February 07, 2025
The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s Cancer Biology research program aims to understand the molecular mechanisms that define normal and neoplastic growth and develop novel therapeutic approaches. The program promotes the exchange of knowledge through collaboration.
I co-lead the Cancer Biology research program with researchers Tomoo Iwakuma, MD, PhD (Children’s Mercy), and Linheng Li, PhD (Stowers Institute for Medical Research). In addition, Ryan Barnes, PhD, serves as the Cancer Biology Liaison who promotes bidirectional communication and collaboration between our 60 research program members, the community and trainees. Shrikant Anant, PhD, associate director for Basic Sciences, oversees the overall program direction and priorities.
The program facilitates multidisciplinary research structured around three themes:
- Cancer Metastasis and Tumor Microenvironment
- DNA Damage/Repair and Regulation
- Stem Cells, Signaling Pathways and Treatment Resistance
The program organizes an annual, full-day retreat for members and trainees. The annual meeting has been a major event for members to exchange ideas, build relationships, meet patient advocates, relax and enjoy learning. The retreat features an external keynote speaker, meet-the-expert sessions, a presentation by members of PIVOT (the cancer center’s patient research advocacy group), poster sessions, and trainee talks.
The Cancer Biology research program supports faculty applying for grants through a pre-submission peer review meeting called Grant Rounds. KU Cancer Center provides several pilot awards, including investigator-initiated grants as well as clinical and basic science grants, to support publications in high-impact research papers. To foster multi-PI collaborations, we also fund mini retreats to enhance scientific interactions.
The Cancer Biology Program offers an avenue for KU Cancer Center members to work together to tackle complex questions leading to discoveries that benefit cancer patients.