CANCER CONTROL AND POPULATION SCIENCES PROGRAM ABSTRACT The Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) Cancer Control and Population Sciences (CCPS) Program facilitates the collaborations and exchanges necessary to propel progress toward reducing the incidence, morbidity, and mortality of cancer and improving the quality of life of affected individuals and families. We organize the work of the Program around two central scientific themes: 1) Translational Cancer Predisposition Genetics and 2) Cancer Behavioral and Outcomes Research. We pursue these themes in six ways: 1) studies of cancer familiality, to inform gene discovery efforts and to inform genetic counseling; 2) cancer susceptibility gene discovery and evaluation; 3) improving risk communication, risk reduction, and surveillance in members of at- risk families; 4) risk prediction through studies of environmental and gene-environment epidemiology, utilizing our unique Utah Population Database; 5) identifying and testing strategies to ameliorate cancer disparities in our catchment area with a focus on Native American and Latino communities and disparities based on geography; and 6) identifying, testing, and translating strategies to improve cancer treatment, symptom, and quality-of-life outcomes, leading to the delivery of precision oncology care across the cancer continuum. Under the leadership of Kathleen Mooney, PhD, RN, and Sean Tavtigian, PhD, the CCPS Program includes 39 members drawn from 14 University of Utah departments in four schools/colleges. Between 2009 and 2013, this highly productive and collaborative group generated 525 cancer-relevant publications. Of these, 151 (29%) were intra- and 74 (14%) were inter-programmatic collaborations; 201 (38%) included collaboration with another Cancer Center and/or the International Agency for Research on Cancer. In 2013, CCPS members had $10.59M in annual total funding for cancer research projects, including $8.24M from NCI. The high proportion of NCI funding (78%), combined with CCPS leadership of both HCI Program Project Grants, underscores the Program's exceptional cancer focus and relevance. CCPS members are actively engaged in the Cancer Center, offering their perspectives on direction and emphasis, their methodological expertise in both basic and applied research, and their active participation on HCI's translational Disease-Oriented Research Teams. HCI provides the Program with significant ongoing funding for pilot studies and new initiatives, commitment for new faculty recruitments and further expansion of the Program, ongoing maintenance of critical Shared Resources, financial support, and encouragement in redesigning current space, plus an active role in planning CCPS space in the new Phase IV HCI research building. With new CCPS leadership and committed support from HCI Leadership, the CCPS Program has grown in the prior reporting period into a dynamic and highly visible element of the Cancer Center.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 1193 publications
