AACI Welcomes New Member, Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT

Newswise — The Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) welcomes its newest member, the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT. Designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as a basic cancer research center, the Koch Institute specializes in discovery science and the development of new technologies to improve patient survival and quality of life. 

Directed by Matthew Vander Heiden, MD, PhD, the Koch Institute focuses on five strategic areas: nanotechnology-based drugs, detection and monitoring, metastasis, precision medicine, and immunology and immunotherapy. The institute combines MIT’s traditions of interdisciplinary collaboration and technological innovation to accelerate the discovery and application of new ways to detect, monitor, treat, and prevent cancer.

The Koch Institute is comprised of more than 50 laboratories and over 1,000 researchers—including biologists; biological, chemical, mechanical, and materials science engineers; chemists; and computer scientists—who partner extensively with academic, clinical, and industry partners, as well as with faculty-founded startup companies.

“We are delighted to welcome the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research to our membership,” said AACI Executive Director Jennifer W. Pegher. “The institute’s commitment to interdisciplinary research, collaboration, and innovation is key to accelerating progress against cancer. The addition of the Koch Institute also represents an important milestone for AACI, which now counts all 71 NCI-Designated Cancer Centers among its 104 members.”