Tech announced the formation of a new Integrated Cancer Research Center (ICRC) to experiment with new approaches towards cancer research. The head of the center will be Dr. John McDonald, a Biology professor.
“The mission of the Integrated Cancer Research Center is to facilitate integration of the diversity of technological, computational, scientific and medical expertise at Tech and partner institutions in a coordinated effort to develop improved cancer diagnostics and therapeutics,” McDonald said in an official press release.
The ICRC brings together students and faculty from seven schools and departments at the Institute—mostly Biology and Chemistry—but other disciplines such as engineering are noticeably present.
In addition to the faculty from Tech, a number of experts from other academic and medical institutions in the state and across the country will assist with the research conducted at the ICRC.
The work conducted at the center will have an emphasis on applied research, specifically seeking to develop innovative and more effective diagnostic methods and new avenues of therapeutic intervention.
A cornerstone of the ICRC is the cross-disciplinary approach to cancer research.
Most cancer research accomplished in the past has been within the realm of biology, but new advances in the fields of engineering and computer science could lead to new progress in cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.