Scientific Divisions, Institutes and Programs
Each faculty member has a primary appointment in one of four research divisions based on their research approaches. For information on the divisions, visit their pages.
Divisions and Institutes
 |
Basic Sciences |
|
Clinical Research |
|
Human Biology |
|
Public Health Sciences |
|
Vaccine and Infectious Disease Institute |
Scientific research at the Hutchinson Center is organized into programs, each containing about 10 to 20 faculty members. Most faculty members of the Hutchinson Center participate in several scientific programs. Programs usually have representatives from more than one division, and often from all divisions. Therefore, they constitute the forums for interdisciplinary research and communication.
Programs
Each program has a head, responsible for organizing the activities of the program, and an associate program head, responsible for communicating with the other scientists at the center about the research of the program.
Basic Sciences Program
Program Leader: Mark Groudine, MD, PhD
The Basic Sciences Program is comprised of independent and highly interactive
laboratories pursuing different, yet related, areas of molecular and cellular
biology and utilizing a broad range of approaches and experimental systems.
Research seeks to understand normal cell processes that may go awry in cancer
cells, using a variety of model organisms (mice, worms, flies, yeast, bacteria)
in which the normal cellular processes can more easily be dissected than in
humans.
Biostatistics Program
Program Leader: Steven Self, Ph.D.
The Biostatistics Program is engaged in diverse research initiatives and clinical
trials coordinating centers, including the Southwest Oncology Group Statistical
Center, Women's Health Initiative, National Wilms Tumor Study Group, Statistical
Center for HIV/AIDS Research and Prevention, Quantitative Genetic Epidemiology
Group, Biomathematical Modeling Research Group, and other biostatistical research
projects.
Breast Cancer Research Program
Program Leader: Peggy Porter, M.D.
The Breast Cancer Research Program is dedicated to reducing the incidence and
subsequent mortality of breast cancer. The program fosters interdisciplinary
research in basic science, genetics, clinical medicine, cancer prevention, and
epidemiology to improve breast cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, and
treatment. More information can be found on the Breast Cancer Research Program web site.
Cancer Biology
Program Leader: Denise Galloway, Ph.D.
The Program in Cancer Biology is focused on understanding the mechanisms
that lead to neoplasia, combining basic science with population studies to achieve
this goal. Investigators study anogenital, breast and gastrointestinal cancers
using human tissues, cell culture models, and rodent models. The role of viruses
and environmental mutagens in the etiology of these cancers is studied, as well
as the tumor suppresor and oncogene pathways that are targeted.
Cancer Prevention Program
Program Leader: Polly Newcomb, Ph.D.
The Cancer Prevention Program has developed studies on community-wide
use of proven methods of early detection and treatment and expanded its focus
on research strategies to include cancer screening as well as cancer-causing
behaviors. Members of the faculty do epidemiologic research to find new environmental
factors that cause or contribute to common cancers and to test whether removal
of such factors from the environment will prevent cancer. Etiologic and intervention
studies aimed at elucidating gene-environment interventions, and exploring intermediate
metabolism and markers in controlled intensive intervention studies are also
pursued.
Clinical Transplant Research Program
Program Leader: Fred Appelbaum, M.D.
The overall goal of the Clinical Transplant Research Program is to improve the
therapy of cancer in children and adults through the conduct of clinical trials,
many of which involve marrow and stem cell transplantation.
Epidemiology Program
Program Leader: Thomas Vaughan, M.D.
Investigators in Epidemiology conduct a wide range of studies to identify physical,
chemical and infectious agents, behavioral characteristics, and heritable factors
that influence a person's chances of developing cancer, and to assess the impact
of these factors on the cancer burden in human populations. Additional studies
are designed to identify factors that influence cancer patients' survival and
their quality of life.
Genetics
Program Leader: Elaine Ostrander, Ph.D.
As an initiative of Hutchinson Center President Lee Hartwell, we made a major
commitment beginning in 1998 to develop a world-class program in genetics and
genomics. Considerable expertise already exists in this area at the FHCRC, including
laboratories using genomic approaches to identifying and understanding the genetic
basis of solid tumors, large-scale sequencing of the human MHC, genetic approaches
to complex behaviors, and new methods in gene mapping and statistical genetics.
Further development and expansion in genomics and bioinformatics is planned
in the near future.
Genome Instability
Program Leader: Ray Monnat, M.D.
