On 9 July 2025, the Centre for Immuno-Oncology came together for a vibrant and inspiring CIO Away Day at the beautiful Rhodes House, a day filled with cutting-edge science, thoughtful reflection, creativity, and community building.
The scientific programme began with a session titled “What single experiment changed your career?”, where senior PIs shared pivotal moments from their research journeys. Talks from Andrew McMichael, Tim Elliott, Persephone Borrow, Eileen Parkes, Gerry Gillespie, Ignacio Melero and David Withers offered inspiring insights into some exceptional immunological discoveries. These talks scientific discovery, often sparked by curiosity, collaboration, and serendipity.
In the next session, our junior PIs junior and mid-career PIs including Eleni Adamopoulou, Malcolm Sim, Felipe Galvez-Cancino, Carol Leung, and Isabela Pedroza-Pacheco shared their vision for the future with talks “What question would you most like answered through your research in the next 5 years?”, Their talks reflected the ambition and scientific depth within the CIO community, covering topics spanning immunotherapy, infection, and fundamental immunology. These bold ideas promise to lead to exciting developments in immunology and cancer research.
Throughout the day, we held two fantastic poster sessions showcasing the work of our DPhil students. These sessions sparked stimulating discussions and highlighted the exceptional quality of research being done across the CIO. Congratulations to Bas, Cindy, and Charlotte, whose posters were awarded prizes for scientific quality and clarity.
After a health and safety update by Anna Jeffreys, we enjoyed a relaxed buffet lunch in McCall MacBain Hall, before shifting gears to creativity and teamwork in the afternoon.
Led by Asmaa Hashmi, the embossing workshop was a hands-on activity in which teams explored shape, texture, and form. The artistic energy in the room was palpable, and each group produced unique pieces. Group 8’s artwork was awarded the prize for best design, and several of the pieces will soon be framed and displayed in the CIO corridors as a lasting memory of the day.
Following the second poster session from our DPhil students, fwe had a session by a fantastic round of selected postdoc talks. Talks were given by Bruno Beernaert, Lisa Vettore, Maria Aggelakopoulou, and Qian Yang, covering a wide range of innovative work. Qian was awarded the Best Postdoc Talk Prize.
We concluded with birthday cakes (happy birthday Tim and Nacho! 🎂), drinks and canapés, and a final prize-giving ceremony.
We also had an optional tour of Rhodes House led by our DPhil student and Rhodes scholar, Dr. Lisha Jeena, who guided us through the architectural and historical significance of the building while thoughtfully acknowledging its colonial legacy and some uncomfortable facts, offering another opportunity for reflection on place, history, and progress.
Huge thanks to everyone who helped make the CIO Away Day such a success, from the inspiring talks and scientific discussions to the creative collaboration and shared moments.
