Welcome to the Division of Oncology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The clinicians, researchers, and staff in the Washington University Oncology Division are committed to providing exceptional clinical care to our patients with cancer. We are an integral component of the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center and one of the largest oncology programs in the Midwest, with nearly 150 faculty and 170,000 patient visits each year at 6 sites. Our patients have access to cutting-edge clinical trials, including many trials that were conceived and developed by our faculty. We have invested heavily in clinical trial infrastructure to facilitate research activities, and we currently have more than 400 active clinical trials in cancer.
A key mission of our program is to foster collaboration between clinical and basic investigators to develop innovative therapeutic approaches for cancers. This commitment has led to Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) awards from the NCI in leukemia, pancreatic cancer, and endometrial cancer, with efforts underway for SPOREs in brain cancer and breast cancer. We also are recipients of a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Specialized Center of Research Program (SCOR) in lymphoma, and we are one of four Edward P. Evans Centers for Myelodysplastic Syndromes in the country.
Our faculty have made seminal contributions in cancer genomics, including the sequencing of the first cancer (leukemia) genome. This pioneering work led to the development of a clinical test using whole genome sequencing for blood cancers, the first ever Medicare-approved whole genome sequencing assay. We continue to develop innovative single-cell, spatial, and bioinformatic approaches to study cancer pathogenesis and response to therapies. This research has led to several team science awards, including an NCI-funded PO1 and 11 U-type NIH awards focused on cancer “omics” in both solid tumor and hematological malignancies.
We have developed a very strong cancer immunotherapy program, which is supported by one of the top basic immunology programs in the country. Indeed, the Immunology program at Washington University includes 5 members of the National Academy of Sciences. This research has led to clinical trials using cancer vaccines, cellular immunotherapy with activated natural killer cells, and innovative CAR-T cell therapeutics.
We are committed to training future leaders in academic oncology The Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Program aims to develop outstanding clinicians through diverse clinical exposure and rigorous didactic learning experiences, with the goal of fostering successful, independent clinical and laboratory investigators while providing exceptional mentorship. Our Fellowship Program accepts 8 new fellows per year and is designed to attract outstanding physicians and physician-scientists and prepare them for a career in academic medicine. We have a number of NCI funded programs (K12, R25 and T32) to provide structured mentored training to guide fellows and junior faculty members.
I invite you to explore our website and discover how our Specialized Cancer Programs and cutting-edge clinical and laboratory research are advancing cancer care.