• Ageing, Cancer, and Disparities Research Unit – ACADI

A warm welcome back to the ACADI Newsletter! We hope you have all enjoyed your start to 2026. We have started the year off strong and have many updates to share with you.

Publications

We have started the year hot off the presses with new publications.

Dr Sophie Pilleron coauthored a piece entitled: Cancer in the Oldest Old in Cancer Epidemiology. You can access this informative piece here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877782125002401?via%3Dihub

Dr Sophie Pilleron in collaboration with Fay J. Strohschein, Hanneke van der Wal-Huisman, K. Alix Hayden, Kristen R. Haase, Michelle Hannan, Cindy Kenis, Juan Li, Nikita Nikita, Tracy Ruegg, Heike Schmidt, Anke Steckelberg, Cassandra Vonnes, and Martine Puts, have had a review accepted. It is entitled “Nursing practice in cancer treatment decision making among older adults: A scoping review on behalf of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology Nursing, Allied Health, and Scientists Interest Group” and will be published in the Journal of Geriatric Oncology. Stay tuned for links when the paper is available!

Dr Pilleron, in collaboration with the ESMO/SIOG working group including Capucine Baldini, Anna Rachelle Austria Mislang, and Etienne Brain; co-authored a paper titled “The ESMO/SIOG Cancer in the Elderly Working Group Pragmatic Strategies for Clinical Trial Designs and Endpoints in Older Adults with Cancer” to be published in ESMO Open. Read this important work here: https://kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fauthors.elsevier.com%2Fsd%2Farticle%2FS2059-7029(25)01810-1/1/0102019c87f9f116-90a7a5b4-70e5-4fc6-851f-409e59d825bc-000000/P-RcyY0wcWTm4Ebzf14LDMRlYtc=466

In other collaborative work, linking more to our interests in health disparities, Dr India Pinker co-authored a paper with 60+ collaborators, including Semra Worrall and Dr Sergio Silverio, titled “The relationship between preterm birth and postpartum anxiety: A first-in-field systematic review.” which was accepted for publication in Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology.  Although this work extends beyond our core focus,for those interested, you can find the paper here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2026.102715

Dr Pinker also authored a piece on the Early Career Subcommittee of the International Association for Communication in Healthcare in the journal Patient Education and Counselling. To learn more about the subcommittee and what they do, access the piece here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S073839912600087X?via%3Dihub

Saving the best for last… We are thrilled to announce that Dr Pauline Duquenne’s paper “Assessment of risk of bias in mortality risk prediction models for older adults with cancer: A systematic review from YSIOG and SIOG NAHS” was accepted in The Lancet Healthy Longevity! We are so proud of you Pauline! Stay tuned for more about this important work once the article is available online.

Conferences

Dr India Pinker presented “Navigating, Negotiating, and Challenging the Ethics of Qualitative Research” alongside Dr Sergio Silverio at the Qualitative Research Symposium at the University of Bath from the 27-29^th of January. The talk sparked insightful interdisciplinary discussion about communicating the value of different scientific approaches for research progress.

Dr Lisa Zangarini (in collaboration with Drs Sophie Pilleron, India Pinker, and Clémence Bafei as well as Gladys Langue), was accepted to present her work “Smartwatches in Older Adults: A Scoping Review of Clinical Applications and Adoption in Primary Care” at the EYFDM Pre-conference in Paris in June this year, ahead of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA) conference. Congratulations!

Project launches

LLUMINAS

Drs Sophie Pilleron, India Pinker, and Lisa Zangarini attended and participated in the launch of the national LLUMINAS project on the 4^th of February. The LLUMINAS project looks to evaluate current cancer screening programmes and plan the implementation of a new lung cancer screening programme. During this meeting Dr Pinker helped moderate and facilitate the decision-making for key aspects of the lung cancer screening programme, with vital medical and research insights from Dr Zangarini and Dr Pilleron. Following this meeting, LLUMINAS was officially launched by key figures from the Luxembourgish Ministry of Health, IARC and European Commission with attendance from key local figures from the healthcare sector, research and patient representation.

