MELODI Workshop:

Radiation-induced Cancer Mechanisms
What do we really know?

This workshop, “Radiation-Induced Cancer Mechanisms: What Do We Really Know?”, provides a platform to evaluate the state of the science on radiation-induced cancer mechanisms. By bringing together diverse expertise, it aims to clarify consensus, challenge assumptions, and identify priorities for future research.

Registration is OPEN!

Abstract submission already OPEN!

Limited spaces! • Limited spaces left! • Limited spaces available! •

Important dates:

Abstract submission deadline: December 15, 2026

Registration deadline: March 15, 2027

April 26-27, 2027, Malaga, Spain

MECHANISMS OF RADIATION-INDUCED CANCER: What do we really know • MALAGA, SPAIN • APRIL 2027 • REGISTER NOW •

For more information please contact Chidinma.Nnechi@ukhsa.gov.uk

About the Workshop

Exposure to ionizing radiation is a well-established risk factor for cancer, but the biological mechanisms underlying this relationship remain incompletely understood. While the prevailing model emphasizes direct DNA damage and resulting genetic mutations as a central driver of radiation-induced cancer, important uncertainties remain about how fully this explanation accounts for observed disease patterns.

Emerging research suggests that multiple complementary pathways may also contribute, including effects on immune surveillance, inflammation, cellular energetics (such as mitochondrial damage), the microbiome, epigenetic changes, viral activation, and alterations in the tissue microenvironment. These mechanisms may act alone or in combination and may vary by individual, radiation type, dose, and cancer subtype. This conference will explore these questions from experimental, clinical, and theoretical perspectives to improve understanding of radiation-related carcinogenesis and identify key directions for future research.

Preetha Rajaraman

Dr. Preetha Rajaraman is an epidemiologist and global health policy expert serving as Vice Chair, Executive Director (U.S.), and Chief of Research at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF).

Professor Robert Peter Gale is an American haematologist and oncologist specialising in leukaemia, bone marrow transplantation, and the biological effects of radiation. He is a Visiting Professor of Haematology at Imperial College London and an Honorary Professor at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. He previously spent 20 years on the faculty of the UCLA School of Medicine.

Robert Peter Gale

Eric Lartigau

Professor Eric Lartigau is an expert in oncology and the Director of the Centre Oscar Lambret, a major regional cancer hospital and comprehensive care facility located in Lille, France.

Amy Berrington

Professor Amy Berrington is a cancer epidemiologist currently serving as the Director of the Centre for Trials & Population Data Science at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London. Her research focuses on quantifying cancer risks from medical radiation, including diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy.

Chiara Ambrogio

Dr. Chiara Ambrogio is an Italian molecular biologist and cancer researcher. She is a Full Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Turin (Università degli Studi di Torino) and serves as a Joint Principal Investigator at the IFOM (Institute of Molecular Oncology) in Milan. She is widely recognised for her groundbreaking research into KRAS-driven cancers and therapeutic drug resistance.

Sam Behjati

Professor Sam Behjati is a childhood cancer expert. He is Head of the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Cambridge, Director of the Cambridge Children’s Research Institute at the planned new Cambridge Children’s Hospital and Group Leader at the Wellcome Sanger Institute.

David Fernández Antorán

Dr David Fernandez Antoran is a group Leader at The Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, UK and

ARAID Principal Investigator at Aragon Health Research Institute, Zaragoza, Spain.

Mara de Martino

Dr Mara De Martino is a cancer biologist and tumor immunologist specializing in tumor immunology, cancer metabolism, and radiotherapy resistance in aggressive brain tumors, particularly glioblastoma. She is a Senior Research Fellow at the UCL Cancer Institute and the CRUK Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence.

Mikkael Sekeres

Dr. Mikkael A. Sekeres, MD, MS is a prominent American oncologist, author, and researcher specializing in blood cancers like MDS and AML. He is currently the Chief of the Division of Hematology and Professor of Medicine at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami.

Ana M.Soto

Dr. Ana M. Soto is a medical doctor, theoretical and experimental biologist, and Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston. She is also a Fellow at the Centre Cavaillès, École Normale Supérieure (ENS), Paris, where she held the Blaise Pascal Chair in Biology (2013–2015). She previously served as Professor of Cancer Development at the University of Ulster, UK (2007–2011). Her research focuses on cell proliferation, the developmental origins of cancer, endocrine disruptors, and the theoretical and epistemological foundations of biological organisation.

