Research focus areas

At the Koch Institute, we pursue both discovery and applied science, because we know too many important cancer biology questions remain unanswered, yet we can change the numbers for cancer patients using the knowledge we already have. We have to use what we know now to address patient needs today, but we must continue building our foundational knowledge to find the solutions of tomorrow.

Our approach works because uncovering the biological underpinnings of cancer leads to better treatments, and diverse perspectives across disciplines accelerate the development of new tools and technologies to detect, monitor, study, and treat the disease. Rather than organizing our research around any one cancer or tumor type, our scientists and engineers ask big questions in strategic areas. Our priority is to transform how we understand and treat cancer by producing knowledge and tools that can be applied broadly to a range of cancers. We focus on five strategic areas that are essential across a broad range of cancers: nanotechnology-based drugs, detection and monitoring, metastasis, precision medicine, and immunology and immunotherapy. 

 

Strategic Priorities

Detection & monitoring 

Early and often

We build tools and technologies to recognize and visualize cancer in its earliest stages along with novel devices that can track the development of tumors during and after treatment. 

Metastasis 

Stop the spread

We investigate how cancer cells mutate and spread throughout the body, and devise new methods for identifying early transformations and intervening in this deadly process. 

Immunology & immunotherapy 

Harnessing the immune system to fight cancer

We interrogate cancer's relationship with the immune system to understand mechanisms of immune evasion and suppression and develop immunotherapies that work for more patients and against more tumor types. 

Nano-based drugs 

Tiny technologies with big impact

We work at the molecular level to engineer new therapeutic agents and drug delivery systems that can identify and target cancer cells and selectively destroy them.  

Precision medicine 

The right drug for the right patient at the right time

We develop new strategies to pinpoint cancer’s vulnerabilities and overcome resistance by building a comprehensive understanding of the processes, signals, and mechanisms that determine a tumor’s response to treatment.