OUH consultant recognised by Royal College of Physicians for pioneering AI cancer vaccine research

A medical oncology consultant at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) has received national recognition from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) for leading research that is helping to accelerate the development of personalised cancer vaccines using artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced computing.

Dr Lennard Lee, Honorary Consultant Medical Oncologist at OUH, Associate Professor at the University of Oxford, and Director of the UK Cancer Vaccine AI Scientist & Supercomputing Project, was recognised at the Royal College of Physicians Excellence in Patient Care Awards 2026, where his work was selected as one of the top three investigator-led research projects in the UK.

The RCP Research Award celebrates outstanding investigator-led research that advances medical knowledge and demonstrates the potential to improve outcomes for patients. Dr Lee received the award at a ceremony in Liverpool that brought together clinicians, researchers, and healthcare leaders from across the country.

The honour recognises Dr Lee’s leadership of the UK Cancer Vaccine Advance programme – a national initiative that brings together the NHS, academia, government, and industry to accelerate the development and delivery of personalised cancer vaccines. The programme aims to enable more than 10,000 people living with cancer to take part in vaccine clinical trials while using AI, sovereign UK supercomputing resources, and laboratory automation to speed up the discovery and manufacture of new treatments.

Dr Lennard Lee said: "We are now seeing leading scientists from across the UK bringing their expertise together to accelerate cancer vaccine research. That has become one of the country’s great scientific success stories.

"It has been an enormous privilege to lead this work while continuing to care for patients as a consultant medical oncologist at OUH. Keeping patients at the centre of everything we do has enabled us to build a truly national programme that is accelerating clinical trials, bringing together AI, supercomputing, and medicine, and creating the opportunity to deliver new cancer vaccines for the NHS."

Professor Andrew Brent, Chief Medical Officer at OUH said: "Congratulations to Lennard on this well-deserved national recognition. His work demonstrates the extraordinary impact that can be achieved when clinical expertise, scientific innovation and cutting-edge technology come together with a clear focus on improving patient care.

"This award reflects not only Lennard’s dedication and vision, but also the strength of the research and innovation partnerships. We are incredibly proud of his achievements and the benefits this work could bring to patients now and in the future."