Carlos Sonnenschein

Dr. Carlos Sonnenschein is a prominent scientist, medical doctor, and Full Professor of Integrative Physiology & Pathobiology at the Tufts University School of Medicine. He is internationally renowned for co-founding the field of environmental endocrine disruptors and formulating pioneering, alternative theoretical frameworks in cancer biology.

Nori Nakamura

Dr Nori Nakamura is a Japanese radiation biologist and geneticist who has spent over 30 years conducting critical follow-up studies on atomic bomb survivors. He is currently serving as an Advisor and Specially Appointed Researcher at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) in Hiroshima, Japan.

Tatsuhiko Imaoka

Dr. Tatsuhiko Imaoka is Director of the Department of Radiation Effects Research at the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), Japan. As an experimental biologist specializing in radiobiology, his research focuses on radiation carcinogenesis, animal models of cancer development, stem cell biology, and bridging experimental radiobiology with radiation epidemiology.

Carla Daniela Robles Espinoza

Dr C. Daniela Robles-Espinoza is a Sanger Institute International Fellow and Principal Investigator at LIIGH-UNAM, Mexico. Her research focuses on the genomic drivers, mutational signatures, risk factors, and therapeutic targets of cancers prevalent in Latin America, particularly acral lentiginous melanoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. She is committed to increasing diversity in cancer genomics by studying tumours from under-represented populations.

Colinda Scheele

Prof. Dr. Colinda Scheele is an Assistant Professor at KU Leuven's Oncology Department and a Principal Investigator (Group Leader) at the VIB Center for Cancer Biology in Leuven, Belgium. She heads the Laboratory for Intravital Imaging and Dynamics of Tumor Progression (LIVIT). Her groundbreaking work focuses on understanding how healthy tissue architectures transform into dysfunctional cancerous tumors, specifically mapping breast cancer dynamics.

Serge Candeias

Dr. Serge Candéias is a researcher at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) in Grenoble, specialising in the complex fields of radiation biology and immunology. His pioneering research focuses on how ionizing radiation reshapes the immune system, looking closely at radiation-induced inflammation, T-lymphocyte homeostasis, and the cellular mechanisms that determine tissue responses to genotoxic stress. Through his extensive work, Dr. Candéias contributes critical insights into both the systemic risks of radiation exposure and the development of optimized cancer therapies.

Yoshiya Shimada

Dr. Yoshiya Shimada is an expert in radiation carcinogenesis with decades of leadership in radiation safety and environmental science. Having previously served as President of the Institute for Environmental Sciences in Aomori, he now brings his expertise to the Japan Radioisotope Association in Tokyo. His pioneering research focuses on understanding the complex mechanisms of radiation-induced cancer, age-dependent risks, and innovative cancer prevention strategies.

Invited Speakers

We are honored to host a selection of world-renowned scientists who will share their latest findings and insights into the mechanisms of carcinogenesis and radiation-induced oncogenesis.

Scientific Program

01

Fundamental Principles of Carcinogenesis

This session introduces the fundamental principles of carcinogenesis, outlining the key biological processes that drive cancer development.

02

DNA Damage, Repair, and Genome Maintenance

This session examines DNA damage, repair pathways, and genome maintenance as critical determinants of cancer risk

03

Ionizing Radiation as a Carcinogenic Agent

This session explores ionizing radiation as a carcinogenic agent, highlighting its sources, biological effects, and role in cancer initiation

04

Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Radiation-Induced Carcinogenesis

This session focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying radiation-induced carcinogenesis

05

From Exposure to Cancer: Models, Risk, and Translational Implications

This session connects radiation exposure to cancer outcomes through models, risk assessment, and translational implications.

06

Discussion

This session provides an opportunity for discussion, integration of concepts, and reflection on key insights from the workshop

Malaga

Picasso Museum: is located in the heart of Malaga's historic centre within the Palacio de Buenavista, a restored 16th-century Renaissance palace. It fulfills Pablo Picasso's own wish for his work to be displayed in the city of his birth.

April 26 – 27, 2027

Venue: AC Malaga Palacio Hotel. Located located in the heart of Málaga, ideally situated between the Málaga Cathedral and Paseo del Parque.

Organizers

The MELODI Workshop 2027 is organised by the Cancer Mechanisms and Biomarkers Group at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). This group specialises in investigating the molecular and cellular events that occur at the earliest stages of radiation-induced leukemogenesis, with a focus on identifying key mechanisms and biomarkers that contribute to cancer development.