Cancer Biology Student Travel Awards

Early in one’s career it is critically important to attend scientific conferences to develop key skills like presenting your work and networking to move your career forward. Travel to key cancer meetings is essential for graduate students early in their career. The resources to do so can often be scarce or hard to come by. This is why we have launched a fundraising initiative to give these students the opportunity to grow, learn and achieve success in cancer research.

About the KUMC Department of Cancer Biology

Treating (advanced) cancers successfully requires understanding the specifics of cancer biology. Without that knowledge, the targeting of tumors and metastases and minimizing “bystander effects” is not possible. During the last decades, the community of cancer researchers has discovered that tumors are not just a growing mass of cells, but highly differentiated and often behave in many ways like another organ in the body, consisting of complex tissues that interface with the entire host organism. 

Cancer stem cells are often able to escape during classic tumor therapies that target fast growing cells, ultimately causing cancer relapse. The researchers in our department work toward understanding what makes cancers different from healthy tissue and how to take advantage of this therapeutically. We are the basic research department of KUMC with an emphasis on translating our results into the clinic and the lives of cancer patients.

Thank you for EMPOWERING our students to become the best possible 

scientists and researchers!