Patient Voice in Cancer Research leads first doctoral PPI training for EU Mac4Me consortium in Rotterdam

The European doctoral network Mac4Me (Macrophage Targets for Metastatic Treatment) officially commenced its action in Rotterdam on June 25-26, 2025. The event, organised by the Erasmus University Medical Center brought together the project’s core partners to harmonise efforts and set the stage for the next four years of research.

The first training session for the network’s doctoral candidates took place ahead of this meeting, marking the beginning of their educational journey. The Patient Voice in Cancer Research (PVCR) initiative is an associated partner in the Consortium.

Conway Fellow, Prof. Amanda McCann from UCD School of Medicine who chairs the PVCR initiative led an introductory training workshop on public and patient involvement (PPI) in research for the doctoral candidates.

Mac4Me consortium partners and doctoral candidates with Prof. Amanda McCann pictured middle row, second from right.

This PPI session also highlighted the patient perspective with insights from Christine Hodgdon, patient advocate and co-Founder of GRASP (Guiding Researchers and Advocates to Scientific Partnerships) based in the U.S.A. This workshop fostered an immediate connection with the doctoral candidates, emphasising the importance of collaboration and direct patient engagement at every step in the research process. 

Mac4Me is a 48-month initiative that tackles both scientific and societal challenges associated with cancer metastasis. The project focuses on three cancer types — neuroblastoma, breast cancer, and prostate cancer — known for their limited response to current immunotherapies and their tendency to metastasise to the brain, bone, and liver. By examining how tumour cells invade healthy tissues, Mac4Me aims to develop new strategies for understanding and treating metastatic disease.

Mac4Me goes beyond technical expertise, striving to ensure each doctoral candidate has the tools to flourish both professionally and personally. This commitment was evident in the first training, which covered clinical aspects and requirements related to the three metastatic cancer types Mac4Me is focusing on.

Besides advanced scientific methodologies, including single-cell mechanics and organ-on-chip technology, the students gained insights into fundamental biological mechanisms such as tumour formation, immune evasion, and DNA repair deficiency in age-related diseases.

The training also explored the ethics of cancer research and included an activity where the communication team produced short introductory videos of each doctoral candidate for the website.

This initial in-person meeting proved to be a success in promoting the exchange of expertise and significantly strengthening networking opportunities and setting the stage for ongoing collaboration.

About Mac4Me
A Horizon Europe MSCA (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions) Doctoral Network. The project is led by a core consortium of 14 partners and supported by an additional 11 associated partners. This extensive international network comprises universities, companies, patient associations, scientific associations, and foundations from European countries (Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom) and beyond (Australia, USA). The partnership brings together experts from multiple disciplines, including basic science, biomedical engineering, translational research, social sciences, and computational biology. For more information about the consortium and the project, visit the Mac4Me website.