
Samra Turajlić appointed director of Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute
Ella Day | June 18, 2025 | Appointment | Medical Communications, Research and Development | Cancer Research UK, Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, Oncology, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, University of Manchester, cancer research
Cancer Research UK has announced the appointment of Samra Turajlić as the new director of the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, effective September 2025.
Turajlić is currently a research group leader at the Francis Crick Institute and consultant medical oncologist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. She has led major research efforts, including the TRACERx Melanoma and Renal studies, and since 2024, the UK-wide MANIFEST consortium aimed at improving immunotherapy outcomes. Her work has been widely recognised with multiple awards, including the UK COVID Cancer Pandemic Prize for research that informed national policy.
As director, Turajlić will guide the Institute through a key phase of growth, including the opening of the Paterson Building – a state-of-the-art research facility co-located with the Christie, one of Europe’s largest cancer hospitals. The site is expected to become a leading international hub for cancer research.
Turajlić succeeds Caroline Dive, who has served as interim director for four years, steering the Institute through the pandemic and early development of the Paterson facility.
“The Institute is poised to deliver transformational cancer research in the coming years. I am excited to lead it in its mission to deliver for people with cancer,” said Turajlić.
“It is fitting that the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute is to be led by a world-leading clinician scientist,” added Duncan Ivison, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester, UK.
The Institute’s research spans tumour-host interactions to therapy response, aiming to improve outcomes for patients globally.
Ella Day
18/6/25

This article featured in: July 2025 – The Pharmafile Brief
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