About the UH Cancer Center
The University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center is one of only 72 research organizations in the U.S. designated by the National Cancer Institute and the only one in the Pacific. This designation, first obtained from 1974-1986 and continuous since 1996, requires stringent and constant evaluation, and gives the UH Cancer Center the distinction of being among the best cancer research institutions in the world.
The UH Cancer Center is an organized research unit within the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa located on the island of Oʻahu. Completed in 2013, the world-class Cancer Center building is home to 300 research faculty, staff, and students. In addition, another 200 affiliate members are engaged with the Center through its clinical partners, Adventist Health Castle, Hawaii Medical Service Association, Hawaiʻi Pacific Health, Kuakini Medical Center, The Queen's Health System, and UH Mānoa's John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), which together form the Hawaiʻi Cancer Consortium.
Our scientists and physicians focus on key cancers that significantly impact our communities in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. Yet, just as importantly, our work contributes to a global body of knowledge that leads to the development of innovative cancer prevention and control strategies as well as novel life-saving therapies and interventions for all types of cancers. We engage in scientific collaborations on a national and international scale, ranging from clinical trials and other research conducted across the U.S. to partnership programs and research collaborations in Guam, Micronesia, the Pacific, Australia, Asia, and Europe.
To solve the toughest cancer-related questions, we require the brightest minds. We are home to some of the nation's leading cancer experts and continue to ambitiously recruit new talent to serve the people of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. Our goal is to develop new strategies for discovery, drive findings into clinical practice, and deliver the best possible outcomes when patients are faced with the prospect of treatment for cancer. We are focused on addressing our unique opportunity (ethnic diversity, unique types of cancers in our area, and health disparity). Our major efforts have impacted reducing the cancer burden in our area. And we are committed to improving the outcome so that no one will suffer from cancer.
As the central cancer education and training hub for Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, the UH Cancer Center provides innovative training and mentorship opportunities for individuals at every age and stage of their career. Two new education initiatives were successfully kicked off in 2020, the CREATE Program and the Clinical Research Professionals (CRP) Certificate Program.
Other key research initiatives include an Early Phase Clinical Research Center (EPCRC) and a Preclinical Core. The EPCRC and expanding clinical research will allow cancer patients to participate in Phase I trials without traveling to the mainland. The preclinical core facility will provide an invaluable resource for cancer study in minority populations with significant cancer disparities for drug development and biomarkers. We are here to reduce cancer suffering through research-driven prevention and care.
See our mission, vision, and core values of the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center
Learn more about the UH Cancer Center in the video below:
