DF/HCC Lung Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE)

Researchers within the DF/HCC Lung Cancer Program have maintained an unparalleled track record of academic productivity, as measured by publications in leading journals and a wide range of grants from the NIH and multiple large foundations. Importantly, member sites are highly concentrated geographically within Boston, with 6 out of 7 adjacent sites in the Longwood Medical Campus and MGH only 3 miles away, facilitating collaborations. Currently, the DF/HCC Lung Cancer Program maintains and supports a united research effort through cross-campus steering committee meetings, an Annual Lung Cancer Retreat that brings all investigators together to showcase their work in the form of oral and poster presentations, and an internal Developmental Research Program (DRP) modeled on the SPORE ideal, which has provided seed grants to many young investigators and is supported by institutional funds. 

SPORE funding for the DF/HCC Lung Cancer Program will further boost this infrastructure and provide a collaborative framework centered around the proposed projects, thus catalyzing the ability of our group to succeed in achieving our translational objectives. In choosing projects, we took the philosophy that to achieve truly meaningful gains in long-term survival for our lung cancer patients we must develop bold innovative approaches that would be difficult to achieve by any one investigator or laboratory.

The investigators we have selected from the DF/HCC Lung Cancer Program to lead the SPORE projects have made numerous significant contributions to the field, as evidenced by a comprehensive portfolio of publications as well as strong preliminary data that are outlined in each respective project proposal. To further cross-institutional collaboration we have intentionally included co- leaders from different institutions within each proposed project, program and core to capitalize on the unique strengths each institution and individual. Furthermore, the project and core leaders of the proposed SPORE have recruited a much larger team of over 30 colleagues that tap into the deep talent and diverse expertise within the various departments of our member institutions.