National Cancer Institute Designation
A Historic Milestone for Cancer Research in Illinois
The Cancer Center at Illinois has joined the nation’s most elite cancer research institutions — becoming only the eighth center in the country to earn Basic Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute, and the first to receive it in nearly 40 years.
#8
In the nation to receive this designation
~40
Years since the last basic cancer center designation
130+
Faculty across 8 colleges and 20+ departments
What the Designation Means
Fifteen Years of Investment, Now Amplified
NCI designation is the culmination of more than 15 years of sustained collaboration and institutional commitment. It is not simply recognition — it opens doors. The multi-year federal support that comes with designation will expand research capacity, accelerate the translation of laboratory findings into medical use, and strengthen the CCIL’s ability to share its engineering and scientific expertise with cancer centers across the country. These investments will scale what the CCIL does best: turning fundamental discovery into real-world solutions, and advancing the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s mission to serve the state, the nation, and the world.
The Only Designated Basic Cancer Center in Illinois
The Cancer Center at Illinois stands alone in the state — and among only eight in the nation — as a home for the kind of foundational cancer science that reshapes medicine. What the CCIL discovers today becomes the clinical standard of tomorrow.
Our Mission
Redefining How Cancer Is Understood
NCI Basic Cancer Centers are focused not on treating patients directly, but on something equally vital: the foundational discoveries that make future clinical breakthroughs possible. They drive paradigm-shifting science in cancer detection, treatment, and prevention — the upstream work that reshapes medicine
What began in 2011 as a small group of faculty has grown into a powerful, cross-disciplinary collaborative of more than 130 researchers and hundreds of trainees. This interdisciplinary model — merging oncology, engineering, and basic science in ways unique among cancer centers nationwide — is central to everything the CCIL achieves.
Breadth of Impact
From the Lab to the World — and Beyond
The CCIL’s reach extends further than most might expect. Alongside advancing human cancer research, CCIL scientists are applying their innovations to veterinary oncology — studying how we treat pet cats and dogs to uncover insights that ultimately improve therapies for humans. In doing so, the center turns an unlikely bond into a powerful scientific feedback loop.
The center is also training a new generation of scientists in cutting-edge tools, including artificial intelligence, while deepening partnerships with clinical centers across the nation. The goal is clear: close the distance between discovery and impact.
Landmark Innovations
Advances Poised to Reshape Cancer Care
CCIL researchers have produced a portfolio of breakthroughs that are already reorienting what’s possible in cancer science:
MR Spectroscopic Imaging
New magnetic resonance technology for more precise tumor visualization and monitoring.
Liquid Biopsy Detection
Molecular measurement tools that can detect cancer through a simple blood draw.
Personalized Cancer Models
Lab-grown mimics of human cancers that enable tailored, patient-specific therapies.
AI-Powered Diagnostics
New imaging systems that use artificial intelligence to diagnose cancer with greater precision.
Next-Generation Therapeutics
Novel drug compounds that promise faster, safer treatment pathways for patients — moving the science of cancer therapy decisively forward.