Speaker Profile
PMWC LUMINARY AWARD
Pioneered Cytosponge, bringing scalable early detection to esophageal cancer
OBE, FRS, FMedSci, Professor of Cancer Prevention; Director, Early Cancer Institute, and Head, Academic Department of Oncology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge
Biography
Rebecca Fitzgerald is a leading figure in cancer prevention and early detection. She is best known for developing Capsule Sponge or Cytosponge, the “sponge on a string” test for identifying Barrett’s esophagus and early esophageal cancer, providing a practical, less-invasive model for risk-based screening and reducing reliance on endoscopy.
Her work has carried this technology across the full translational arc, from mechanistic and biomarker research through large randomized trials, NHS pilots, and large-scale population screening studies, setting a benchmark for how an early detection tool moves from concept to clinical implementation. As Director of the Early Cancer Institute at Cambridge, she has built a program focused on intercepting cancer at its earliest and most treatable stages.
A Fellow of the Royal Society and the Academy of Medical Sciences, and American Association of Cancer Research, Fitzgerald continues to shape the future of cancer prevention, precision screening, and early cancer interception.
Talk
Session Abstract – PMWC 2027 Silicon Valley
Davos of Precision Medicine
PMWC 2027 Program
January 27–29, 2027 · Santa Clara Convention Center
Swipe speakers · Tap a card for sessions →
In a few words.
PMWC is indeed The Davos of Biotech
PMWC Hall of Impact
Previous Speakers Include
Nobel laureates, technology founders, regulators, CEOs and scientific pioneers who have taken the PMWC stage.
