Talk Title: A hard cell: Clinical advances and challenges in solid tumour cellular therapies

Dr Rachel Woodford is a medical oncologist and Principal Investigator in early-phase clinical trials at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester, with a particular interest in immuno-oncology and adoptive cellular therapies. She previously completed clinical fellowships at the Melanoma Institute Australia, and in early-phase drug development in London as well as in advanced immunotherapy and cell therapies at the Christie. She holds a PhD from the University of Sydney, where her research focused on optimising and validating clinical trial endpoints in oncology to improve the evaluation of novel cancer therapeutics.

Her current clinical and research interests centre on the development of novel immunotherapies for solid tumours. Alongside her work as a Principal Investigator, she is involved in establishing clinical pathways for TIL therapy at The Christie, with a focus on translating emerging cellular therapies into clinical practice.