OCRI Expands to Include Collaboration with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

The Oral Cancer Research Initiative was launched in November 2011 and has continually expanded to include a diverse group of researchers and clinicians from throughout the Boston University community. As the initiative developed, it became clear that in order to maximize our potential we needed to ensure that we had access to an adequate head and neck cancer population to support our translational research objectives. Moreover, it was evident that the initiative would benefit from strong clinical input from head and neck cancer clinical leaders who would be best positioned to push translational approaches. To facilitate enhanced collaboration with clinicians and to ensure better access to head and neck cancer patients, including relevant clinical trials, the OCRI has teamed up with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Our main collaborators at Dana-Farber are Robert I. Haddad, MD, Disease Center Leader for the Head and Neck Oncology Program and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Peter Hammerman, MD, PhD, Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School. In addition, we are working with Jochen H. Lorch, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, to enable OCRI researchers to access head and neck cancer specimens held by Dana-Farber.

The collaboration with Dana-Farber is an exciting development for the OCRI. Dana-Farber has an outstanding track record and a mature translational culture that will enrich the OCRI. Furthermore, our new collaborators bring a wealth of experience, enthusiasm and resources that will improve the quality and the long-term viability of the initiative.