The aim of the Program in Genome Instability & Mutagenesis is to foster
and focus collaborative work on genome instability & mutagenesis among investigators
and physicians at the UW, FHCRC, VMRF and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.
The longterm goal of the Program is to use new mechanistic information on tumor-associated
genome instability and mutagenesis to improve human cancer prevention and therapy.
Gynecologic Cancer Program
Program Leader: Nicole Urban, Sc.D.
The Gynecologic Cancer Research Program is a community-based, inter-institutional,
multidisciplinary research consortium. The program's goal is to reduce incidence,
mortality, and morbidity and to improve survival and quality of life (QOL) for
ovarian cancer. The work entails identification and use of biomarkers to identify
women with, or at high risk for, ovarian cancer; development of vaccines to
treat and eventually to prevent ovarian cancer; development of statistical methods
for research on biomarkers; and measurement of QOL effects of our interventions.
Human Biology Program
Program Leader: Barbara Trask, Ph.D.
The goal of the Program of Human Biology is to cultivate interdisciplinary research
focused on human biology and the complex problems of neoplasia and other human
diseases. The program is structured to foster and support laboratory-based and
computational research at the interface of basic, clinical, and population sciences.
Major areas of study are human genomics; the genetics of cancer predisposition
and progression (both inherited and acquired mutations); molecular pathology;
human pathogens; systems biology of cell proliferation, apoptosis, cellular
immortality, and differentiation; mouse models of human cancer; population genetics
and epidemiology; and the development of new therapies for cancer, AIDS, and
other human disease. Investigators interact closely with population-based scientists
and clinicians studying the genetics and epidemiology of breast, cervical, prostate
and esophageal cancers.
Human Immunogenetics Program
Program Leader: John Hansen, M.D.
The goal of this program is to understand the biological functions of the human
major histocompatibility complex (HLA). Studies are focused on the identification
of new genes within HLA, the role of HLA polymorphism in GVHD and graft failure,
interactions that occur between HLA molecules and T cells, T cell activation
and the role of accessory molecules in immune responses, and the mechanisms
by which immunological tolerance or T cell anergy can be achieved.
Immunology Program
Program Leader: Philip Greenberg, M.D.
The Immunology Program has continued to focus on elucidating the immunobiology
of viral and malignant diseases, and on developing cellular and molecular strategies
to manipulate the immune system for the treatment of human disease. This effort
encompasses basic laboratory research to define relevant biologic principles,
pre-clinical studies to gain insights into human diseases and to elucidate toxicities
as well as benefits that might result from manipulating the immune system, and
clinical studies in which advances in the laboratory are being translated into
therapies for human diseases.
Infectious Diseases Program
Program Leader: Lawrence Corey, M.D.
The focus of the Infectious Diseases Program is to effectively detect, prevent,
and treat the infectious disease complications of the immunocompromised host.
Infectious diseases remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the immunocompromised
host, and ID researchers strive to understand the nature of these diseases.
The program oversees the HIV Vaccine Trials Network.
International Biomarker Discovery Consortium
Program Leader: Dr. Lee Hartwell
The goal of the International Biomarker Discovery Consortium (IBDC) is to advance medical research and improve patient outcomes by discovering biomarkers (indicators) for multiple types of cancer. The consortium is focusing on biomarkers for the assessment of disease risk, early detection of disease, therapeutic prognosis, and response to treatment as well as disease recurrence. For more information go to the IBDC Web site.
Molecular Imaging
Program Leader: Janet Eary, M.D.
Pediatric Oncology Program
Program Leader: Irwin Bernstein, M.D.
The aim of the Pediatric Oncology Program is to improve the outcome for children
with malignancy. Research in this program focuses on developmental aspects of
hematopoiesis with the specific goal of developing novel therapeutic modalities.
Prostate Cancer Research Program
Program Leader: Janet Stanford, Ph.D.
The Prostate Cancer Research Program is a multidisciplinary program whose long-term
goal is to advance knowledge in the genetic and environmental causes of prostate
cancer, the molecular biology and immunology associated with the initiation
and progression of prostate cancer, and prostate cancer prevention strategies.
Program Leader: Rainer Storb, M.D.
The Transplantation Biology Program combines basic and translational research in at least four areas of investigation: 1) the biology of blood and bone marrow stem grafting; 2) regulation of hematopoiesis; 3) gene therapy; and 4) immunogenetics.
