Cancer Biology
The development of new therapies, especially in the era of targeted treatments and personalized medicine, is driven by understanding the underlying cell biology, molecular biology and biochemistry of tumor cells and their surrounding microenvironments. The Cancer Biology research program represents basic science initiatives of The University of Kansas Cancer Center. Members focus on four discipline-based themes: 1) cancer metastasis and tumor microenvironment; 2) DNA damage/repair and regulation; 3) stem cell biology; and 4) cell signaling pathways.
Members of the Cancer Biology research program aim to understand the molecular mechanisms that define normal and neoplastic cell growth to identify and characterize cells, molecules, pathways and processes that are involved in cancer growth and progression. Their findings can serve as useful biomarkers or new cellular targets for cancer prevention and therapeutics. Members focus their efforts on the cancers that most affect people in the cancer center’s catchment area. Overall, their goal is to advance promising basic discoveries into clinical trials.
The Cancer Biology research program is led by Tomoo Iwakuma , MD, PhD, Linheng Li, PhD, Kristi Neufeld, PhD, and Sufi Thomas, PhD.
Cancer Prevention and Control
About 42% of cancer cases and 45% of cancer deaths in the U.S. are believed to be preventable. The Cancer Prevention and Control research program at The University of Kansas Cancer Center brings together researchers focused on identifying new ways to prevent cancer and improve cancer outcomes, with a focus on high-risk and underserved communities in the cancer center’s catchment area. This includes: 1) developing, testing and implementing innovative strategies to modify behaviors that drive cancer risk and cancer incidence disparities; 2) identifying biomarker-driven and other testing strategies that detect cancer earlier and/or reduce cancer risk ; and 3) developing and disseminating behavioral, nutritional and clinical support interventions to address the impact of cancer.
Cancer Prevention and Control members represent a rich mix of expertise, including behavioral science, neuroscience, primary care, nursing, oncology, epidemiology, economics, translational biology, pharmacology, communications, biostatistics, and health services research. Their work has led to a better understanding of the cancer control needs in the cancer center’s catchment area; improved capacity to analyze the needs of affected and at-risk populations; identification of novel precancerous models and new biomarkers; improved strategies to detect and prevent cancer in high-risk patients; better strategies for the design and delivery of cancer prevention and control messages; and improved delivery of tobacco control, cancer screening, physical activity, obesity and survivorship programs at the level of both the clinical practice and the community-at-large.
The Cancer Prevention and Control research program is led by Edward Ellerbeck, MD, MPH, Jennifer Klemp, PhD, MPH, and Nikki Nollen, PhD.
Drug Discovery, Delivery and Experimental Therapeutics
It takes a community of researchers, physicians, patients and support staff to discover and develop new ways to prevent, detect and treat cancer. The Drug Discovery, Delivery and Experimental Therapeutics research program at The University of Kansas Cancer Center integrates a broad range of research areas that contribute to the discovery of new cancer therapeutic agents as well as novel approaches to effective drug delivery; the development of drug products and diagnostics for the treatment and prevention of cancer; and the evaluation of these medical innovations in hypothesis-driven experimental therapeutics trials.
The Drug Discovery, Delivery and Experimental Therapeutics research program is organized around three themes: 1) drug discovery and delivery; 2) drug and diagnostic development; and 3) evaluation of new cancer treatment strategies in clinical trials. The program forms and drives project teams, led by principal investigators and project managers, comprised of basic, translational, and clinical scientists representing multiple disciplines. To bring promising new cancer treatments and diagnostics to patients, members of the Drug Discovery, Delivery and Experimental Therapeutics research program collaborate with industry, academia, government and disease philanthropy partners.
The Drug Discovery, Delivery and Experimental Therapeutics research program is led by Dan Dixon, PhD, Priyanka Sharma, MD, and John Taylor, MD, MS.