Developmental Funds

Beckman Research Institute/City Of Hope, Duarte CA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Developmental Funds ABSTRACT The City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center requests CCSG developmental funds to support pilot research projects and developing an additional new shared resources to strengthen research initiatives and promote basic, translational and clinical science research activities. Funding pilot projects and developing shared resources will collectively enhance the ability of the COHCCC to serve the catchment area and mitigate the impact of cancer in the region. COHCCC believes that these activities will enable the Cancer Center to provide the optimal environment to focus the power of precision medicine, basic science inquiry, drug discovery and development, and behavioral interventions to decrease cancer incidence, morbidity, and mortality. The plan for the next funding cycle is to develop a new Multi-Scale Translational Research Core. Multi-scale modeling uses computational analysis to integrate linked measurements made at different scales of measurement (populations, individuals, microenvironment, cells, DNA/RNA/protein, and analytes). Over the past 3 years, the scope City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center (COHCCC) Cancer Control and Population Science (CCPS) research has expanded beyond classic epidemiologic testing of associations in large cohorts to biology-focused, translational multi-disciplinary studies that integrate multi-scale data from cohorts with mechanistic mouse-human co-studies, omics (genetics, genomics, proteomics), and analytes (drug levels, endocrine disruptors, carcinogens). The Multi-Scale Translational Research (MSTR) Core in development aims to provide services that facilitate and enhance NCI funded multi-scale research at each level of scale (zip code, individuals, microenvironment, cells, DNA/RNA/protein, and analytes). Multi-scale modeling requires integration of large data sets; to this end, the Core will provide services in data curation, annotation, validation, and assessment of rigor. To support NIH funded COHCCC multi-scale projects, the MSTR Core in development will 1) offer unique services and 2) collaborate and integrate with COHCCC Cores and Caltech, ORIONTM, and TGenTM partners. Unique services offered by the MSTR Core in development include 1) expertise in multi-scale modeling, 2) curation, annotation, and validation of the rigor, reproducibility, and accuracy of tissue, omic, and analyte data, 3) genetic admixture assessment, 4) navigation of existing COH analyte services, 4) expertise in custom tissue engineering and microenvironment studies, 5) cloud-based image storage and sharing services for national and international cohort development. The MSTR in development will deliver this wide range of services through a dedicated team of senior scientists with expertise in precision medicine, tissue engineering, genetic admixture, analyte identification, bioinformatics, and multi-scale modeling.