Texas A&M University has a rich history of commitment to serving the people of Texas through education, research, and service. Despite remarkable successes in the areas of agriculture, engineering, environmental health sciences, and veterinary medicine, a major impact by Texas A&M University investigators in the fight against cancer has not been realized due to a previous lack of centralized focus. In this application, we propose the creation of a regional center of excellence in cancer research (TREC) that takes advantage of the vast resources available to Texas A&M University to establish the infrastructure required to advance a cohesive vision to address unmet needs in cancer prevention a...

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Texas A&M University has a rich history of commitment to serving the people of Texas through education, research, and service. Despite remarkable successes in the areas of agriculture, engineering, environmental health sciences, and veterinary medicine, a major impact by Texas A&M University investigators in the fight against cancer has not been realized due to a previous lack of centralized focus. In this application, we propose the creation of a regional center of excellence in cancer research (TREC) that takes advantage of the vast resources available to Texas A&M University to establish the infrastructure required to advance a cohesive vision to address unmet needs in cancer prevention and treatment at the regional and national levels. The Texas A&M University Center will focus on mentoring early career investigators interested in cancer research, recruitment of outstanding cancer researchers, and creation of a highly interactive environment that promotes collaborations and incentivizes development of impactful programs of national and international relevance. Our program will draw from a talented pool of investigators from eight different academic units to study how biology and genes are modified by environmental and lifestyle factors to influence cancer risk and how to effectively use this knowledge to increase precision in cancer prevention and healthcare delivery. The key components of the center include an administrative core, a single cell 'omics core, a recruitment committee, a mentoring team, and an evaluation team. The TREC initiative will build a critical mass of cancer researchers at Texas A&M University, facilitate collaborations within and outside the institution, and support innovative cancer research that improves cancer prevention and the development of cures for these devastating diseases.

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