Oxford-based cancer specialist wins national award

Dr Lennard Lee, an honorary consultant medical oncologist at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) and associate professor at the University of Oxford, received national recognition as one of the top three investigator-led research projects in the country at the Royal College of Physicians’ Excellence in Patient Care Awards 2026.

The award celebrates his leadership of the UK Cancer Vaccine Advance programme, a national collaboration involving the NHS, academia, government, and industry to accelerate personalised cancer vaccine development.

Dr Lee said: “We are now seeing leading scientists from across the UK bringing their expertise together to accelerate cancer vaccine research.

“That has become one of the country’s great scientific success stories.”

The programme aims to enrol more than 10,000 cancer patients in clinical trials, using AI, UK supercomputing, and laboratory automation to speed up the discovery and production of new treatments.

Dr Lee said: “It has been an enormous privilege to lead this work while continuing to care for patients as a consultant medical oncologist at OUH.

“Keeping patients at the centre of everything we do has enabled us to build a truly national programme that is accelerating clinical trials, bringing together AI, supercomputing and medicine, and creating the opportunity to deliver new cancer vaccines for the NHS.”

Professor Andrew Brent, chief medical officer at OUH, praised Dr Lee’s ‘well-deserved national recognition’.

He said: “His work demonstrates the extraordinary impact that can be achieved when clinical expertise, scientific innovation and cutting-edge technology come together with a clear focus on improving patient care.”