MULTIR Participates in the 2nd Annual Meeting of the U-THI Cluster in Warsaw

On 23 March 2026, the Second Annual Meeting of the Understanding Tumour-Host Interactions Cluster (U-THI Cluster) took place at the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, in Warsaw, Poland. Hosted by the HIT-GLIO project in a hybrid format, the meeting brought together representatives from across the cluster to exchange scientific progress, discuss shared challenges, and identify opportunities for further collaboration.

The U-THI Cluster brings together six EU-funded research projects: SPACETIME, THRIVE, MULTIR, GLIOMATCH, ARTURO, and HIT-GLIO. The meeting was also attended by HaDEA Project Officer Marianne Da Silva, as well as representatives from the UNCAN-Connect and CANDLE initiatives.

The programme focused on scientific advances and collaborative activities across the cluster. Project partners presented progress in tumour-host interaction research, translational oncology, biomarker discovery, AI-supported analysis, and the integration of clinical and research data across multiple cancer types.

MULTIR contributions

MULTIR was represented by Project Coordinator Prof. Lise Boussemart and Project Manager Dr Thomas Roret from INSERM/CHU de Nantes, together with Dr Sarah Robertson from University College Dublin and Dr Ivy Beeren from Amsterdam UMC. The MULTIR representatives shared the project’s progress and key findings achieved to date.

Dr Isabelle Budin Ljøsne from MULTIR partner Norwegian Institute of Public Health attended the meeting in person and presented proposed common action points for stakeholder engagement across the U-THI Cluster.

As leader of the U-THI Cluster Communication and Dissemination Working Group, MULTIR also presented the cluster’s ongoing joint communication activities. Representing MULTIR partner EXELIXIS Research Management and Communication, Dr Kalliopi Thanopoulou highlighted coordinated social media campaigns, dissemination activities linked to EU Cancer Mission initiatives and proposed actions to further strengthen the visibility and impact of the cluster.

Addressing common challenges in European cancer research

The meeting provided an important opportunity to discuss challenges shared by EU-funded cancer research projects, including GDPR compliance, ethics approvals, informed consent procedures, data sharing, and the interoperability of cancer data infrastructures.

Participants also explored opportunities for closer collaboration with European initiatives such as UNCAN and CANDLE, with a particular focus on strengthening data integration and supporting responsible and effective research across national and institutional boundaries.

Further discussions addressed strategies to reduce inequalities in cancer care, reinforce citizen and patient engagement and promote stronger collaboration among researchers, clinicians, patient organisations, policymakers and industry stakeholders.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to continue strengthening cooperation within the U-THI Cluster and to support joint European efforts in precision oncology, responsible artificial intelligence, and tumour-host interaction research.

The next annual U-THI Cluster meeting will be hosted by the SPACETIME project in Amsterdam in 2027. Stay Tuned!

Read more about this year’s meeting in our cluster’s 2nd Joint Press Release