Scientific Programs

The Fred Hutchinson/University of Washington Cancer Consortium (Consortium) is organized into 13 research programs that will be presented in this CCSG application. Discipline-specific programs (Basic Sciences, Biostatistics and Biomathematics, Cancer Imaging, Cancer Prevention, Clinical Transplantation, Epidemiology, Genome Instability and Mutagenesis, Immunology and Vaccine Development, Stem/Progenitor Cell Biology, and Transplantation Biology) interact with disease-specific programs (Gastrointestinal Cancer Etiology, Prevention and Early Detection, Prostate Cancer, and Women's Cancer).

Basic Sciences is composed of faculty who study basic mechanisms of molecular, cellular and developmental biology. Faculty members in this program have strong interactions with nearly all programs in the Consortium and research projects have direct impact on disease-related research in leukemia, lymphoma, cervical, breast, prostate, gastrointestinal, brain and lung cancers.

This program carries out research in statistical methodology and mathematical models of carcinogenesis, and provides statistical support for clinical trials, prevention trials, and other research programs in the Consortium. Its research endeavors directly impact disease-related research in leukemia, lymphoma, breast, prostate, gastrointestinal, brain cancers and HIV/AIDS.

This program, formerly the Molecular Imaging program, has evolved to include all of the Consortium's imaging faculty.  The goals of the Cancer Imaging Program are to further understanding of the biology of cancer and to provide earlier detection, more accurate diagnosis and improved evaluation of response to treatments through the development of new biologically relevant agents and the application of imaging modalities including PET, MRI, ultrasound and optical imaging.  Disease interests of the program faculty include leukemia, lymphoma, breast, prostate, brain, lung, gynecologic and sarcoma cancers.

The goals of this program are to understand cancer etiology, identify risk factors, and carry out population-based intervention studies that reduce cancer morbidity and mortality. Its research activities directly impact disease-related research in ovarian, breast, prostate, gastrointestinal, cervical and lung cancer.

This program is focused on improvements in bone marrow and stem cell transplantation as a treatment modality, primarily for cancers of the blood like leukemia and lymphoma.

The goals of this program are to identify the factors that influence the risk of developing cancer, discover the impact that these factors have on cancer incidence in the human population, and uncover the causes that influence a patient's survival and quality of life. Research in this program is directly involved in ovarian, breast, prostate, gastrointestinal, cervical, hematologic and oral cancers.

This program is focused on developing a deeper understanding of the role of heritable and acquired genome instability in cancer. The aim is to achieve a mechanistic understanding of genetic and environmental determinants of human genome stability, and the role of genome instability in tumor pathogenesis and progression.

Gastrointestinal Cancer Etiology, Prevention and Early Detection
Co-Program Heads — Bill Grady, M.D. and Ray Yeung, M.D.
Co-Associate Program Heads — Cornelia Ulrich, Ph.D., and Sunil Hingorani, M.D., Ph.D

This is a new program with this CCSG submission.  The goals of the GI Cancer program are to conduct multidisciplinary research in the biology, epidemiology, prevention, and screening and early intervention of upper GI cancers, hepatitis C virus and liver cancer, pancreas cancer, H. pylori and stomach cancer and colorectal cancers.

This is a new program with this CCSG submission, representing a consolidation of the Immunology and Infectious Diseases program.  Program goals include: studying fundamental immunologic mechanisms relevant to the development of strategies to modulate the immune system to enhance opportunities; studying fundamental immunologic mechanisms relevant to the modulation of the innate immune system for the purpose of enhancing immune responses to vaccine immunogens; and performing preclinical studies and clinical trials to develop vaccines for the prevention of life-threatening infections and treatment of cancer.

This program is focused on advancing scientific knowledge that will lead to a reduction in the morbidity and mortality attributed to this common and complex disease and to an improvement in patients' quality and quantity of life.  The program encompasses basic, population, and clinical research, and collaborates strongly with the discipline-based programs Basic Sciences, Biostatistics, Cancer Imaging, Cancer Prevention and Epidemiology.

Stem/Progenitor Cell Biology
Co-Program Heads - Anthony Blau, M.D. and Beverly Torok-Storb, Ph.D.
Co-Associate Program Heads - David Emery, Ph.D. and Shelly Heimfeld, Ph.D.

The Stem/Progenitor Cell Biology program is new with this CCSG submission.  The program's goals are twofold: to 1) identify molecular events that are responsible for, and/or a marker of, stem cell self replication, differentiation, and malignant transformation; and 2) identify molecular interventions that can control stem cell fate and abrogate the aberrant signaling that occurs in cancer stem cells.  Research includes basic molecular and cellular biology; the application of basic research to the development of preclinical models; and the translation of these preclinical studies to clinical protocols.  Basic studies utilize adult and embryonic sources of normal or malignant stem cells from humans, mice, dogs, and nonhuman primates.

This program combines basic and translational research in immunogenetics, the biology of blood and marrow stem cell grafting, and gene therapy for treatment of patients with cancer, autoimmune diseases, and acquired defects and genetic diseases of the hematopoietic system and muscle.

Women's Cancer
Co-Program Heads - Peggy Porter, M.D. and Nicole Urban, Sc.D.
Co-Associate Program Heads - Julie Gralow, M.D. and Barbara Goff, M.D.

This is a new program with this CCSG submission, representing a consolidation of the Breast Cancer and Gynecologic Cancer programs.  The Women's Cancer Program focuses on reducing the incidence and subsequent mortality of breast and gynecologic cancers.  Interdisciplinary research is conducted to improve cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment.  The current program is an effective, on-going collaboration of Fred Hutchinsons Cancer Research Center and University of Washington faculty who interact strongly with discipline-based programs of Basic Sciences, Biostatistics, Cancer Imaging, Cancer Prevention and Epidemiology.