19 October 2026
The Advanced Neurotherapies Centre attended the Advanced Therapies Wales Symposium in September.
Professor Deya Gonzalez welcomed delegates to Swansea University’s Bay Campus, a venue she said symbolised innovation, collaboration and excellence.
A series of flash talks followed, updating delegates on associated programmes including the Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) Advanced Therapies & Workforce programme, the ATMP outcomes programme, national pathway mapping, and initiatives to enable advanced therapies in Wales.
A recurring theme throughout the presentations was the need to develop educational resources for clinical staff to address the misconceptions and negative narratives that often surround advanced therapies.
Owain Jones, principal pharmacist for clinical trials at Velindre University NHS Trust, explored these challenges, sharing insights gathered from interviews with clinical staff.
He also outlined recommendations for good practice, highlighting Professor Liam Gray and the work of the Advanced Neurotherapies Centre as a leading example of how advanced therapies can be successfully delivered within the NHS.
Delegates heard about the need to strengthen infrastructure to support the translation of research into patient care.
Building on these discussions, Professor Liam Gray delivered a flash talk that promised delegates three things: context on the current advanced therapies landscape, hope for the future and an opportunity to help make that future a reality.
“We are at the very tip of a huge iceberg. We’re beginning to feel our way through this, and there’s a process of evolution, discovery, rediscovery, and fine tuning before we get to something that we can deliver to patients.”
That opportunity came in the form of the Advanced Therapies Clinical Expertise Forum, where knowledge, information and processes relating to advanced therapy clinical trials can be shared and accessed. The Forum aims to prevent the duplication and fragmentation of effort across Wales, helping to accelerate progress and support the more effective delivery of advanced therapies.
After lunch, delegates took part in a series of workshops exploring digital requirements in the Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP) pathway, research strategy, and the journey from discovery to clinical delivery.
Dr Cheney Drew, public involvement lead at ANTC, also presented on the importance of supporting inclusive recruitment to ATMP clinical trials.
Bringing together patients, researchers, academics and clinical staff, the discussions reflected the collaborative approach needed to accelerate the development and delivery of advanced therapies in Wales.
The event concluded with the poster awards, celebrating innovative research from across the advanced therapies community.
Professor Liam Gray, alongside Rabin Poudel and Dr Tom Baker, received first prize for their poster “Modelling and optimisation of multiple infusions in soft-tissue drug delivery.”
The award provided a fitting end to a day focused on collaboration, innovation and the shared ambition to ensure patients in Wales can benefit from the next generation of advanced therapies.
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