Transparency data

Research and methodology group

Updated 27 August 2025

This register records declarations made by members in respect of interests they have that are relevant to the remit of the UK NSC’s research and methodology group (RMG).

Prof Sian Taylor-Phillips (Chair)

• Prof Taylor-Phillips’s interests are listed on the UK NSC register

Dr Ania Bobrowska

• employed by Costello Medical, a consultancy that has delivered projects in evidence synthesis and the analysis, interpretation and communication of clinical and health economic data for the UK NSC
• listed on a grant for Policy Support Fund at University of Warwick on a methodology project with the aim ‘to redesign the methods used by the UK National Screening Committee when evaluating new screening tests using surrogate outcomes’ (Costello Medical is paid for Dr Bobrowska’s time (0.5 day per week) to work on the project)

Dr Adam Brentnall

• employed by King’s College London Cancer Prevention Trials Unit for consultancy related to developing and supporting an algorithm to invite people to the NHS Galleri Trial through NHS DigiTrials (indirect income from Grail through King’s)
• co-Investigator on TRANSFORM prostate cancer screening trial
• statistician on BEST4 screening trial (investigating capsule sponge as a screening test for oesophageal cancer)
• Medical Research Council funding for statistical methodology PhD related to multi-cancer detection tests (MCDs)
• royalty payments through Cancer Research UK for commercial use of the IBIS (Tyrer-Cuzick) breast cancer risk algorithm
• employed by Queen Mary University of London
• research funding from Cancer Research UK (CRUK), Prostate Cancer UK, National Institute of Health Research (NIHR), Breast Cancer Now and Barts Charity
• genetic epidemiologist/statistician on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) familial ovarian cancer guideline committee
• standing member of Cancer Research UK’s expert review panel on early detection and diagnosis trials, behavioural, health systems and health economics research
• research in a variety of areas related to cancer screening and prevention, including:
  • investigating the effectiveness of gene testing for breast and ovarian cancer prevention
  • risk-stratified breast cancer screening
  • artificial intelligence (AI) methods for breast cancer screening
  • prostate cancer detection AI methods
  • multi-cancer early detection tests
  • molecular triage tests for HPV screening
  • alternative methods for HPV sampling
• as principal investigator (PI) or co-PI, engaged with others working in cancer screening and prevention, including those who sell breast density software (Volpara), genetic testing (Myriad Genetics), multi-cancer early detection tests (Grail), academics at other research institutions and colleagues who aim to develop biomarker panels for use in cancer screening, including in the molecular epidemiology laboratory at the Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London
• statistical consultancy for Median Technologies through Queen Mary Innovation
• research funding through transATAC collaboration project with Cepheid
• research funding from Royal Marsden NHS Trust for statistical analysis for TransATAC research projects (academic and commercial collaborations)
• statistician on DETECT-2 study, aiming to evaluate offering genetic testing to patients diagnosed with bowel, womb, and ovarian cancer at home
• statistician on PROTECT-C study, aiming to evaluate offering genetic testing to all
• statistician on PROTECTOR study, evaluating risk reducing early salpingectomy with delayed oophorectomy in people at high risk due to genetic testing
• co-investigator on an MRC-funded study investigating the acceptability and accuracy of cervical screening and self-sampling in postnatal women to conclude with the 6-week postnatal check-up

Prof Karla Hemming

• researcher on the ‘PREventing PretErM Birth in nulliParous women Through cervical length screening (PRE-EMPT)’ study at the University of Birmingham. Date: 1 November 2024 for 48 months
• Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) statistician on the ‘Screen and Treat with Aspirin to Reduce Pre-eclampsia (STARshiP)’ study

Prof Joan Morris

• co-principal investigator on the ‘helicobacter pylori screening study: a randomised stomach cancer prevention trial’. Date: 1997 to current. This study is currently unfunded
• member of the programme steering committee for the ‘PREventing PretErM Birth in nulliParous women Through cervical length screening (PRE-EMPT)’ study

Prof Katherine Payne

• member of Cancer Research UK Early Detection and Diagnosis Research Committee
• co-author on papers on evaluating multi-cancer detection tests (MCDs) in unfunded collaboration with the University of York
• co-applicant on 2 grants related to the UKNSC RMG:

  • Title: Reducing inequalities in cancer early detection through interdisciplinary research and community partnerships: ACED Inequalities Theme Phase I Programme. Funder: CRUK International (Alliance for Cancer Early Detection: ACEPGM-2024/100002). Date: July 2025 for 24 months

  • Title: Early Detection using Information Technology in Health (EDITH). Funder: NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Call Title: 23/60 The use of artificial Intelligence for imagine interpretation in breast cancer screening. Date: May 2025 for 48 months

Prof Jo Waller

• employed by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL)
• co-applicant on grants related to the UKNSC RMG. Grant funding via employer (QMUL, and previously KCL):
  • principal investigator on a research grant awarded by GRAIL Bio UK to King’s College London (former employer) and novated to Queen Mary University of London (current employer) for research on psychological and behavioural aspects of MCED screening. Date: 2021-2027
  • principal investigator on CRUK grant funding to explore public perspectives on cancer screening and early diagnosis. Date: 2025-2027
  • principal investigator on grant funding to evaluate psychological and behavioural aspects of capsule sponge test screening for oesophageal cancer. Date: 2024-2027
  • co-investigator on grant funding for the Cancer Prevention Trials Unit, which conducts trials of cancer screening tests
  • co-investigator on a study using the left lateral position to increase engagement and experience of cervical screening. Date: 2024-2027
  • co-investigator on grant funding for the EDITH study of AI in breast screening Date: 2025-2028
  • co-applicant on grant funding for YouChoose, an in-service evaluation of HPV self-sampling as a choice in cervical screening (pending outcome of Stage 2)
  • principal investigator on grant funding via employer (King’s/QMUL) to evaluate the acceptability of HPV self-sampling (HPValidate). Date: 2021-2024
  • co-investigator on grant funding from NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative to assess acceptability of AI in breast screening. Date: 2021-2025
  • principal investigator on grant funding from Breast Cancer Now to investigate public attitudes to risk stratification in breast screening. Date: 2020-2024
  • co-investigator on grant funding from NHS England to investigate initiatives to improve breast screening uptake. Date: 2023-2025
  • co-investigator on grant funding from Yorkshire Cancer Research to evaluate population-based germline testing for early detection and prevention of cancer (PROTECT-C). Date: 2023-2031
• member of the reference group advising the Daffodil Centre’s DHSC-commissioned modelling work on cervical screening for HPV-vaccinated cohorts and the use of self-sampling (no funding).
• advisor on DHSC-commissioned project to explore information needs for people offered a choice of HPV self-sampling (led by Claremont Comms). Consultancy fees paid to QMUL.
• occasional advisory / consultancy work for Hologic, a medical device company that produces HPV self-sampling kits and laboratory testing platforms (consultancy fees paid to QMUL; travel/hotel costs paid by Hologic where relevant)

Prof Olivia Wu

• director of the Complex Reviews Synthesis Unit (CRSU) at the University of Glasgow. This evidence synthesis group has previously conducted NIHR-funded reviews commissioned by the UK NSC