Overview

The program in cancer biology will guide the medical students to develop an eclectic understanding of cancer not only at the patient level, but also at the molecular and the disease level. The research training in this Scholarly Concentration program will produce future physicians who, upon gaining the molecular insight to the complexity of cancer, can think creatively about cancer treatment and prevention, and translate the most advanced biomedical discoveries (at the bench) into effective cancer therapies (at bedside). 
 
The program is linked to the The Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center (SCCC) under the direction of Irving Weissman, a pioneer in cancer stem cell research. A large number of cancer biology faculty participate in the research programs hosted by SCCC, which boasts 220 independent basic science and clinical investigators. Students will have the opportunity to work with investigators at the forefront of cancer research, choosing from diverse topics such as: tumor initiation and development, angiogenesis, hypoxia, apoptosis, cancer stem cell identification and differentiation, molecular profiling of cancer, etc. Students will learn to utilize animal models and human materials while conducting research using the latest technology.