Molecular Oncology
DIRECTOR: Federico Caligaris Cappio
DEPUTY DIRECTOR: Giorgio Parmiani

Oncology bears a particular potential for translating research findings from the laboratory into clinical applications. Innovative strategies are urgently needed in the areas of diagnosis, patient risk stratification and treatment. The focus of the Division is to develop translational research programmes and clinical research. The tenet of the Division’s plans is that any significant progress toward the cure of cancer can only be based on an improved understanding of its pathogenesis, which, in turn, will lead to the development of improved diagnostics and more rationale therapeutic interventions.

Accordingly the Division is organized into 14 Units of Basic Research (URB) and 15 Groups of Clinical Research (GRC) with a total number of 138 scientists including clinician-scientists. Extensive collaborations and joint activities will accelerate the implementation of translational research through access to a large number of patients and samples and combined resource platforms.

The Division is joining efforts with the Clinical Department of Oncology to create a virtual cancer center with a network organization, multidisciplinary teams and defined programmes for different tumors and takes advantage of the collaborative use of resources, platforms and infrastructures with other Research Divisions and Cores.

Four major areas of investigation have been identified: a) Cancer Genetics; b) Cancer Microenvironment; c) Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy; d) Cancer Stem Cells

Two scientific programs have been so far planned: a) Strategic Research Program in Immunology and Bio-Immunotherapy of Cancer (PIBIC), co-organized with the Division of Immunology; b) Microenvironment and Genes in Cancers of the Blood (MAGIC).