“VOICE-Ireland put patient advocates and researchers in the same room, to look at what can be done in the future to make life better for people going through cancer treatment”
Cancer patients and survivors praise the impact of a first-of-its-kind-in-Ireland scientific course for people with lived experience of cancer
15th September 2026: The first all-island residential training programme for cancer patient advocates took place in the UCD Conway Institute in University College Dublin (UCD) last month.
The VOICE-Ireland (Vision On Information, Confidence and Engagement) programme, of which the Irish Cancer Society is a funder, bridges the gap between biomedical research, clinical research, and patient advocacy across Ireland and Northern Ireland.
A total of 13 patient advocates from across the island of Ireland took part in the fully funded residential programme, which consisted of talks from academics and interactive lab sessions led by cancer researchers.
It was held from Sunday, 23rd of August until Friday, 28th of August 2026, and adapted the successful UK-based VOICE model, originally developed by Independent Cancer Patients’ Voice (ICPV) at Bart’s Cancer Institute in London in 2009.
In Ireland, VOICE-Ireland was co-designed by patient advocates and researchers working in partnership, grounded in the principles of co-production, inclusion and meaningful collaboration.
Driven by the All-Island Cancer Research Institute (AICRI) and led by patient advocates since 2024, VOICE-Ireland has been developed alongside the Patient Voice in Cancer Research and the Northern Ireland Cancer Research Consumer Forum. It is the first residential cancer patient advocate training programme to be delivered on the island of Ireland.
The patient advocates who took part have praised the programme as ‘mind-blowing’ and ‘life-changing’.
Elizabeth Osagie-Alli, a breast cancer survivor and patient advocate from Co. Cork, said: “In my experience, professors, academics and researchers find it difficult to come down to the level that patients are at, but they did come to our level during VOICE-Ireland. They really wanted to learn from us as patients advocates and people with lived experience of cancer. It made us all feel that there was something they could learn from us, it felt very empowering.
“We also learned a lot from them. During the lab sessions, we learned about the precision that’s needed in research and everything that happens behind the scenes. It gave me a greater understanding of the work that goes into cancer research.
“VOICE-Ireland put the patient advocates and researchers in the same room, to look at what is being done now, and what can be done in the future to make life better for people going through cancer treatment. When we see that research is being done to make our lives better, and that patients can play a role in that, it makes a big difference.
“I’m grateful I got the opportunity to attend VOICE-Ireland. It’s been life-changing for me.”
Denver Lynn, a throat cancer survivor and patient advocate from Co. Down, said: “I’m so grateful for everything that went before and all of the research that has happened, that led to the treatments that were effective for my cancer type.
“I can’t be a ‘medical person’, but I have lived experience and if that can benefit somebody, then I’m happy to share it. Taking part in VOICE-Ireland felt like a way I could use my experience to help others, while also learning more about cancer research.
“I hadn’t been a lab for 50 years – not since I was in school – before VOICE-Ireland. But I learned so much in the lab during the programme.
“I would’ve been frightened to admit it, but I didn’t understand things like cells, genes, DNA and the roles they can play in cancer. Like with my form of head and neck cancer, I didn’t realise that HPV doesn’t mean cancer. I learned it’s a virus that can cause cells to mutate into cancer.
“To actually go into a lab and look at forms of DNA – we used DNA from bananas – was incredible. It was mind-blowing, I really enjoyed it.
“VOICE-Ireland gave me everything I wanted: a better understanding of cancer, the motivation to continue with patient advocacy, and I got to meet a new group of people that I clicked with. I’d thoroughly recommend the experience to anyone. It should be rolled out everywhere; every country should have a programme like this.”
Jacqueline Daly, a patient advocate and melanoma survivor from Co. Galway who previously attended VOICE in London and helped to design VOICE-Ireland, said: “When you strengthen the patient's voice, you have the potential to influence research, influence policy, and ultimately improve the lives of patients and families. That's why I'm so incredibly proud to be a part of VOICE-Ireland.
“There’s a lot of excitement about what happens when Irish patients are given the tools, the knowledge and the confidence to say, ‘We have a voice, we understand the science, and we're ready be a part of that change’. That’s just so powerful.
“By bringing together patient advocates from around Ireland for VOICE-Ireland, we have created a community that understands science, understands research, and is confident enough to sit around the table with researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and industry – not as observers, but as equal partners. And that's incredibly important.”
The programme follows a rotating model between the north and the south, and next year’s VOICE-Ireland cohort will complete the programme in Queen’s University Belfast.
VOICE-Ireland is supported by key funding and community partners including All-Island Cancer Research Institute, AICRIstart, Breakthrough Cancer Research, the Irish Cancer Society, Precision Oncology Ireland, All-Ireland Cancer Liquid Biopsies Consortium (CLuB), PPI Ignite Network, the Higher Education Authority, the North South Research Programme, and Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland.
If you have any questions or concerns about cancer, call the Irish Cancer Society Support Line on freephone 1800 200 700 or email supportline@irishcancer.ie
ENDS
For media requests, please contact the Irish Cancer Society’s communications team at communications@irishcancer.ie or call 087 645 3867.
VOICE-Ireland photo caption:
L - R from back row: Prof William Gallagher (UCD / All-Island Cancer Research Institute), James Caldwell, Mary Neville, John Marron, Pamela Deasy, Mike Daly,
Martin Sweeney, Linda Chanders, Aidan McCormick (NI Cancer Research Consumer Forum), Denver Lynn, Bridget Carr,
Frances Drummond (Breakthrough Cancer Research), Elizabeth Osagie-Alli, Miriam Hillard, Ashley Hurst,
Anisa Shah (UCD / All-Island Cancer Research Institute), Jaqueline Daly (East Galway and Midlands Cancer Support Centre), Miriam Staunton, Chantal Halley (UCD / All-Island Cancer Research Institute)
About the Irish Cancer Society:
The Irish Cancer Society is the largest voluntary sector funder of life-saving cancer research in Ireland; delivers a range of free services to support patients and their families during and beyond cancer; advocates for and raises awareness of cancer issues at government level; and provides up-to-date resources and accessible cancer information to raise public awareness of cancer at cancer.ie
About Vision On Information, Confidence and Engagement (VOICE) – Ireland:
Profiles of the patient advocates leading the programme and other steering committee members can be found on https://www.aicri.org/steering-commitee
About the All-Island Cancer Research Institute (AICRI):
The All-Island Cancer Research Institute (AICRI) is an island-wide network of cancer researchers, clinicians, and patient advocates dedicated to creating an integrated, high-performing cancer research ecosystem across Ireland and Northern Ireland.
By fostering cross-border collaboration, AICRI aims to accelerate discoveries and translate scientific breakthroughs into improved outcomes for cancer patients. Co-led by Prof. William Gallagher, University College Dublin and Prof. Mark Lawler, Queen’s University Belfast.
