Beginning in 1974, cancer research on the MIT campus was organized by the Center for Cancer Research (CCR), which held the distinction of a NCI designated Cancer Center since its inception. In 2008, the CCR was renamed the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research (Kl) at MIT in recognition of a major expansion of the MIT's commitment to inter-disciplinary cancer research as well as a significant donation by Mr. Koch. In launching the Kl, the outstanding tradition of cancer science represented by the MIT CCR has been joined by a new focus on cancer-relevant engineering. Kl Investigators, who are drawn from multiple departments in the MIT Schools of Science and Engineering, will study cancer in many ways, using highly collaborative and integrative approaches with a clearly defined mission to apply advanced science and new technologies in the fight against cancer. A state-of-the-art building to house the Kl is currently under construction to be completed in late 2010. The Kl building will house approximately 25 Center members at capacity. An additional 20 member of this Center have laboratories located in other MIT Departments. Due to expansion of the Kl faculty and expanded focus on inter-disciplinary cancer research, we have increased from three Programs to four and reorganized each Program. The Programs are: 1 Molecular Genetics and Immunology;2 Animal Models and Genetics;3 Cell and Systems Biology;4 Engineering Science and Technology. In addition, each Program will be overseen by co-leaders to draw on the strengths of our faculty in science and engineering. Respectively, Phillip Sharp and Dane Wittrup, Tyler Jacks and Angelika Amon, Richard Hynes and Michael Yaffe, and, Robert Langer and Sangeeta Bhatia lead the four Programs. Each program is organized around common interests of the members and overlapping long-range goals. There is extensive intra-programmatic interaction among the members of these programs and many examples of inter-programmatic interaction as well. Of the 43 members listed in this CCSG application, 24 will be located the Koch Institute building at opening. The others are located in the Koch Biology Building (5), the Whitehead Institute (7), the Division of Biological Engineering (2), the Broad Institute (2), the Department of Chemistry (2), and the Center for Environmental Health Sciences (1). The Koch Institute has been organized to apply a broad range of tools and systems in biological sciences, engineering and the physical sciences to advance our understanding of cancer development, progression and response to therapy. This research also holds great potential for new discoveries for improved cancer treatment, detection and monitoring.
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