Entrepreneurial Group Leader of the Year

Dr Maike de la Roche has won the Entrepreneurial Group Leader of the Year category at the 2024 Cancer Research Horizons Innovation and Entrepreneurship Awards.

The Innovation & Entrepreneurship Awards aim to celebrate researchers and innovators who are actively bridging the gap between oncology discoveries and positive patient outcomes.

The Entrepreneurial Group Leader of the Year category celebrates the demonstration of leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit of an independent group leader. It recognises the emergence of entrepreneurial initiative, attitude, and the development of their own entrepreneurial competencies and those of their research group.

Maike de la Roche leads a cancer immunology group at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute. Her research aims to develop ways of stimulating the immune system to fight cancer. Her translational approach and entrepreneurial spirit are seen through her work developing novel therapies, which involves collaborating with commercial partners, undertaking clinical studies and attracting investment to progress her new CAR T-cell technology.

Dr de la Roche’s focus on translating her research has also led to successful clinical collaborations, including a current clinical trial at Addenbrooke’s Hospital to understand the effect of altered cell signalling activity on immune cell function in people with rare mutations in the Hedgehog pathway and in cancer patients.

Dr Alessia Errico, Associate Director of Search & Evaluation and Entrepreneurial Programme Lead at Cancer Research Horizons, said: “We firmly believe that together, we can address one of the biggest societal challenges of our time, cancer. All the winners and participants in this year’s edition have demonstrated how, collectively, our efforts in drug discovery, diagnostics, commercial alliances, and nurturing startups are pivotal in translating breakthroughs into positive outcomes.”