Working Groups
CCIL working groups foster interdisciplinary collaboration, identify new research partnerships, and develop new cancer research directions. Working groups form through the initiative of CCIL researchers who believe in the power of team science to faciliate and accelerate CCIL solutions to fight cancer. Any two collaborators can propose a new working group within one of the CCIL’s two research programs: Cancer Engineering and Biological Systems (CEB) and Cancer Technology and Data Science (CTD).
Faculty Lead: Timothy Fan, Paul Hergenrother
Research Program: CEB
Established: 2016
Purpose: This group is enabled by comparative tumor oncology and genomics through the inclusion of companion animals (dogs and cats) with cancer.
Faculty Lead: Sayee Anakk, Shannon Sirk
Research Program: CTD and CEB
Established: 2021
Purpose: The CCIL and the Illinois Microbial Systems Initiative (MSI) formed a new partnership to promote enhanced collaboration at the interface of microbial sciences and cancer.
Faculty Lead: Stephen Boppart
Research Program: CTD
Established: 2020
Purpose: Through our three Technology Research and Development Projects (TRDs), our current eight Collaborative Projects, and our eight Service Projects, we have a national and international network of researchers investigating cutting-edge optical imaging and sensing methods, along with developing novel computational imaging and AI/ML algorithms, to enable label-free optical imaging technologies for both clinical applications as well as basic biological discovery.
Faculty Lead: Joseph Irudayaraj
Research Program: CTD
Established: 2019
Purpose: Explore PFAS and the varied toxic effects it has on human health.
Faculty Lead: H. Rex Gaskins
Research Program: CEB
Established: 2022
Purpose: Investigate whether peripheral virus infection alters the migration of T cells into bone marrow and explores these factors in a controlled setting, using a 3-dimensional tissue culture system with defined cellular constituents.
Faculty Lead: Yun-Sheng Chen
Research Program: CTD
Established: 2023
Purpose: Address the limitations of SDT and PDT by developing a new mechanochemical dynamic therapy (MDT) that produces anti-cancer ROS using non-destructive ultrasound. MDT is expected to have the combined advantages of photodynamic therapy and sonodynamic therapy but without the limitations of penetration or cavitation.
Faculty Lead: Deborah Leckband
Research Program: CEB
Established: 2023
Purpose: Explore organoid usage with cancer research.
Faculty Lead: Viktor Gruev
Research Program: CTD
Established: 2020
Purpose: Explore the benefits and usage robotic surgery. RIA has been shown to produce less trauma to tissue, reduce pain and increase recovery time, has better cosmetic results, provides for shorter hospital stays and has increased accuracy. Focus on preparation of P01.
Faculty Lead: Brian Cunningham
Research Program: CTD
Established: 2017
Purpose: To utilize liquid biopsy to reveal the dynamic human transcriptome.
Contact
For more information about CCIL working groups contact CCIL Program Manager Angela Slates.