Message from the Chair

Welcome to the Department of Cancer Biology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Created in 2002, our mission is to provide outstanding research contributions in all the fundamental mechanisms that lead to the onset, progression and dissemination of cancer.

This is an extraordinary time in cancer research. Dramatic gains have been made in the understanding of cancer as a multifaceted genetic disease, intersected by multiple signaling pathways, and driven by a myriad of molecular hallmarks that affect virtually every aspect of cell biology.

Our goal is to capitalize on these advances and contribute an integrated cellular, genetic and molecular framework to understand cancer as an all-encompassing cellular pathway.

This cannot be accomplished without a strong underlying philosophy of scientific cooperation, collaboration and integration. While no research is done in a vacuum, cancer research above all must be cooperative as it encompasses so many disparate biological systems. This philosophy of integration and free scientific exchange is central to our Department, and inspires our ongoing recruitment effort.

Our faculty members are not only among the most accomplished investigators in basic cancer research, but they also share a teamwork vision of research collaboration and scientific synergy. Our plan over the next three years is to add six new faculty members to our Department. The newly recruited faculty will benefit from an environment that

  • promotes the growth of the strongest possible individual research programs.
  • fosters career development.
  • supports state-of-the-art shared resources.
  • encourages cross-fertilization of ideas.

The Cancer Biology research programs address all the central molecular hallmarks of cancer,

  • from dysregulation of checkpoint gatekeepers to modulation of cancer cell survival,
  • from crosstalk between cells and extracellular matrix in the tumor microenvironment to the role of DNA damage in cell cycle progression,
  • from mimicry of tumor genetics in animal models to solving how new blood vessels in tumors are formed.

Outstanding basic cancer research is only one of three central missions of our Department. Our faculty members also embrace the education and training of students and postdoctoral fellows as a critical mandate, and are dedicated to bridge basic science with translational cancer research to tangibly advance our fight to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

This integrated framework and collaborative philosophy uniquely position the Department of Cancer Biology at the interface between basic and translational research through a commitment to education, training and career development.

Welcome aboard!

Dario C. Altieri, M.D.
 Chairman