Kirsty Danielson, Head of Surgery and Critical Care Department, Associate Professor and Associate Dean Research at University of Otago, shared Emma Symonds’s post on LinkedIn, adding:
“Let’s help Emma raise money for Prostate Cancer Research in memory of the late, great Peter Larsen!
She’s doing amazing work at Imperial College London and a great example of the talented young people Peter invested so much time in developing through his career. You got this Emma.”
Emma Symonds, Postdoctoral Research Associate at Imperial College London, shared:
“In September 2027, I’ll be taking on the Cretan Resistance Trek with Prostate Cancer Research (PCR): a challenging 5-day sea-to-summit trek across the mountains and coastal clifftops of Crete, following in the footsteps of the WWII resistance fighters.
Most of you know that I’m a scientist and researcher working in prostate cancer at Imperial College London, so research is not just something I’m raising money for, it’s what I do every day. My work involves trying to understand this disease better and, ultimately, contribute to finding better ways to diagnose and treat it.
I spend most of my time in the lab, working with patient samples and asking questions that I hope will eventually make a difference to patients.
I’ll be taking on this challenge alongside people who have experienced prostate cancer themselves, their families, other researchers and the team at PCR.
This week I got to meet some of the patients that I’ll be trekking alongside and hear their stories. This challenge is a chance for me to step away from the lab and raise money for the research that I care deeply about, while also meeting the people who give that research its purpose.
This challenge has also taken on a more personal meaning recently. I sadly lost one of my academic mentors, Peter Larsen, who played an important role in my development as a scientist.
Losing someone who helped shape the researcher I have become has made me reflect even more on the importance of the people who invest their time, knowledge and belief in the next generation of scientists, and on the importance of continuing the work that can ultimately make a difference to others.
I’m aiming to raise £5,000 for Prostate Cancer Research through this challenge, and I’ll be hosting fundraising events throughout the year to help reach my target. The money raised will support innovative prostate cancer research and the scientists working to turn discoveries made in the lab into life-changing advances for patients.
And to my Kiwi family and friends back home in New Zealand, you can still donate! Donations aren’t limited to the UK, so wherever you are in the world, I’d be incredibly grateful for your support. I might even organise a raffle or two back home so this isn’t the last you’ll hear from me!
Whether you donate, come along to one of my fundraising events, or simply share this page, thank you for helping me take on this challenge and support research that I genuinely believe in.”
This can be interesting:
PCF Highlights Three Decades of Progress in Prostate Cancer Research
