Moving our discoveries from the laboratory into the clinic requires collaboration from scientists across several research areas. At MD Anderson, we focus on four key areas of cancer research: basic science, translational research, clinical research and prevention and personalized risk assessment.
Basic Science
The goal of basic science research is to understand normal biological processes in healthy cells and to uncover how these processes malfunction in cancer. At MD Anderson, our research groups span the full spectrum of disciplines: from genetics/genomics to immunology, from cell biology to structural biology, and from biochemistry to quantitative sciences. There isn’t a facet of basic cancer research that our investigators do not pursue.
Translational Research
With basic research fueling many of our discoveries, MD Anderson is committed to taking the best science and moving it to the bedside. Translational researchers provide this first step by validating what has been discovered in animal models and in vitro studies and seeing if the same processes apply in humans. MD Anderson is one of very few cancer centers where the opportunity to interact with clinicians and obtain patient samples to do this kind of research is not just possible — but facilitated by leaders in both our research and clinical enterprises.
Clinical Research
MD Anderson has the largest cancer clinical trial program in the world. Whether focusing early detection and treatment, personalized medicine or immunotherapy, clinical research is what takes our discoveries over the finish line and is key to achieving our mission of Making Cancer History®.
Prevention & Personalized Risk Assessment
Prevention is a key pillar of our mission to eliminate cancer. Our Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences is home to one of the largest and most developed cancer prevention programs in the world. Learn how we engage the community in research, education and clinical care with our programs in prevention and personalized risk assessment.