The George Pickard Programme
The George Pickard Programme for Precision Brain Surgery was created in memory of George Pickard, whose life was tragically cut short by a brain tumour. His family established the programme to turn loss into purpose by funding vital brain tumour research and better patient treatment.
Brain tumours move fast and leave families with too few answers. This programme supports urgent, life-changing research aimed at improving outcomes and, one day, finding a cure.
This year, we are incredibly proud to kick-start our sponsored activities as George’s son Ollie and his team take on the Brighton Marathon to raise awareness and vital funds for life-saving research. It’s a powerful moment to celebrate George’s legacy, bring our community together, and build momentum that will help accelerate research and change lives.
Proof of Concept
Fifteen years ago, the George Pickard Fellowship seed-funded the Raman spectroscopy project, which enabled Clinical Research Fellow, Babar Vaqas to transform a concept into a validated technology that can “fingerprint” brain tissue at a molecular level in “real time” with the goal of making brain surgery safer and more effective; it enabled surgeons to use brain surgery for more than just resection, it also helped them to see how the tumour functions and make decisions on possible treatments in the theatre. This Raman project is now becoming an established clinical tool.
The George Pickard Fellowship proved that early investment can change the trajectory of science; this next phase is about building a living, learning surgical ecosystem that connects imaging, function and metabolism, and delivers personalised data-driven neurosurgery.
Every donation supports pioneering research at Imperial College London, led by Dr Nel Syed and Mr Kevin O’Neill, Chair of the BTRC, continuing Wendy Fulcher’s work in advancing brain tumour research and patient care.
About the Programme
Building on this success, the George Pickard Programme aims to create the world’s first integrated, data-driven surgical precision platform. Specifically funding the research and development of an 8k Robotic Multi-Modal Vision System – is a robotic arm-mounted 8K+ depth camera producing real-time 3D and augmented-reality views of the surgical field, adjusting for brain shift, tracking the cavity dynamically and synchronising all incoming data streams, generating a world-leading dataset for AI “surgical co-pilots.”
Today, this innovation allows neurosurgeons to do far more than remove tumours. During surgery, they can understand how a brain tumour behaves and make informed treatment decisions in the operating theatre. What began as an ambitious research idea is now an established and trusted clinical tool in modern neurosurgery.
Brain tumour surgery remains complex, with risks of incomplete tumour removal, recurrence, and damage to vital brain functions. This programme is dedicated to addressing those challenges by helping surgeons see, map, and understand brain tumours at molecular, metabolic, functional, and structural levels – in real time.
WHATS ON NEXT AND HOW YOU CAN HELP?
You can donate directly to the programme using JustGiving.
There will also be events taking place relating to the programme. These will be shown here when active.
We are calling on friends, colleagues, family, and supporters to participate or sponsor participants and make a real difference.
GEORGE PICKARD PROGRAMME EVENTS: