The 8th Bladder Cancer Translational Research Meeting took place at the University of Birmingham, UK, in March. The symposium, hosted by the Bladder Cancer Research Centre at the University of Birmingham and the Transforming Cancer Outcomes through Research team from King’s College London and Guy’s Hospital, brought together researchers to discuss bladder cancer from bench to bedside. Delegates from across the UK (including Aberdeen, Glasgow, London, Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle, Devon and the Midlands) as well as international colleagues from Italy, Austria and Canada gathered to discuss the latest advances in the field.

In his closing remarks, host Professor Rik Bryan from the University of Birmingham cited the amazing work presented, especially by new and young investigators with deep fundamental insight. He also praised the increasing awareness of the importance of patient-derived data to advancing outcomes for this disease. He told Nature Reviews Urology “Mieke Van Hemelrijck and I are delighted that this meeting goes from strength to strength. This year was possibly the best yet, covering diverse and important topics throughout the day, with excellent speakers, delegates and posters from all around the world. I was really encouraged to see so many young investigators deriving translational opportunities from fundamental bladder cancer research — we look forward to following their progress at our future meetings.”