Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center Support Grant

University Of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract: Overall The Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center (Buffett Cancer Center or FPBCC) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center is committed to developing new strategies for the treatment and prevention of cancer through innovative interdisciplinary research, premier educational programs, the highest quality patient care, and outreach to underserved populations. The Buffett Cancer Center is dedicated to reducing the burden of cancer through interdisciplinary translational cancer research leading to new therapies for cancer treatment as well as enhancing the well-being of cancer survivors. As the only NCI-designated Cancer Center in Nebraska, we are very sensitive to the needs of the underserved populations in our catchment area (across the state of Nebraska and western Iowa), including women, minorities and children as well as the medically underserved rural residents in our region. The 84 members of the Buffett Cancer Center are actively involved in the interdisciplinary FPBCC Research Programs including the Molecular and Biochemical Etiology Program (MBEP), the Cancer Genes and Molecular Regulation Program (CGMR), and the Gastrointestinal Cancer Program (GICP). The FBPCC is a matrix with Members in each of the Colleges and Institutes at UNMC, as well as Members at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and the University of Nebraska - Omaha. The FPBCC Director also leads the Eppley Cancer Institute, with 30 tenure/tenure-leading faculty appointments. The FPBCC Director reports directly to the Chancellor of UNMC and serves on the UNMC Chancellor's Council and the Nebraska Medicine's Senior Leadership Team, the two most senior and responsible cabinets of the the academic and the clinical enterprise. A new $323 M Buffett Cancer Center (625,000 gsf) will open in 2017 integrating cancer research and care in one facility and provide ample room FPBCC growth. Since the last review, the FPBCC enhanced interdisciplinary research collaborations by providing support for recruitment of 30 new Members (including the co-leaders of the GICP and the Director of the Bioinformatics Shared Resource), for enhancements to shared research facilities, and for pilot funding for collaborative multidisciplinary research projects. The FPBCC has a robust track record of transdisciplinary cancer research and strong evidence of collaborations bridging all of the Research Programs. Buffett Cancer Center research has resulted in 1409 publications of which 23% are inter-programmatic collaborations, 23% are intra-programmatic collaborations and 9% are both. FPBCC externally funded cancer research portfolio which currently exceeds $34.3 M annually in peer-reviewed support (> 46% NCI) demonstrates university-wide transdisciplinary cancer research collaborations by Buffett Cancer Center Members focused on resolving cancer-related problems.