Join us at Cambridge Festival and get hands-on with cancer research

Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital is bringing together clinical expertise from Addenbrooke’s Hospital and world-leading science from the University of Cambridge and the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre.

By bringing together the very best clinical and research expertise, we will detect cancer earlier, treat it more precisely and save more lives. Learn more about the ground-breaking project, see a model of the building, and talk to patients who are using their lived experience to shape the plans for the specialist hospital.

Scientists and clinicians from the programmes and institutes of the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre will be ready to get hands-on with our ground-breaking science as we tell the full story of the cancer research being undertaken across Cambridge.

Come and find us in the Cancer Zone on the second floor of the CAST building for hands-on experiments, informative demonstrations and plenty of fun activities for children and adults of all ages, including:

Build a Clay Hospital
Come and play with some clay! Model your sculpture and help us and the CUH Arts team to create a welcoming hospital.

Decode the Clues, Unlock the Science!
Just as scientists decipher the genetic code to uncover cancer’s origins, Pipette Mastermind challenges you to crack a secret colour code using precision pipetting—can you think like a researcher and solve the puzzle?

Genomic Code Breakers
Discover how DNA sequences contain instructions to make proteins, then break the code and see how alterations in DNA can change the function of proteins in cancer cells.

The Odd Sock Game
Race against the clock to find the mismatched DNA sock! Just like you, our scientists and healthcare team are working to make DNA sequencing faster so that we can quickly find errors in our DNA to provide personalised treatments that help people get better from cancer sooner.

Blood Soup
Join us to create your own blood soup. You'll make up your own bowl of blood and then we’ll show you everything that’s circulating around your body!

CanRisk
Did you know that your lifestyle choices CanRisk your health? Come and play an unusual game of snakes and ladders, where you will discover what can increase or reduce your risk of ovarian and breast cancers.

Keyhole Surgery Simulators
Steady hands at the ready for our keyhole surgery simulator challenge. Test out equipment used by real surgeons to train and practice their key skills.

Hook a Duck
Why do we screen for some cancers and not others? How do we know who to screen? Learn about who is screened for cancer and why by catching ducks at our pond.

Virtual Reality Cancer Laboratory (IMAXT Team)
Designed as part of a collaborative effort between games designers, scientists, and astronomers, the virtual reality cancer lab is open for access! After putting on the headset, you will be transported to a virtual laboratory where you will experience an entirely new way of visualising tumours in 3D. Scientists are regularly using this technology to better understand cancer development and you will get the chance to join them! This activity is supported by the Integrated Cancer Medicine Virtual Institute – revolutionising cancer care by affecting patients along their treatment pathway.

CAR-T Bombs
Why can't your immune system beat cancer the way it can beat a cold? New scientific advances have made it possible for doctors to take your immune cells and turn them into super soldiers that CAN identify, fight and in some cases cure cancer. Find out more about how we do this in our CAR-T bomb activity.

Jelly Brain Surgery and Neuropathology
Have you ever wondered how difficult it is to be a brain surgeon? Join us to find out! Using our special jelly brains, you'll step into the role of a surgeon to see how well you can remove a brain tumour (chocolate covered marshmallow). Once you have removed the 'tumour', you will then use your detective skills and work with our neuropathologist to recognise the patterns and identify the features of normal and abnormal brain tissue.

Trial Trail: A Clinical Trial Game
Embark on an adventure through the clinical trial process with Trial Trail, a life-sized, Monopoly-inspired board game. Journey through the stages of a clinical trial as you explore pre-screening, screening, treating participants, and conducting follow-ups.

What is Radiotherapy?
Join us to explore the carbon footprint of radiotherapy and immerse yourself in a virtual reality experience of this important treatment for around half of all people with cancer.

Cancer Museum
Come and see how medical equipment has developed through the ages and talk to us about how you can make a difference to cancer research and patient care!

Other talks and activities about cancer research during the Cambridge Festival:

• Hear Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald and Dr Mireia Crispin from the University of Cambridge's Early Cancer Institute talk about From sponges to AI: New technologies for finding cancer early(link is external) on 3 April.

• Professor Jamie Blundell and Dr Daniel Muñoz Espín from the Early Cancer Institute are giving talks on Investigating cancer: evolution and ageing(link is external) on 25 March.

• Join the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre for an exciting and thought-provoking evening – Women's Cancers Programme: Facing Cancer, Defying Labels(link is external) (opens in a new tab) – as a new Women's Cancers Programme is launched, a groundbreaking initiative focused on innovative research into gynaecological cancers. The event at Cambridge Arts Picturehouse on 31 March will start with a special screening of the short film ‘Trans Dudes with Lady Cancer’.

• Join a panel of cancer scientists from the CRUK Cambridge Institute to discuss Do we know too much about cancer?(link is external) on 3 April.

• Join Professor Klaus Okkenhaug, Dr James Jones and Professor Rahul Roychoudhuri to find out about Using the immune system to fight cancer(link is external) on 25 March.

Image credits: Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre and the University of Cambridge.