TDM-Café

The project TDM-Café, funded by ThinkPink Luxembourg and supported by Cargolux Airlines, has officially launched! This study examines the perspectives of all key stakeholders involved in cancer treatment decision-making to co-design future research in this area and to support both the translation and implementation of existing evidence.

Are you someone who experienced a cancer diagnosis after the age of 65? A caregiver of family member of someone who was diagnosed at this age? Or healthcare professional involved in their treatment? We want to hear your perspective! Please give us your thoughts through this anonymous survey and spread the word! The survey can be done in 4 languages and will form the basis of an event in which we co-design the priorities for research in this area.

EN: https://lsurvey.lih.lu/index.php/576418?lang=en

FR: https://lsurvey.lih.lu/index.php/576418?lang=fr

DE: https://lsurvey.lih.lu/index.php/576418?lang=de

LU: https://lsurvey.lih.lu/index.php/576418?lang=lb

PT: https://lsurvey.lih.lu/index.php/576418?lang=pt

Outreach

Dr Sophie Pilleron was interviewed about her career as a scientist for FNR’s feature of Women and Girls in Science. This feature highlights inspirational women in science, to show how women are carving their way forward in these fields. Stay tuned for the publication of this piece!

Dr Sophie Pilleron and Dr India Pinker have contributed to an article for ELAN Magazine, a Luxembourg-based publication with a nationwide readership and a particular focus on issues relevant to later life. The pieces discusses the newly launched study TDM-Café funded by ThinkPink Lux, including the goals of this research. We look forward to sharing the published piece next month.

Grants

Dr India Pinker has submitted a grant in collaboration with scientists from the Amsterdam University Medical Centre on implementing culturally tailored navigation for cancer prevention information.  The grant was submitted as part of a call on Implementation Science approaches for Cancer Prevention by the Union for International Cancer Control, with results to be shared in June 2026.

Disappointments

With ups, there are inevitably downs. We have had our fair share of disappointments and challenges to start this year. Unfortunately, two proposals submitted for funding, including one to the European Union for a Marie Curie postdoctoral fellowship and one to the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), were rejected. As part of our journey in research, these are common rites of passage that allow us to rethink the presentation of our ideas, and where we can strengthen our them for another call.

In acknowledgement of this, the team went out to “celebrate” our first rejections of the year. We look forward to other opportunities this year might hold.

Meet the Team

The team has grown again! We have the pleasure of introducing you to two new members who have joined us this year; Dr Lingming Chen and Manal El Hani. Welcome to the ACADI team!

My name is Lingming and I am from China. I recently joined LIH as a postdoctoral fellow in the ACADI unit. I have an interdisciplinary background in aging research, epidemiology, biostatistics, and clinical practice. I earned my PhD from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in the United States of America. I also have eight years of clinical experience, with a focus on gynecology.I am delighted to take this next step in my career with the ACADI team. I am excited to contribute to aging and cancer research, particularly by applying quantitative approaches to improve health outcomes for cancer patients.”

Dr Lingming Chen

I am delighted to join the ACADI team as an intern. I am currently a Master’s student in Clinical Research and Health Simulation at Aix‑Marseille University in France. Throughout my academic journey, I have developed a strong interest in enhancing patient care and strengthening the inclusion of patients’ voices into healthcare decision‑making processes. Joining ACADI represents a valuable opportunity for me to deepen these topics within a committed and dynamic team. During my internship, I will work on evaluating the diagnostic experience reported by cancer patients in Luxembourg, as part of the national COLIVE Cancer project. This work aims to better understand patients’ experiences at the time of diagnosis to identify concrete and meaningful avenues for improvement that align with their needs.I am enthusiastic about contributing to this large‑scale project, which is of significant importance for public health in Luxembourg!”

Manal El Hani

Until next time, keep well!

The ACADI Team