Birmingham adult centre

This centre leads in developing personalised cancer therapies in partnership with University Hospitals Birmingham and Cancer Research UK’s Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Birmingham.

Centre overview

Our Birmingham adult experimental cancer medicine centre (ECMC) delivers research at the University Hospitals Birmingham, one of England’s largest teaching trusts.

As part of the network, the Birmingham ECMC also launched the Tessa Jowell Brain Matrix and the National Lung Matrix Trial, the largest precision medicine study in non-small cell lung cancer globally at the time.

There is also a paediatric centre in Birmingham.

Expertise

precision medicine
biomarker research
immunotherapy
cellular therapies
cancer genomics
cancer metabolism

Patient population

Between 2024-2025

10,520

10,520 new cancer cases within the NHS trust

15%

15% were recruited onto cancer trials

Key contacts

Gary Middleton - Centre lead

Gary Middleton, Chair of Medical Oncology at Birmingham since 2013, is Clinical Director for the Cancer Research UK Birmingham Centre and leads their Clinical Academic Training Programme. He specialises in lung and colorectal cancer. His focus is on stratified patient treatment and novel trial design, serving as Chief Investigator for the National Lung Matrix Trial.

Fayeon Fyfield-Calder - Centre business lead

Fayeon Fyfield-Calder oversees the operational delivery of the Birmingham ECMC. She manages the centre’s day-to-day operations, supports ECMC-funded staff, facilitates access to cutting-edge research studies and advances key experimental cancer initiatives.

Karen Turner - Patient and public involvement lead

Karen Turner is a Cancer Research UK Senior Research Nurse based at the University of Birmingham. With over 34 years of cancer nursing experience, 27 years of which have been in early phase cancer clinical research nursing. Karen is passionate about incorporating the lived experience of patients and their families within the research process.

Contact details

Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit

Department of Cancer and Genomic Sciences

University of Birmingham

Edgbaston

Birmingham

B15 2TT

In network collaboration enquiries:

If you're already part of the network and would like to get in touch with this centre about working together, contact them directly.

Email ecmcbham@contacts.bham.ac.uk

Trial sponsorship enquiries:

If you're interested in running an early-phase oncology study within the network, please contact us through our partnering form instead.

General enquiries:

Contact the programme office for general enquiries about working with this centre or our broader network.

Email ecmcadmin@cancer.org.uk