Health Sciences Center Research

Signature Research Programs

Signature Program in Cancer

The Signature Program in Cancer is part of the UNM Cancer Research and Treatment Center, a P30-funded NCI Cancer Center, with 140 externally funded research projects totaling $39,350,936 in funding as of May 2005. The CRTC has four Research Programs and nine Shared Facilities. Each Research Program has a matrix organization, with members from multiple departments in the UNM HSC, the School of Engineering, and the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as at partnering institutions such as the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute (LRRI) and the two National Laboratories. Each of these Research Programs (in Cancer Biology, Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, Hematologic Malignancies, and Women’s Cancers) has a clinical research arm that facilitates transfer of laboratory data to the clinic. Strong inter-programmatic collaborations in new technologies, informatics, and computational modeling draw physical scientists, mathematicians and engineers into bench to bedside research. Supporting the research programs are nine shared facilities (in Biostatistics, Biocomputing, Flow Cytometry, Microscopy, Imaging, Genomics, Proteomics, Protocol and Data Management, and Tissue Repository services) that are financially supported by the CRTC, and that provide essential core services for the Research Programs. The CRTC houses multiple interdisciplinary grants, including a NIGMS-funded Center for Systems Biology dedicated to understanding crosstalk between signaling pathways in cancer and a NCRR-funded Molecular Libraries Screening Center dedicated to the discovery of new cancer drugs. A T35 minority student asthma and leukemia research training grant from the NHLBI supports short term research training for students interested in the health professions and offers another mechanism for students to enter UNM research and training programs. The CRTC’s most recent training grant is an IGERT for Nanotechnology and Microsystems Research, co-funded by NSF and NCI and intended to accelerate the development and translation of new technologies to improved cancer diagnostics, prognostics and treatment.

Major goals of the Signature Research Program in Cancer are:

To conduct outstanding multidisciplinary cancer research in collaborative research partnerships with the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute and New Mexico’s National Laboratories.To reduce cancer incidence and mortality by discovering the genetic, environmental, social, and behavioral factors that contribute to the distinct cancer patterns in the historically underserved multiethnic populations of New Mexico.
To reduce cancer health disparities in the historically underserved populations of New Mexico and the Southwest region through the development of collaborative community networks with the State Department of Health; New Mexico Pueblos, Tribes, and American Indian Nations; the Indian Health Service; and local communities by developing culturally appropriate cancer education, screening, and prevention programs.
To provide outstanding cancer treatment for all New Mexicans, by improving access to quality cancer care and innovative therapies through increased referrals and formal affiliations with community cancer care providers and healthcare systems.
To increase access to and participation of New Mexicans in cancer clinical investigations and cancer therapeutic and prevention clinical trials, facilitated by a joint UNM-community collaborative clinical trials network (The New Mexico Cancer Care Alliance).

Programmatic Structure

The Signature Program in Cancer is operated by the Cancer Research and Treatment Center of the University of New Mexico. The CRTC is directed by Dr. Cheryl Willman. She is assisted by Dr. Robert Hromas, who supervises the clinical affairs of the CRTC, including education, clinical research and patient care, and by Dr. Larry Sklar, who supervises the Shared Facilities and laboratory research of the CRTC. Additional leadership in the Program includes:

Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Program - Drs. Marianne Berwick and Steve Belinsky
Cancer Biology Program - Drs. Jac Nickoloff and Mary Anne Osley.
Hematologic Malignancies Program - Drs. Richard Larson and Bridget Wilson.
Women’s Cancer Program - Drs. Jeff Griffith and Kim Leslie.

The Shared Facilities of the CRTC are Biostatistics, Biocomputing, Flow Cytometry, Microscopy, Imaging, Genomics, Proteomics, Clinical Protocol and Data Management, and the Tissue Repository.

Strengths and Focus

Interactive nature of the Research Program through defined leadership, regular meetings, and multiple, co-authored publications.
Members have many national leadership positions.
The Cancer Biology Program vertically integrates its research efforts from laboratory to the clinic and includes Clinical Working Groups that not only contain all medical specialties required to treat specific cancers, but also scientists with laboratory interests in those diseases.

5 year goals

To fully develop Imaging and Proteomics as Shared Facilities. The CRTC has supported the recruitment of faculty to staff these facilities, and assisted in purchasing instrumentation for these Facilities.
To build new Research Programs in Lung Cancer and GI Malignancies. These new Research Programs will be generated out of the existing Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research Program. Critical new clinical investigators have been hired to complement the existing outstanding research in these areas.
To complete construction of a new clinical cancer building, termed the CRTC II. This 140,000 sf building has been programmed, and the architects’ plans are currently being generated. $42 million of the required $56 million has been raised, mainly from state support. The current cancer clinical facility is operating at three times its original planned capacity.
To place regional cancer clinics in Las Cruces, Sandoval county, and Santa Fe. These clinics will focus on women’s cancers, especially breast and ovarian cancer, and bring cutting edge care and clinical trials to underserved areas.
To recruit a new generation of young cancer laboratory investigators that will focus on translational research into the molecular basis of resistance to therapy. The goal would be to foster develop of these investigators into world renowned scientists, and ultimately train them for leadership in the CRTC. These laboratory investigators would also generate bridge relationships with clinicians and clinical trials.
Build a clinical research effort in prostate cancer. There is a funded epidemiology research effort in prostate cancer, and an active clinical program, but little clinical research in this area.
To build a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation program. Such a clinical program would enhance the Hematologic Malignancies Research Program by increasing patient accrual to clinical trials, and obtaining samples for hematopoiesis research.