The impact of Brexit on UK cancer research

• Published in: The lancet oncology 2018-10, Vol.19 (10), p.1276-1278
• Main Authors: Lawler, Mark, Begum, Mursheda, Lewison, Grant, Aggarwal, Ajay, Selby, Peter, Sullivan, Richard
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cancer; Cancer research; EU membership; European Union; Funding; Humans; Impact factors; Medical research; Multiculturalism & pluralism; Neoplasms; Politics; Quality; Researchers; United Kingdom
• ISSN: 1470-2045; 1474-5488
• DOI: 10.1016/S1470-2045(18)30518-7

In a pre-Brexit article in The Lancet Oncology,1 we argued that a decision to exit the EU would have substantial ramifications for UK cancer research and outcomes for patients with cancer—not only in terms of the billions of European research funding that would no longer be accessible to UK-based researchers, but also to the loss of human capital at both senior and junior levels as a result of restrictions in the numbers of scientists and clinicians of EU origin who would be permitted to work in the UK.1–3 In order to provide empirical data to inform this debate, we investigated whether the presence of cancer researchers who originated from other countries in the European region (including Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and the 26 EU member states, excluding the UK and Ireland) or the rest of the world (RoW) had been beneficial to UK cancer research.4,5 See definitions and methodology used in the appendix. [...]the combination of UKI-originating authors with EUR-originating researchers in UK research institutions improved research quality as an increased number of papers were published in higher-impact journals (table). With the UK now leaving the EU, there is uncertainty about how this will affect research activity and international cooperation.9 A serious concern, despite reassurances from the UK Government, is research (including medical research) funding, because the UK has been a major beneficiary from EU funding.10 For example, UK cancer research scientists were involved in 80% of funded projects as part of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme for Research €1·5 billion investment in cancer research in 2007–14.1 Perhaps, more importantly, the loss of human capital that would result from a tightening of restrictions on free movement from the EU to the UK would have serious ramifications for the quality and impact of UK cancer research.