Hartley Lecture: Faraday Lecture 2005 Hartley Lecture by Richard Parton Faraday Lecture by Fran Balkwill Professor Frances Balkwill has been awarded the 2005 Royal Society Michael Faraday Prize for her outstanding work in communicating science Michael Faraday Prize Lecture By Professor Fran Balkwill, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry Given at the Royal Society on Wednesday 25 January 2006 This is the 'golden age' of cancer research; 50 years of painstaking scientific detective work has finally paid off. Scientists studying the life and death of bacteria, yeast, mouse and human cells have gained a deep understanding of the molecules that go wrong in cancer. This knowledge is already leading to drugs that hit the target with less collateral damage. In the years to come, increasing numbers of people will live with their cancer rather than die of it. But some cancers present more of a challenge than others. Cancer of the ovary is a silent killer, rarely showing its presence until it has spread far and wide. How will our understanding of the molecular biology of this disease translate into new ways for its early detection and treatment? In communicating the challenges and hopes for the future, Professor Fran Balkwill of Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry will demonstrate how cancer scientists can help patients and their families, as well as inspire young people to take up careers in this exciting area of science. 2005