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“Your legacy is planting seeds that you will never see flower.
Your legacy is knowing that you’ve done better for the next generation. Your legacy is having the rebellious hope that the actions you take today will create a better society tomorrow” ​

Dame Deborah James

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CRC-Stars
Revolutionising bowel cancer treatment

Alongside CRUK and partners we committed £2m in April 2025 to support CRC-STARS, a world-leading research programme that aims to make personalised medicine a reality for people with bowel cancer. 

 

The programme’s goal is to help doctors predict the best treatments for each person’s unique disease, so more people can have more time with the people they love.

Sebastine (Deborah's Husband) and Ben James (Deborah's Brother) with the co-leads of the Cancer Grand Challenge Team OPTIMASTIC

Cancer Grand Challenges -
Team PROSPECT

In March 2024, we committed £5 million, over five years, to uncover the reasons behind the global rise in early-on set bowel cancer. This is a cancer type that’s on the rise but it’s not well understood, and we don’t know for sure what’s causing it. 

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The Bowelbabe Laboratory at The Francis Crick Institute

In October 2024 we donated £1.6m to the Francis Crick Institute. This will see researchers in The Bowelbabe Laboratory led by Professor Vivian Li, study lab-made ‘mini-bowels’ to aid the development of new, more targeted treatments for bowel cancer. .

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Dr Marco Gerlinger Immunotherapy:

In May 2024 we announced a £1.5m investment into understanding how we can make immunotherapy more effective for people with bowel cancer. Immunotherapy uses our immune system to fight cancer and is more targeted than chemotherapy.

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Cancer Grand Challenges - Team OPTIMISTICC

In April 2023 we made a £1m investment to the OPTIMISTICC Cancer Grand Challenges team who are analysing the microbiome – the trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi residing in our bodies to find out how these microbes can drive cancer & influence a person’s response to treatment.

Trevor Graham 
Mathematics vs. metastasis:

In April 2023 we announced a £1m investment into discovering how bowel cancer spreads by making detailed measurements of tumours and using advanced mathematics 
to make sense of the data. Being led by Professor Trevor Graham.

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Dr Oleg Blyuss

Using AI to detect cancer

In April 2023 we announced a £200k investment into is developing artificial 
intelligence (AI) tools to predict when someone has developed the earliest

signs of bowel, pancreatic or lung cancer

Cancer Research UK
Test, Evidence and Transition

We're supporting Cancer Research UK’s pioneering ‘Test Evidence Transition’ (TET) programme, which aims to improve bowel cancer diagnosis for everyone across the UK and ultimately, save more lives.​

The Fund will be providing support for the two-year programme.

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Bowel Cancer UK 
GP Education & Roadshow 

We've committed £800k to Bowel Cancer UK to roll out a nationwide health information campaign and GP education programme. Bowel Cancer UK is determined to improve that by creating and delivering an impactful awareness programme.

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Royal Marsden
Cancer Charity - IR Machine

We've invested £1m in the purchase of an IR machine and an updated, state of the art treatment room at the Royal Marsden Hospital to house it in. IR uses imaging techniques to treat cancer in a minimally invasive way as an alternative to surgery.

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Continuing Dame Deborah James's incredible legacy.

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The Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK is a restricted fund within Cancer Research UK.
Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247)
and is registered with the Fundraising Regulator. A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales (4325234) and the Isle of Man (5713F). Registered address: 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ.

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