When it came to choosing her career, Sian Farrell knew she wanted to help cancer patients, and her determination has led her to a potentially life-changing discovery.
The 29-year-old from Coleraine has co-founded an innovative new technology which could help change the efficacy of some cancer treatments. StimOxyGen Technology aims to help address the lack of oxygen at cancer sites which could 'potentially improve the efficiency of radiotherapy by up to 300%'.
After graduating from Ulster University in 2015, Sian moved to Bristol for two years and worked as a hospital pharmacist, but she later returned home to pursue her passion.
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"I always knew that I wanted to go into cancer research, so I moved back to my home town in 2017 to begin my PhD at Ulster University Coleraine," she told Belfast Live.
"I have been working on oxygen-generating nanoparticles since I started my PhD in 2017. The idea initially came from my PhD supervisors Prof. Anthony McHale and Prof. John Callan. Although it was not exactly part of my PhD project I found the technology and its possibilities so interesting that I have been heavily involved in technical development and preclinical studies from the get go.
"In 2020, when COVID hit and our labs were temporarily closed, I came across a new opportunity called ICURe. ICURe stands for Innovation to Commercialisation of University Research and it is a pre-accelerator programme to help early-career researchers get out of the lab and commercially validate their academic-based technologies. I had over 100 conversations and made so many valuable connections.
"The feedback about the technology was great and so I presented this to a panel of experts at the end of the programme and we were recommended for spin-out. We spun the company out in March 2021 and were awarded an ICURe follow-on grant from Innovate UK to help fund the first 12 months of our now commercially-focused project."
Explaining their research and technology Sian said: "We have developed a nanoparticle that can be intravenously or intratumorally administered and generates oxygen specifically at the tumour site. This could potentially improve the efficacy of radiotherapy by up to 300%.
"We currently are working with an external company to validate our manufacturing process and we are just about to begin testing the safety and the efficacy of our oxygen-generating nanoparticles in combination with radiotherapy. Following this we will engage with regulatory bodies to further examine the safety of our technology in preparation for a first in human clinical trial."
Sian is passionate about her work and wants to improve the outcomes of cancer right across the world thanks to her technology.
"Everybody is affected by cancer in some way, either they’ve went through it themselves or knows someone who has. During my time in Bristol, I worked on oncology wards and also in aseptic services where chemotherapy is made and checked.
"I witnessed the cruel side effects that these patients experienced and also unfortunately witnessed the consequences of ineffective treatments. My goal is to increase the efficacy of various cancer treatments, reduce side effects and improve cancer outcomes on a global scale."
With no business training in the past, Sian says she is proud of being able to get the company up and running and notes their most recent success at the INVENT 2021 competition hosted by Catalyst NI as 'an experience I will never forget' where StimOxyGen claimed prizes in three categories.
Asked what advice she would give to other you people looking to start their own business, Sian said: "I have found that starting a business takes a LOT of hard work, effort and time so don’t underestimate that, and it helps to be extremely passionate about what you are doing in order to keep you motivated.
"It is also vital to ensure you have a strong team who can back you! This is what many investors will look for in your company and potentially be a deciding factor for whether they will invest or not.
"Finally, do not be afraid to ask lots of questions and reach out for help. You may be scared to reach out to someone you have never met before to ask for advice, but more than often these are the people who want to help you most. Keep learning and keep growing your network."
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