University Times

The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI)’s cancer center support grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has been renewed for $27 million over the next five years. The grant supports UPCI’s clinical, research and educational programs.

UPCI became an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in 1989 and has retained the distinction since then. It is the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in western Pennsylvania.

“This designation reflects our dedication to innovative cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment, as well as the high caliber of our scientific research and community-based outreach services,” said Nancy E. Davidson, director of UPCI and UPMC Cancer Centers. “We are one of only 40 institutes in the country to hold this elite designation.”

The cancer center support grant is a major source of funding for the infrastructure and administration that are vital for cancer research.

This academic year marks UPCI’s 25th anniversary, and, Davidson said, the center is “looking to the future, with a special focus on the areas of personalized cancer medicine, the enhancement of cancer detection, prevention and control activities, and the expansion of our laboratory and translational research programs.”