This premier symposium held at the Marriott Downtown City Creek in Salt Lake City, Utah, will showcase emerging new models in cancer care across the continuum including; screening, risk identification, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. Provocative presentations and facilitated discussions will explore the essential frameworks for transformative thinking to improve care and outcomes. Come be a part of the discussion as we shape the future of cancer care delivery.
AACI Update | February 2025
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AACI CADEx Meeting Highlights Power of Data
Pictured: AACI CADEx Planning Committee members
Photo credit: Randy Belice
AACI convened the 2025 AACI Catchment Area Data Excellence (CADEx) Conference, January 29-31, in Coronado, CA. Participants included cancer center catchment area data scientists, geospatial statisticians, and other experts, who addressed emerging topics in cancer prevention and control analytics.
AACI 2024 Report: Better Together
In 2024, AACI helped advance the goals of the oncology ecosystem through collaborations with cancer centers and other stakeholders from government and industry. The association's 2024 report highlights how AACI is connecting members of the cancer center network so we can all work better together.
Winkfield to Keynote 2025 AACI Leadership Workshop
Karen Winkfield, MD, PhD, will deliver the opening keynote, "Crafting Your Career Path: A Strategic Planning Workshop," at 8:00 am central time on Tuesday, March 11, to kick off AACI's 2025 leadership workshop. Drawing from last year’s inspirational keynote, Dr. Winkfield will guide attendees as they explore a variety of opportunities within the oncology field and learn how to navigate their personal career journey.
Federal Grant Freeze Causes Confusion for Cancer Centers
In a week marked by a flurry of executive actions and legal challenges, the White House's funding freeze directive triggered widespread concern throughout the cancer center community. The rapidly evolving situation, which stems from a series of executive orders issued by President Trump, has raised critical questions about the day-to-day operations of government-funded health agencies.
Abstract Submission Tool Open for 17th Annual AACI CRI Meeting
Abstract submissions are now being accepted for the 17th Annual AACI Clinical Research Innovation (CRI) Meeting, June 23-25, 2025, at the Loews Chicago O'Hare Hotel in Rosemont, IL. Completed abstracts are due by 5:00 pm Pacific time on Monday, March 3.
AACI Welcomes Advarra to Tech Gold
AACI welcome Advarra to its Tech Gold members. For over 35 years, Advarra has been dedicated to advancing clinical research. From its origins in ethical review, Advarra has grown to provided institutional review board, institutional biosafety committee, data monitoring committee, endpoint adjudication committee, site and sponsor technology solutions, and research quality and compliance consulting services.
News from the Centers
Blau Awarded National Medal of Science
Stanford Cancer Institute
Often called "America’s Nobel Prize," the National Medal of Science honors the country’s leading researchers. Stem cell biologist and Stanford Cancer Institute faculty member Helen Blau, PhD, was recognized for her work on cellular plasticity and aging.
Chhabra Honored With AACR Award
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Yash Chhabra, PhD, assistant professor in the Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Research Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center, was recently honored with the American Association for Cancer Research’s (AACR) NextGen Stars Award.
CoC Accreditation Earned Again
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) continues to rank among the nation’s top cancer centers, earning three-year accreditation again from the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons. The accreditation builds on MECCC earning comprehensive status from the National Cancer Institute in 2023.
New American Statistical Association President Says Statisticians Can Change the World
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
Ji-Hyun Lee, DrPH, became the 120th president of the American Statistical Association (ASA) on January 1. She is the first Korean American statistician, the first woman statistician from Florida, and the first cancer center applied biostatistician in the history of the ASA presidency.
Center Honored Among Best in Nation
University of Virginia Cancer Center
Becker’s Hospital Review has named UVA Cancer Center to its 2024 list of 100 hospitals and health systems with great oncology programs.
ARPA-H Awards Up to $17.6 Million to Innovate Cancer Surgery, Improve Outcomes
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
Researchers at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University have been awarded up to $17.6 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to develop innovative technology aimed at improving outcomes for patients with cancer requiring surgery. The project, titled "MarginCall," is set to transform how surgical margins are evaluated during cancer surgeries, with an initial focus on breast and ovarian cancer.
Multicenter Trial Addresses Food Insecurity, Malnutrition in Cancer Patients
The University of Kansas Cancer Center
Researchers at The University of Kansas Cancer Center are leading a multicenter trial, funded by a nearly $4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, to tackle food insecurity in people with blood cancers who are receiving transplant or cellular therapy. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Duke University, and Stanford also are participating in the trial, known as NOURISH (Nutrition Outreach in Systems of Healthcare).
Donations Support Glioma Research
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
David and Janet Greene, parents of Michael Greene, have supported glioma research at Vanderbilt and have made a $1 million donation in their son’s honor for the Brain Tumor Center. In addition, Gladiator Project recently made a $500,000 commitment to establish the Gladiator Project Brain Tumor Research Fund to advance brain tumor clinical research at Vanderbilt-Ingram.
