Scientific programs

Cancer is astonishingly complex. It is not a disease restricted to a few rogue cells, but a systemic invader that infiltrates and rewires entire physiological networks to support its survival. Because of this complexity, the search for solutions to better detect and treat cancer demands that scientists and engineers aunite across disciplines to bring every tool, innovation and insight to the table.

As a National Cancer Institute-designated basic cancer center, the Koch Institute works at the confluence of discovery science and translational medicine to accelerate and amplify impact on patient survival and quality of life. Three NCI-funded Scientific Programs lay the foundation for all our research efforts: Systems Biology and Engineering for Precision Cancer Medicine; Cancer Immunology and Immune Engineering; and Molecular Cancer Biology & Physiology.  

Our Scientific Programs provide the structural framework for long-term collaboration, anchoring our research in the areas where biology and immunology meet the greatest patient need. Within each Scientific Program, projects are built to cross-pollinate, ensuring that a breakthrough in one area fuels a solution in another. These programs serve as a vital pipeline to transform insights into more sensitive, less invasive detection tools and a new arsenal of powerful drugs, immunotherapies, and treatment strategies.  

We believe true innovation is born from the collision of disciplines. By providing the space and structure for bold ideas to tackle the complexity of cancer, we transform raw ingenuity into a new generation of life-saving breakthroughs. 

Acknowledgements

When publishing or presenting research supported by the Koch Institute's NCI Cancer Center Support Grant please acknowledge P30-CA014051.