr Kyoichi Takaori, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
• Dr Eithne Costello, Pancreas Research Group, Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, UK
• Prof David Tuveson, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, USA
• Prof David Cunningham, Head of the Gastrointestinal Unit and Co-Director of Research Integration, Royal Masden Hospital and Institute of Cancer Research, Surrey, UK
• Professor Helmut Friess, Department of Surgery, Technische Universität München, Germany
• Prof. Aldo Scarpa, Dipartimento di Patologia, Università di Verona, Verona, Italy 

As part of the scientific review process, the Board provides expert advice to the CEO and Trustees on:

• Development of the charity's research strategy and grant giving programme
• External referees for applications ('peer reviewers')
• Assessment of and final recommendations on applications

The SAB also provides advice and support for the charity on reporting and dissemination of research results.

Conflicts of Interest Policy

The charity has a rigorous policy on conflicts of interest in relation to both external peer reviewers and members of the SAB. Note that an important part of this policy is that the Chair or Vice Chair will withdraw from the entire research grants round if it includes any applications from members of his own research team.