DOD Grant Awarded to Develop Immunotherapy for Small-Cell Lung Cancer
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Shiqin Liu, MD, PhD, was awarded the Lung Cancer Concept Award from the Department of Defense (DOD) to create new immune-based treatments for small-cell lung cancer, a highly aggressive form of lung cancer with limited treatment options.
Davis Named Surgical Oncology Lead
University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center
Jeremy L. Davis, MD, has been appointed the new surgical oncology lead for University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center and chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology in the Department of Surgery at University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Dunbrack Appointed Co-Leader of the Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Program
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Roland Dunbrack, PhD, professor in the Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Research Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center, has been appointed co-leader of the program alongside its current leader, Edna (Eti) Cukierman, PhD.
Co-Leader of Cancer Control and Population Sciences Research Program Named
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
Sulma Mohammed, DVM, PhD, a cancer biology and health disparities researcher, has been named co-leader of the UF Health Cancer Center’s Cancer Control and Population Sciences research program. She will also serve as co-director of the National Cancer Institute-funded Florida-California Cancer Research, Education and Engagement CaRE2 Health Equity Center.
Woyach Named Director of Hematology
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
Jennifer Woyach, MD, a blood cancer doctor and researcher who has been with Ohio State for more than 12 years, has been named director of the Division of Hematology at OSUCCC – The James.
Mericliler Joins GW Cancer Center
GW Cancer Center
Meric Mericliler, MD, has joined the George Washington (GW) University Cancer Center and the GW Medical Faculty Associates as a hematologist-oncologist specializing in benign hematology.
People Find Medical Test Results Hard to Understand, Increasing Overall Worry
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
In 2021, a provision in the 21st Century Cures act took effect which required that all medical test results be released to a patient’s electronic medical record as soon as they become available. As a result of this newer law, many patients are seeing and reading their test results even before their doctor has. The problem is that many medical reports aren’t written with patients in mind.
Breast Cancer Drug Could Also Treat Some Blood Cancers
Siteman Cancer Center
Two new studies led by Washington University physician-scientist Stephen T. Oh, MD, PhD, at Siteman Cancer Center have identified a possible way to block the progression of several forms of blood cancer using a drug already in clinical trials against breast cancer.
Advanced Imaging Uncovers Hidden Metastases in High-Risk Prostate Cancer Cases
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
A new study led by UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has found that many cases of high-risk nonmetastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer may be more advanced than previously thought. The study found that nearly half of high-risk prostate cancer patients previously classified as nonmetastatic by conventional imaging actually have metastatic disease when evaluated with advanced prostate-specific membrane antigen–positron emission tomography imaging.
A Battle of Rafts: How Molecular Dynamics in CAR T Cells Explain Their Cancer-Killing Behavior
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
Investigators from Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center, the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy at Baylor, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Texas Children’s Hospital examined how molecular dynamics at the immune synapse—where CAR T cells bind to cancer cells—affect anticancer activity.
Can You Steam Away Prostate Cancer?
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
Keck Medicine of USC is participating in a national, multisite clinical trial examining if a water vapor system that uses small, targeted amounts of steam to kill cancer cells is a safe and effective treatment for prostate cancer.
Scientists Identify New Epigenetic Approach to Target Colorectal Cancer
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
A little-known mouse protein disrupts cancer-causing chemical changes to genes associated with human colorectal cancer cells and potentially could be used to treat solid tumors, according to a new study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Changes in Microbiome Predict Risk for Sexually Transmitted Disease
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center
Women who develop bacterial vaginosis (BV) often later acquire chlamydia. Now, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found that BV actually consists of two subtypes – one of which significantly increases the risk of developing chlamydia infections.
New Cause of Chemotherapy Resistance in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Identified
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Compared with other forms of breast cancer, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is more likely to have spread at the time of diagnosis and is more likely to recur, largely because it becomes resistant to chemotherapy. Researchers at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a previously unknown cause of resistance to doxorubicin, a mainstay of treatment for TNBC.
Drug Designed to Treat Neuropathy Advances in Clinical Trials
Stony Brook Cancer Center
A non-opioid investigational drug with promising pre-clinical results in treating neuropathic pain has passed an important hurdle after the study’s safety review committee reviewed the data from initial volunteers and recommended to progress into the next dose level in a first-in-human clinical trial. The drug, ART26.12, is being developed by Artelo Biosciences, Inc.
AI Tool Created to Democratize Access to Cancer Immunotherapy
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Researchers at The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai, in collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, have developed a new tool that could change the way cancer patients are treated. The tool, called SCORPIO, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to predict how well cancer patients will respond to a type of treatment called immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Study Highlights New Target, Potential Therapy for Treatment-Resistant Cancers
UK Markey Cancer Center
UK Markey Cancer Center researchers have discovered a promising new way to combat therapy-resistant cancers by targeting a specific protein modification.
