Greater Manchester’s reputation as a world-class health innovation and life sciences hub has been solidified through a strategic partnership between Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), The University of Manchester (UoM) and QIAGEN. A tripartite Master Collaboration Agreement (MCA) was signed in April 2022 with the strategic aim of levering benefit of QIAGEN’s co-location (in Citylabs 2.0) on the Oxford Road Clinical-Academic Campus.

The initial focus of the partnership will be based on priority areas agreed between QIAGEN and local leaderships. These areas will be progressed through the formation of Thematic Working Groups:

o Integrating ‘omics

o Predictive Biomarkers

o Infectious Disease

We are planning a series of ‘Town Hall events’ bringing together clinical and scientific teams from across the partnership in areas of synergy and priority. These sessions are designed to support networking and to facilitate open discussion, were we ultimately hope to identify some collaborative projects to drive forward our partnership.

This event aims to provide a platform for discussion around the wider health implications of HPV and explore the relevant technologies/platforms and expertise available across QIAGEN, with a view to defining areas of synergy for leverage across the partnership.

Proposed Agenda (subject to change)

9:00 – Registration, tea/coffee and networking

9:15 – Welcome from Jonathan Perkins, Director, Global Development Lead, QIAGEN

9:25 - Tom Crockett, Senior Director, Head of Marketing & Product Management– Infectious Diseases

Cervical Cancer Screening: Challenges in Assay Development

9:40 – Beth Davies, Assay Development Manger QIAGEN

Therascreen HPV Panel RGQ PCR kit

9:55 – Jennifer Davies-Oliveira, Clinical Research Fellow

Urine self-testing for cervical screening – The ACES Studies

10:10 – Katherine Conroy, Ear Nose & Throat Specialty Trainee

HPV in the Head and Neck

10:30 – Alex Sargent, Clinical scientist; HPV Lead & Pathway Manager at MFT

Challenges with self-sampling for HPV testing

10:45 - Break and tea/coffee

11:00 - Facilitated discussion led by Emma Crosbie, Professor of Gynaecological Oncology

12:00 - Close

QIAGEN/MFT/UoM event: Wider health implications of Human papillomavirus