KU News Release

KU chancellor, Kansas governor to visit British university, major life sciences firm

LAWRENCE — During a trip next week to the United Kingdom, University of Kansas Chancellor Robert Hemenway will tour a British university with Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and meet with top administrators and researchers as well as leaders of a life-sciences firm with major investments in Kansas.

The visit to the University of Nottingham on July 17 includes a meeting with Sir Colin Campbell, vice chancellor and an authority on higher education well known for boosting technology transfer between universities and private enterprise.

“Sir Colin is renowned for urging entrepreneurialism in university research,” said Hemenway. “I look forward to seeing some of the exciting work underway at the University of Nottingham and forging new connections there.”

After the meeting with Campbell, Sebelius and Hemenway’s itinerary includes an introduction to the university and a campus tour. Hemenway also will spend time at the university’s Magnetic Resonance Center to meet with Sir Peter Mansfield, emeritus professor of physics, who in 2003 received the Nobel Prize for Medicine.

Additionally, the governor and chancellor will receive an update on OncImmune, a cutting-edge European biosciences firm developed in the lab of John Robertson, a professor of surgery at Nottingham. The company develops products for early detection of cancer.

OncImmune recently established its North American headquarters in Lenexa to bring it closer to KU breast cancer researchers. The firm’s $30 million investment should create 120 new Kansas jobs and develop 20 new positions at KU in the coming years.

“KU’s partnership with OncImmune speeds our progress to the creation of a truly world-class cancer center,” Hemenway said. “It’s a collaboration that shows how University of Kansas researchers, together with cutting-edge life sciences companies, can combat cancer and strengthen our region’s economy.”

While in the United Kingdom, Sebelius and Hemenway also will attend the Farnborough Air Show in order to advance Kansas’ aviation manufacturing industry.

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