This issue of Milestones highlights some of our scientific advances in FY 2024-2025.
Whether it is at a desk, in a lab or at a bedside, everyone at the NCI’s Center for Cancer Research is committed to our mission to improve the lives of all cancer patients.
The image of liver cells on this year’s cover reveals cellular relationships and microscopic details of the inner workings of the liver. At the same time, the varied arrangement of the clustered cells evokes space, discovery and the great unknown. This reminds us that to fully understand human health and disease, we must investigate on multiple levels — from molecular mechanisms to whole patient experiences — and consider the broader context of the communities in which molecules, cells and people interact.
Each Milestones story in this issue shares a discovery from CCR researchers that will likely change the way we understand, detect and treat cancer. From pinpointing a protein’s role in cellular development to designing new ways to target therapies to cancer cells and running clinical trials to test novel treatments, our studies build on past research and pave the way for new advances. We are honored to feature three patients in this magazine who bring home the impact of our research and represent the culmination of years of work as well as new beginnings.
As acting co-directors, we are here to steward CCR through a period of transition. But what never wavers is our dedication to the mission and commitment to the patients we serve and who inspire us on to new frontiers.
James and Carol
James L. Gulley, M.D., Ph.D.
Acting Co-Director
NCI Center for Cancer Research
Carol J. Thiele, Ph.D.
Acting Co-Director
NCI Center for Cancer Research