New AI Platform Identifies Which Patients Are Likely to Benefit Most From a Clinical Trial
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
A new study led by Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania researchers demonstrates that a first-of-its-kind platform using artificial intelligence (AI) could help clinicians and patients assess whether and how much an individual patient may benefit from a particular therapy being tested in a clinical trial.
Treatment for Liver Cancer Shows Big Promise in Global Study
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai scientists have made a breakthrough in treating a type of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma. The research tested a combination of treatments that could help patients live longer without their cancer getting worse. Their Phase III study is titled "LEAP-012: Transarterial chemoembolisation combined with lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab versus dual placebo for unresectable, non-metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma."
Unique AI Predicts Cancer Prognoses, Responses to Treatment
Stanford Cancer Institute
A new artificial intelligence (AI) tool developed by Stanford cancer faculty members combines data from medical images with text to predict cancer prognoses and treatment responses.
First-of-Its-Kind Blood Test for Head and Neck Cancer
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
A first-of-its-kind new cancer test has been developed at the University of Michigan. MyHPVscore is a highly accurate blood test that can detect human papilloma virus-related head and neck cancer by measuring fragments of tumor DNA in a patient’s bloodstream.
New Approach Shows Promise for B-Cell Lymphoma
Siteman Cancer Center
A new type of cell-based immunotherapy shows promise for B-cell lymphomas and—due to innovations in manufacturing—could make future cellular immunotherapies less expensive and more accessible to patients, according to a team co-led by Washington University medical oncologist Armin Ghobadi, MD.
U.S. Soldiers Ten Times More Likely to Use Addictive Nicotine Pouches
University of Virginia Cancer Center
American soldiers are ten times more likely to use nicotine pouches that can cause serious health issues than average American adults, according to a survey of military personnel. Conducted by researchers at UVA Cancer Center, the Fort Liberty Department of Public Health and the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, the study analyzed anonymous responses from 1,957 soldiers surveyed in 2022 and 2023.ZIC1 Gene Drives Distinct Medulloblastoma Types in Different Ways
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
A new study provides insights into how medulloblastoma can arise as the cerebellum develops. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Cancer Center, University of Toronto, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, discovered that the same gene, ZIC1, can drive highly similar cancers by distinct, context-dependent mechanisms.
Physicians Begin Prescribing FDA-Approved Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Device to Treat Advanced Liver Cancer
Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University
Karmanos Cancer Institute has announced that the TheraBionic P1 device, an FDA-approved, at-home treatment, is now available to treat advanced liver cancer. Karmanos is the first institution worldwide to prescribe this treatment.
New Mobile Cancer Screening Clinic Launched
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah hosted a ribbon cutting for its second mobile screening clinic in collaboration with the Utah County Health Department. Peter Huntsman, chairman and CEO of Huntsman Cancer Foundation, spoke at the event.
Karmanos Opens Clinic in Dearborn
Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University
Karmanos Cancer Institute has cut the ribbon on its 17th clinic, in Dearborn, Michigan. To read an article about the center in Arabic, click here.
Partnership Advances Targeted Therapies for Blood Cancers
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah has joined other institutions on an innovative clinical trials program designed to match patients with acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes with a clinical trial specifically designed for the genetic signature of their disease. Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, the myeloMATCH program aims to improve precision medicine.
Cancer Center Jobs
Manager, SCC Clinical Research Office, Training Development
Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, UT Southwestern Medical Center
Read moreOncology, Bone Marrow Transplant
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center
Read moreHematologist/Oncologist Racine
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center
Read moreFaculty or Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Oncology-focused Pharmacoepidemiology
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School
Read moreSenior Director Cancer Research Operations I - Research Division
Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center
Read moreMeeting Announcements
Frontiers Symposium on Transformation in Cancer Care Delivery
February 17, 2025
2025 AACI Leadership Diversity and Development Workshop
March 11, 2025
Save the date for the 2025 AACI Leadership Diversity and Development Workshop, March 11-12, at the Loews Chicago O'Hare Hotel in Rosemont, IL. More details and registration information are forthcoming.
2025 AACI/AACR Hill Day
May 22, 2025
Save the date for the 2025 AACI/AACR Hill Day, Thursday, May 22, in Washington, DC. More details and registration information are forthcoming.
17th Annual AACI CRI Meeting
June 23, 2025
Save the date for the 17th Annual AACI CRI Meeting, June 23-25, 2025, at Loews Chicago O'Hare Hotel in Rosemont, IL.
2025 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting
October 19, 2025
Save the date for the 2025 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting, October 19-21, at Salamander Washington DC.