University of Liverpool-Led UNCOVER Programme Receives New Blood Cancer UK Funding to Expand National Data Research

University of Liverpool-Led UNCOVER Programme Receives New Blood Cancer UK Funding to Expand National Data Research

(IN BRIEF) A University of Liverpool-led research team has received more than £475,000 from Blood Cancer UK to continue and expand UNCOVER, one of the largest blood cancer data research programmes globally. Sponsored by The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, the programme uses routinely collected NHS data from more than 300,000 people diagnosed with blood cancer in England since 2014, alongside a large control group, to build a detailed national picture of real-world care and outcomes. The new three-year funding will help researchers further investigate how blood cancers are diagnosed and treated, how outcomes vary across England and how evidence from NHS data can support improvements in patient care. UNCOVER is shaped by clinicians, patients and early career researchers, with research priorities guided by a national advisory group. The expanded programme will also support additional research questions, training opportunities, international collaborations and evidence to inform NHS decision-making.

(PRESS RELEASE) LIVERPOOL, 17-Jun-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — The University of Liverpool-led research team behind UNCOVER has received more than £475,000 in new funding from Blood Cancer UK to continue and expand one of the world’s largest blood cancer data research programmes.

Sponsored by The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, UNCOVER uses routinely collected NHS data from people diagnosed with blood cancer in England since 2014. The programme brings together information from more than 300,000 blood cancer patients, alongside a large control group, creating a national dataset that is distinctive internationally for both its scale and depth.

The new three-year funding package will allow the research team to build on the progress already made through UNCOVER and further examine how blood cancers are diagnosed, treated and experienced across England. The programme is designed to provide a clearer understanding of real-world care and outcomes, including how patient experiences and results may differ across regions, services and groups.

Professor Andrew Pettitt, Lead Investigator, Ronald Finn Professor of Experimental Medicine at the University of Liverpool and Consultant Haemato-Oncologist at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, said the funding represents a major endorsement of UNCOVER and of the value of using real-world NHS data to improve outcomes for people with blood cancer. He said that by bringing together clinicians, researchers and patients, the programme can ask stronger questions, produce more meaningful evidence and help ensure that research leads to practical improvements in care.

UNCOVER differs from many large-scale research programmes because it is shaped collaboratively by clinicians, patients and early career researchers from across the UK. Research priorities are developed through a national advisory group, helping ensure that the programme focuses on issues that matter most to people affected by blood cancer.

Data analysis is carried out by a specialist team of health data scientists in the Institute of Population Health under the leadership of Professor Catrin Tudur Smith. The programme’s use of routinely collected NHS data allows researchers to examine care and outcomes at a national level, offering insights that may not be visible through smaller or more narrowly focused studies.

Over the past three years, UNCOVER has already delivered important research activity. Findings have been presented at major international scientific conferences, while several peer-reviewed manuscripts are now being prepared or submitted. The programme has also helped attract additional funding, including support for research into health inequalities in blood cancer.

The latest funding from Blood Cancer UK will support further expansion of the database and enable the team to progress a larger pipeline of high-priority research questions. It will also strengthen education and training opportunities, support the development of international collaborations and help translate research findings into evidence that can inform NHS decision-making.

A major focus of the next phase will be ensuring that the research delivers real-world benefits for patients. By using large-scale NHS data and working closely with clinicians and people affected by blood cancer, UNCOVER aims to support more informed decisions, improved care pathways and better outcomes for patients across England.

Media Contact:
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SOURCE: University of Liverpool