Translational Oncology Research Program (Project-005)

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY ? TOPS The overarching goal of the Translational Oncology Program at Stanford (TOPS) is to foster collaboration across scientific and clinical disciplines in order to gain deeper insights into the underlying causes of cancer and to develop more effective diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic approaches to cancer. The TOPS Program was newly created in 2013 to meet the translational goals of the SCI. The program brings together translational and clinical researchers, chemists, biologists and biostatisticians who have a focus on projects that will have substantial clinical impact on solid tumors. The program is based on the activities of a number of working groups including the solid tumor Clinical Research Groups (CRGs) and the Developmental Therapeutics (Phase I) Working Group. Program members meet monthly to discuss topics of broad general interest to translational researchers. The new Jill and John Freidenrich Center for Translational Research (FCTR) provides a venue that brings together interdisciplinary teams of investigators and research staff whose interests are centered around specific cancer types. The building provides collaborative meeting spaces and serves as a single convenient location for the disease-specific interdisciplinary research teams. All TOPS meetings and working groups encourage the participation of graduate students and fellows to form new interdisciplinary interactions. Co-led by Mark Pegram, MD and George Sledge, MD, the 42 members of the TOPS Program represent 16 departments and three schools within the University, of whom 13 have been recruited to the Stanford faculty since the last review. The research activities of the 42 investigators are supported by 27 peer- reviewed, investigator-initiated grants and include a NCI U10 grant. Peer-reviewed funding consists of $8.1M in total annual costs of which $4.2M is from the NCI. Other NIH support amounts to $3.0M, and other peer-reviewed support to $0.9 million. Since 2009, program members have published over 570 manuscripts of which 12% are intra- and 34% are inter-programmatic. The SCI will continue to be invaluable to the program by fostering innovative projects and assisting with the translation of research findings into the clinic for the benefit of cancer patients.