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Hackathon: AI in Cancer Omics — Learning from Cancer-Resistant Species

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About this event

What to expect

Why do elephants rarely get cancer despite having 100 times more cells than humans? How do naked mole-rats live for decades without developing tumours? This three-day hackathon at Churchill College, Cambridge, invites graduate students and early-career researchers to explore these fascinating questions using artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Hosted by the Fundamental Biology of Cancer Programme at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre, this immersive event focuses on studying cancer-resistant species — including whales, elephants, and naked mole-rats — to uncover natural mechanisms that could revolutionize how we prevent and treat human cancers. Participants will gain hands-on experience applying machine learning techniques to cancer omics data, learning to identify patterns and biological insights that could inform new therapeutic approaches.

What You'll Learn

The hackathon provides practical training in using AI and machine learning tools to analyze complex biological datasets from cancer-resistant species. You'll work with real omics data, exploring genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic information to understand how these remarkable animals naturally suppress tumour formation. This is an opportunity to develop computational skills directly applicable to cutting-edge cancer research while contributing to a field that bridges evolutionary biology, data science, and oncology.

Format and Collaboration

Over three intensive days, you'll collaborate with fellow researchers from diverse backgrounds, building interdisciplinary skills essential for modern scientific discovery. The event encourages curious, collaborative participants ready to challenge themselves and think creatively about cancer biology. Whether your background is in biology, computer science, mathematics, or related fields, this hackathon offers a supportive environment to expand your expertise and build lasting professional connections.

Who Should Attend

This event is designed for graduate students and early-career researchers interested in cancer biology, bioinformatics, machine learning, or computational biology. No prior expertise in all these areas is required — the hackathon welcomes participants eager to learn and collaborate across disciplines. If you're passionate about using data-driven approaches to solve fundamental biological questions, this is your chance to contribute to research that could reshape cance

Create With Conference · Brighton

The UK's leading event for AI builders.

600+ builders, honest implementation stories and hands-on workshops, once a year. The next edition is being planned.

The main stage at Create With 2026 with a full room
Hackathon participants with their laptops
A panel on the main stage

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