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NCI-Designated Cancer Center

Cellular sensor’s 3D structure reveals new clues for combating cancer

Dr. Francesca Marassi and colleagues determined the 3D structure of a complete, unmodified G-protein-coupled receptor in its native environment: embedded in a lipid membrane.

For brain tumors, origins matter

Research by Dr. Robert Wechsler-Reya shows that brain tumors arising from different cell types might require different—and more personalized—treatment approaches.

Sanford-Burnham cancer researcher added to Nobel Prize watch list

Dr. Erkki Ruoslahti, cancer researcher and distinguished professor at Sanford-Burnham, was named a 2012 Thomson Reuters Citation Laureate, placing him on the organization’s list of “Nobel-class” scientists.

Research

Cancer Center Leadership

Garth Powis, D.Phil.
Director
Ze'ev Ronai, Ph.D
Associate Director
Craig Hauser, Ph.D
Associate Director, Shared Resources
Eveline Hernandez, MBA
Associate Director, Administration
Guy Salvesen, Ph.D.
Director, Apoptosis & Cell Death Research Program
Ze'ev Ronai, Ph.D.
Director, Signal Transduction Program
Robert Wechsler-Reya, Ph.D.
Director, Tumor Development Program
Sara Courtneidge, Ph.D.
Director, Tumor Microenvironment Program

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About the Cancer Center

Our goal is an increased translational focus on tailoring new cancer therapies to individual patients, thus enabling personalized medicine.

- Garth Powis, Ph.D.

Professor and Director, Cancer Center

Sanford-Burnham is home to one of just seven National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated basic cancer centers in the United States. Research in this center aims to pre-empt cancer before it develops, detect the disease at its earliest point, and eliminate its spread. Ongoing studies in the cancer center yield tangible medical benefits; the work of Sanford-Burnham scientists has led to two FDA-approved drugs and five experimental cancer therapies currently in clinical trials.

In the News

Your Health

Cancer Research Programs

Scientists in each of the Sanford-Burnham Cancer Center's four programs are interested in the most fundamental questions about cancer: How do tumors arise from normal cells? What happens to cellular communication as cancer develops? How do cancer cells interact with their neighboring tissues? How do cancer cells avoid cell death? Explore each program below to learn more about Sanford-Burnham's approach to cancer.

Tumor Microenvironment

Researchers in this program aim to understand normal cellular behavior and how these processes go awry in disease. They study how cells adhere to their environment, interact with one another and migrate to other locations in the body.
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Tumor Development

The goal of this program is to dissect the origins and consequences of cancer-causing mutations in genes and proteins. Here, scientists are working to identify the molecular mechanisms that tell genes to turn on or off.
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Signal Transduction

Research in this program concerns the way cells communicate with each other and their surrounding environments. Scientists are studying the mechanisms by which cells interpret and act upon signals they receive in response to stress.
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Apoptosis & Cell Death Research

This program investigates the fundamental mechanisms that control the way cells self-destruct when their time is up. Since too much cell death can result in untimely brain cell death and too little contributes to the cancer cell.
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Shared Resources

Technology supporting the four programs

There are many Cancer Center Shared Resources, some of which consist of multiple specialized facilities. Equipped with advanced technology and staffed by technical experts in each field, these core facilities provide powerful support for the research of Cancer Center investigators. These Shared Resources, complemented by several additional Institute cores, are accessible to all Sanford-Burnham investigators.

Collaboration with San Diego Cancer Centers

San Diego National Cancer Institute Cancer Centers Council (C3)

San Diego’s three National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Centers—Sanford-Burnham, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, and the Salk Institute—are part of a collaboration known as the San Diego National Cancer Institute Cancer Centers Council (C3). This council was formed to facilitate scientific and academic interactions—clinical, translational (from the lab to the clinic), basic-science, and educational—and to leverage each Cancer Center’s distinct strengths, resources, and talents. C3 aims to speed scientific discovery and translation of innovative treatments for cancer patients in San Diego and beyond.

Recent Developments

Welcome to Garth Powis, Ph.D., new Cancer Center director

Garth Powis, Ph.D., has been appointed professor and director of Sanford-Burnham's Cancer Center, one of seven National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designat...
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How some prostate tumors resist treatment—and how it might be fixed

Researchers discover that a protein called Siah2 helps prostate cancer cells resist hormone therapy—making it an attractive biomarker and therapeutic t...
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Sanford-Burnham hosts Pedal the Cause–San Diego kick-off

Sanford-Burnham is excited to be part of the first Pedal the Cause--San Diego, in partnership with our two “neighbor” National Cancer Institute(NCI)-de...
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First five organizations selected for Florida Translational Research Program

Sanford-Burnham at Lake Nona announced today the selection of the first five research organizations that will participate in the Florida Translational ...
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