Case study: Partnership between Check4Cancer & Essex
Skin cancer cases are rising globally and there’s a critical shortage of specialist healthcare professionals; it’s more important than ever that cases are detected early.
Thanks to a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), clinicians and patients are getting the head start they need with a new diagnostic tool powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
Driven to innovate
Professor Gordon Wishart is the Founder, Chief Medical Officer & CEO of Cambridge-based cancer detection leader Check4Cancer, where harnessing the latest technology is standard practice.
Knowing skin cancer patients faced delays in diagnosis and treatment, and experiencing their own challenges in meeting demand for assessments, Professor Wishart wanted a scalable solution that promoted intervention and inclusivity.
Harnessing high-quality imagery
Since 2015 Check4Cancer had been collecting expert-reviewed lesion imagery and patient data from its teledermatology pathway, accumulating a valuable bank of 79,246 pictures from over 19,000 patients.
They wanted to harness those images and create an AI model that could catch skin cancer early and spot signs to prevent it developing. But there was an additional challenge; to create something that patients and clinicians could trust.
Creating a scalable solution
A KTP partnered the company with Dr Haider Raza, a leader in pioneering AI solutions for healthcare from Essex’s School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering.
Dr Raza helped the company create a safe, reliable and explainable AI model that supports clinical decision-making.
SKINTEL® is a first-of-its-kind innovation. The diagnostic tool combines AI image analysis with 7 different patient metrics including age, skin tone, hair colour and family history.
Extraordinary results
During model development, SKINTEL® detected 99.5% of skin cancer cases and 82.5% per cent of non-cancerous lesions. It revolutionises how skin cancers are diagnosed and triaged and recent validation studies using real world data have confirmed these initial findings.
The partnership has received international recognition at innovation awards and Dr Raza has joined Check4Cancer’s advisory board, where he will provide strategic oversight on model safety, reliability and explainability.
In March 2026, Professor Gordon Wishart also accepted a Visiting Professorship in the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering at the University of Essex, further strengthening the relationship with the university.
![Gordon Wishart]()
"Integration of SKINTEL(R) into the teledermatology triage process can accelerate skin cancer diagnosis or reassurance, and promote early melanoma detection either by acting as a clinical decision aid for healthcare professional (HCP) reporters or, in the future, for autonomous use with no HCP report."
)
Essex has secured more Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership funding than any other university in the UK. Through this programme, you could receive funding covering up to 67% of your project costs. We will guide you through the entire process, drawing on a sector-leading track record of success. Each project is commercially focused and powered by the university’s world-class research expertise.
See how others have innovated with Essex
Get the best value for money when investing in new services. Let us help you make informed, evidence-based decisions, and reduce the risks of change and innovation in your organisation.