University of Limerick Researcher Joins European Discussions on Personalised Cancer Prevention and Care

October 12, 2026 · Katie Cremin

Last week, Dr Noor Khehrah, a postdoctoral researcher with the eHealth-Hub for Cancer at the University of Limerick, participated in the General Assembly of JANE-2, the European Joint Action on Networks of Expertise on Cancer, held in Rome.

Funded through EU4Health under Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, JANE-2 brings together more than 120 partner organisations from 29 countries to establish seven new European Networks of Expertise. These networks focus on areas including complex and poor-prognosis cancers, palliative care, cancer survivorship, personalised prevention, omics technologies, high-tech medical resources, and cancers affecting adolescents and young adults. The initiative aims to strengthen collaboration across Europe and connect with major cancer programmes including the European Network of Comprehensive Cancer Centres (EUnetCCC), the European Reference Networks (ERNs), and the Joint Action on Personalised Cancer Medicine (JA PCM).

During the General Assembly, Dr Khehrah contributed to discussions on personalised cancer prevention and on cancers affecting adolescents and young adults, a patient group whose needs often span both paediatric and adult cancer services.

The personalised prevention discussions align closely with research underway within the Limerick Digital Cancer Research Centre (LDCRC) and eHealth-Hub for Cancer. This work explores mutational signatures, the distinctive patterns of DNA changes left by environmental exposures such as tobacco smoke and UV radiation, as well as defects in DNA repair pathways. Understanding these genomic "fingerprints" can provide valuable insights into cancer development, help identify individuals at increased risk, and support more targeted approaches to screening, prevention, and early detection.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to strengthen connections with researchers, clinicians, patient advocates and policymakers from across Europe who are working to advance more personalised and equitable cancer care. These discussions complement the University of Limerick's wider contribution to European cancer initiatives, including the Joint Action on Personalised Cancer Medicine (JA PCM), where Professor Aedin Culhane is leading work on genomics and imaging data standards to support collaboration and knowledge-sharing between cancer centres across Europe.

By contributing to initiatives such as JANE-2 and JA PCM, the University of Limerick is helping to build the data infrastructures, standards and research partnerships needed to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. The collaborations formed through these programmes will help shape future research within LDCRC and the eHealth-Hub for Cancer, supporting better outcomes for patients across Ireland and Europe.