The Winship Cancer Institute (WCI) at Emory University is a multidisciplinary matrix center that supports, facilitates, coordinates, and centralizes cancer research, quality oncology care, education, and dissemination at Emory University and its affiliate institutions in order to reduce the burden of cancer, associated morbidity, and mortality in the state of Georgia, the Southeastern region, and the U.S. Its Director, Brian Leyland-Jones, MD, PhD, also serves as Associate Vice-President in the Woodruff Health Sciences Center and leads an expert team of Senior Leadership, Program Leaders, and Core Directors. The 152 WCI members engage in four scientific programs: Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics (CGE), Molecular Pathways and Biomarkers (MPB), Discovery and Drug Development (DDT), and Cancer Control and Population Sciences (CCPS). Shared core resources provide services in Clinical Trials, Cell Imaging and Microscopy, Biomarker Profiling, Biostatistics, and Human Tissue and Pathology. The WCI currently occupies dedicated facilities of over 350,000 nsf under the direct control of the Director. During the P20 Planning Grant period, the WCI's NCI funding grew from $9.49 million to its current mark of $25 million in NCI grants out of a total of $55.4 million in extramural, peer-reviewed cancer funding. This growth has been facilitated by the extensive recruiting of new faculty to Emory, resulting in 88 new recruits from 19 different departments across the Schools of Medicine, Public Health, Nursing, and Emory College. Other noteworthy accomplishments during this planning period have been substantial progress in clinical trials as measured by total accruals and accruals to investigator-initiated studies, and the success in team science awards, including multiple P01's, P20's, P60, the U54 Cancer Center for Nanotechnology Excellence, and a Head and Neck SPORE. The WCI has received extensive institutional support, including more than $95 million in University funding to support infrastructure and new initiatives, plus $103 million for the construction of the WCI building dedicated in 2002. Beyond funding, Emory has been committed to elevating the status of the cancer center within the University;enhancing the organizational position of the cancer center within the Woodruff Health Sciences Center;and ensuring the sustained authority of the Director. The WCI also benefits from intense support from its community partners, including the Georgia Cancer Coalition (GCC), which has provided over $28 million in support to 51 GCC Scholars among WCI members;the American Cancer Society;the CDC;and other area-based institutions, including the Georgia Institute of Technology and Morehouse School of Medicine. Developmental funds are requested for a Transgenic Mouse and Gene Targeting Core and essential Bioinformatics technology. The WCI is well-positioned to continue to advance its progress as it pursues NCI-designation as a cancer center, and to fulfill its mission to reduce the burden of cancer throughout the state of Georgia.
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