Accelerating success requires risk-taking. That is why a special focus of The Dana-Farber Campaign is to fund what we are calling breakthrough “Tiger Teams.” Modeled on NASA’s methodology employed to save the Apollo 13 space mission, these teams will bring together talented researchers and clinicians from multiple disciplines to focus on some of the biggest unsolved cancer challenges. Each Tiger Team project has a timeline of three to five years, with specified objectives, milestones, and deliverables to ensure the work produces meaningful results.
Right now, two Dana-Farber Tiger Teams are making significant progress in areas of critical patient need:
The Hale Family Center for Pancreatic Cancer Tiger Team brings together experts in genomics, metabolism, immunotherapy, medicinal chemistry, and clinical trials to develop new ways to prevent, detect, and treat pancreatic cancer. The team has made several discoveries already that are speeding the development and deployment of novel therapies for pancreatic cancer patients—including the very first targeted therapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and PARP inhibitors.
The Jennifer Oppenheimer Cancer Research Initiative supports the Glioblastoma Tiger Team, bringing together experts in cell-based therapies, immunology, clinical trials, and psychosocial oncology to address key obstacles facing patients with this aggressive brain cancer., including surgery, new drug development, and palliative care.
Additional funding for new Tiger Teams is needed. Supplied with the high-tech equipment and staffing resources they need, these teams will be unleashed to revolutionize the way the world treats cancer.
For more information or questions, please contact Kate Hall.