Our Mission

To advance cancer research, education, and community outreach through collaborative, interdisciplinary efforts that integrate faculty expertise and student training, with a special focus on reducing cancer health disparities in underserved.

Our Vision

To be a leading center for innovative cancer research and education in the region, empowering the next generation of scientists and healthcare professionals while improving public health outcomes through innovative research and community-focused initiatives.

Leadership Team

Meet our leadership team, led by Dr. Manoj Mishra, Director of the CRC, who oversees administrative and research activities. Our team includes distinguished faculty investigators and research scientists dedicated to advancing cancer research.

Director’s message:

Our Partners

We collaborate with multiple departments across ASU, including Biology, Psychology, Chemistry, Health Sciences, social sciences, business school and advancement studies as well as external institutions such as:

Internal and External Partners

Internal:

• College of Science, Math, and Technology
• Biomedical Engineering Program
• College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

External:

• University of Alabama at Birmingham
• Morehouse School of Medicine
• Tuskegee University
• Vanderbilt University
• Emory University
• Harvard Medical School

Successful Partnerships

• ASU-UAB Cancer Partnership: P20 grant from NCI, training 20+ undergraduates, 3 postdocs, and 2 graduate students.
• ASU-UNT Health Science Center: Funded summer training in prostate cancer for 16 undergraduates.
• ASU-Tuskegee-Savanna State-Vanderbilt-UNT: U01 grant from NIH for STEM student mentorship.
• ASU-UNT-UPenn-Savanna State (AIM-AHEAD): Pilot project on ML bias in cancer research.

Strategic Focus Areas

• Cancer Biology and Genetics: Investigating the molecular mechanisms of cancer.
• Prevention and Early Detection: Developing strategies to improve cancer screening and prevention.
• Community Health Disparities: Addressing cancer disparities in underserved minority communities.
• Translational and Clinical Research: Bridging basic science discoveries to clinical applications.
• Psycho-oncology: Integrating mental health support throughout the cancer journey, from diagnosis to survivorship, and even bereavement

Matrix Center Structure

• Faculty appointments remain in their home departments but participate in CRC projects, committees, and activities.
• Shared resources (labs, equipment, data) accessible to all members.
• Joint seminars, workshops, and grant writing support.
• Cross-department student research internships and training programs.

Core Principles

• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Faculty from diverse disciplines work together to tackle complex cancer challenges.
• Student Engagement: Providing hands-on research opportunities, mentorship, and training for students.
• Community Focus: Addressing cancer health disparities in Alabama and beyond.
• Basic & Translational Research: Connecting laboratory discoveries to real-world applications.

Faculty Research

Discover Faculty Expertise

Explore the research interests and projects led by our diverse faculty members from ASU’s College of Science, Math, and Technology, Biomedical Engineering Program, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and our other partners. Key research areas include:

• Biomedical engineering and nanotechnology in cancer research
• Cancer epidemiology and epigenetics
• Geographical information systems (GIS) and cancer mapping
• Tumor immunology
• Cancer biomarkers
• Cancer Neuroscience
• Psycho-oncology or psychosocial oncology​