Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dana-Farber’s Neuro-inclusive Oncology Care and Empowerment Program is designed to address the unique challenges faced by patients living with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). Read more about our efforts in this article from Cancer Today magazine.

Eliezer Van Allen, MD, chief of Population Sciences, is the inaugural incumbent of the Chandra Nohria Family Chair for AI in Cancer Research. The Chair was created by the generosity of Monica Chandra, Institute Trustee and vice chair of The Dana-Farber Campaign, and her spouse, Nitin Nohria, who established this new endowed position to advance the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in cancer research. This generous gift supports the Institute‘s exceptional expertise and AI applications, which are priorities of The Dana-Farber campaign, to transform cancer for generations to come. “Unlocking the power of new technologies to accelerate cancer detection, treatment, and prevention will require tremendous investments,“ remarks Chandra. “I‘m in awe and so grateful that almost a million people can come together to support the vision of our campaign.“ Creation of the Chair marks progress toward the Institute better utilizing AI in all aspects of cancer care. “At the Institute, we‘re thinking about how AI can help people with cancer in every dimension“ remarks Van Allen, who is also a medical oncologist and computational biologist at the Institute and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “We‘re aspiring to present the most forward-thinking, inclusive, and transformative AI program in the world. We‘re not thinking about this abstractly – we‘re already in the process of building integrated, connected elements throughout Dana-Farber, and this Chair will allow us to do just that.“ Van Allen is widely recognized for his contributions to genomics and precision cancer medicine. Since joining the Institute in 2013, he has served as co-leader of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics Program and, since its establishment in 2022, a member researcher in the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at Dana-Farber. He is also an Institute member at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and leads the Metastatic Prostate Cancer Project. As a leader in computational cancer genomics and integrative studies of genitourinary cancers, Van Allen‘s research has led to significant advances in understanding the molecular origins of cancer, using AI to discover novel resistance mechanisms to cancer therapies, and defining how genomics and AI can guide clinical decision-making. He is also dedicated to teaching and mentoring the next generation of medical trainees. Van Allen earned his medical degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and his oncology fellowships at Dana-Farber. ⬇️ From left to right: Eli Van Allen, Institute Trustee Monica Chandra, Usha Chandra, Nitin Nohria, and Kewal Nohria celebrate the creation of the Chandra Nohria Family Chair.

Join us for a free webinar "What You Should Know About Breast Cancer". Breast medical oncologist Dr. Leticia Varella will discuss how breast cancer is detected, why early detection is crucial, and when genetic testing is recommended. Dr. Varella will also talk about current treatment options, as well as new treatments for advanced breast cancer. A Q&A session will follow.

Dana-Farber researchers are working to harness the power of vaccines to help treat cancer after diagnosis. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3XzwWlK

Congratulations to Eric Smith, MD, PhD, recipient of a grant from The Healey-Driscoll Administration and MA Life Sciences supporting the development of innovative therapies and his project to optimize CAR for immunotherapy for cancer.

Congratulations to Irene Ghobrial, MD, Dr. med. David Cordas dos Santos, and the Ghobrial Lab at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for being awarded a prestigious grant from the NIH/NCI as part of the Human Tumor Atlas Network. This funding will support the lab's groundbreaking work on the Multidimensional Myeloma Pre-Cancer Atlas (MMPCA), which aims to create a comprehensive spatial and temporal map of disease progression in multiple myeloma. The MMPCA will analyze genomic and microenvironmental changes, using state-of-the-art techniques like spatial transcriptomics, proteomics, and single-cell sequencing. This research will deepen our understanding of how precursor conditions evolve into overt myeloma, paving the way for more effective treatments and earlier interventions. https://lnkd.in/eArBbb85

Does eating a plant-based diet reduce cancer risk? Yes! Incorporating plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and nuts into your diet may reduce the risk of certain cancers. Christina Conte, RDN, LDN, nutritionist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, explains the health benefits of plant-based foods, such as strengthening your immune system. #cancerprevention #cancerscreening #oncology #doctor #healthyeats #healthydrink #plantbaseddiet #nutrition #diet

An exciting new era begins today at Dana-Farber.

We are pleased to announce the completion of one of the largest fundraising campaigns ever in the U.S. focused entirely on cancer. The Dana-Farber Campaign has been a 7-year initiative to accelerate the Institute’s strategic priorities by supporting revolutionary science and extraordinary care, funding clinical trials, addressing increased patient volume and cancer diagnoses, and supporting prevention, early detection, and interception among other groundbreaking initiatives in its mission to defy cancer. Due to the generosity of more than 900,000 individuals, we have preliminarily raised $2.5 billion in the fight against cancer. Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, who steps down from her position as president and CEO of Dana-Farber today, led The Dana-Farber Campaign and identified key priorities for philanthropic investment early in her tenure. “It has been an honor to lead this historic campaign that has allowed Dana-Farber to make great strides in cancer research and patient care,” said Dr. Glimcher. “I am grateful to the many benefactors whose generosity and dedication have enabled remarkable progress in the ambitious effort to find cures for cancer.” To learn more about The Dana-Farber Campaign and how funds raised are making an impact, please visit: https://bit.ly/4805Mtj

As Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, Dana-Farber’s transformative President and CEO assumes the title of President Emerita, we’re taking a moment to look back at the impact she had on our Institute, workforce and patients. Thank you Dr. Glimcher for your visionary leadership over the past eight years.