Wilmot Cancer Center Explores Research Collaboration With Roswell Park Cancer Institute

The University of Rochester Medical Center’sJames P. Wilmot Cancer Center and Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) today announced that they are exploring a regional scientific collaboration. Leaders of the two institutions are conducting a detailed feasibility study which will identify and quantify advantages of shared research activities. 

While leaders from both organizations stress that the talks are preliminary, a collaboration between upstate New York’s two largest cancer research facilities could result in a scientific powerhouse, enhancing faculty recruitment, funding, and the development of larger research studies.

Discussions regarding the collaborations come as growth in the National Cancer Institute’s $4.9 billion research budget has plateaued, making for fierce competition among established scientists as well as junior investigators looking to capture research grants. Scientists are more frequently reaching across institutional boundaries in order to develop the most compelling grant applications.

While the goal would be to create cross-institutional teams that can attract more and larger federal research grants, ultimately the collaborative work would be expected to lead to discoveries that would improve patient care and fuel further research.  There is also potential for participation in this collaboration by cancer researchers at the University at Buffalo (SUNY), Roswell Park’s primary academic partner.

Talks are expected to continue over the next several months as leaders evaluate this opportunity.