In 2013, Drexel University College of Medicine formed a partnership with Thomas Jefferson University called the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (SKCC) Research Consortium to collaboratively pursue scientific research in the fight against cancer. The research consortium was approved by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the federal government’s principal agency for cancer research and training.
More than 10 years later, the main goal of the research consortium remains -- to produce the next wave of cancer research and treatments through shared resources across institutions. It also brings together a diverse group of researchers, clinicians and population scientists who are committed to making an impact, by fostering direct access to cancer care and novel research studies in our communities. In April 2024, SKCC became an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center. This recognition places SKCC among a select group of 57 centers across the country that have earned this esteemed status. The role of NCI-designated cancer centers is focused on the prevalent cancers affecting their local population; for the SKCC, that area is a multi-county region of over 6 million individuals in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. This region notably experiences higher rates of breast, colorectal, lung and prostate cancers.
Today, the SKCC Research Consortium includes seven Drexel colleges and schools including the College of Medicine, the Dornsife School of Public Health, the College of Nursing and Health Professions, the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Computing and Informatics and the College of Engineering.
Drexel University brings substantial strength to the research consortium in viral oncogenesis, biomedical engineering, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and geospatial analysis which adds important new dimensions to cancer research.
The mission of the SKCC Research Consortium is to improve the lives of cancer patients and their families through compassion, innovation and breakthrough discoveries.
Collaboration among top-tier institutions, which enables the sharing of resources, knowledge and expertise, is a major benefit of the research consortium, as well as fostering the ability to conduct innovative research and develop new treatments for cancer care.
Broader Clinical Trial Access for Patients:
Cancer patients have access to a broader range of clinical trials. This includes innovative therapies that may not be available to them outside of the research consortium. Both increase the odds of finding effective treatments, improving outcomes, and higher survival rates for cancer patients.
Sharing Resources Accelerates Research:
Sophisticated technologies, data and bio-specimens can be shared by member institutions of the research consortium. This collaborative approach of sharing resources accelerates research by equipping researchers with essential resources and eliminating duplicated efforts.
Expanded Opportunities for Funding:
As a member institution, being part of a prestigious research consortium enhances the competitiveness and potential success of grant proposals for the institutions involved. Collaborative efforts can attract more substantial funding from both governmental and private sources.
Education and Training for the Next Generation of Researchers and Clinicians:
The SKCC Research Consortium provides the next generation of cancer researchers and clinicians with robust education and training environments.
Accelerated Discovery – From the Bench to Bedside:
The research consortium can accelerate discovery through the sharing of resources, which means that new treatments and diagnostics can move at a quicker pace from the laboratory to the clinic, potentially saving more lives.
IMPACT PHL, SKCC’s new five-year plan, has five inter-connected pillars that provide the organizational foundation for the goals, strategies, and day-to-day decisions. Continuing to collaborate with Drexel University and harnessing its capabilities is a vital aspect of the future growth of the research consortium.
As a consortium member of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University, Drexel University faculty members are permitted to use the following resources at a reduced rate:
Potential members will be expected to provide:
- Current copy of their complete curriculum vitae including bibliography
- NIH biosketch
- NIH formatted Other Support file
- Recent headshot
- Statement about how their research is relevant to cancer
- List of keyword terms associated with their research
Guidelines for membership:
Membership connects the scientific community across the consortium. Members are expected to maintain a minimum level of their own research activities, as well as a minimum level of engagement with the cancer center. Two levels of membership exist:
FULL MEMBERS
Full Members must hold an academic appointment and are expected to:
- Cancer Research Funding OR Engagement with Clinical Research
- Stewardship: Participate in meetings, retreats, committees, community outreach, and philanthropic events.
- myNCBI account: Reporting of scientific discoveries is essential for maintaining NCI-Designation. All members must manage their own myNCBI account to ensure compliance with all NCI and NIH requirements. Failure to do so may negatively impact the CCSG submission.
- Acknowledge the CCSG and Shared Resources: All members must acknowledge the CCSG in all scientific research papers. If SKCCC Shared Resources were used, they also must be acknowledged.
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
Individuals who do not meet the criteria for Full membership but have an academic appointment and interest in cancer related projects with a commitment to apply for cancer focused funding or open cancer focused clinical trials.
Download Membership Information [pdf]
Apply Here
News
Advancing Cancer Research Through Innovation: Dr. Emily Esquea’s Journey From Lab to Real-World Impact — Stories of Impact Series
As the second installment of the Stories of Impact series, Drexel Applied Innovation spoke with Emily Esquea, Drexel University College of Medicine double Drexel alumni, with a MS and PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Genetics. She is the first recipient of Drexel Applied Innovation's inaugural Excellence in Expanding the Impact of Research Award at the Graduate Student Excellence Day 2024, nominated by faculty mentor, Dr. Mauricio Reginato, Professor and Chair and Director of the Graduate Program in Cancer Biology and Program Director, Translational and Cellular Oncology Program at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (SKCC) Research Consortium at Thomas Jefferson University. Read more.
Drexel Team Identifies Drug-like Molecules That Show Early Success in Targeting Breast Cancer Brain Metastases
Researchers from Drexel’s College of Medicine have identified new drugs that show early success in shrinking breast cancer tumors that have metastasized in the brain. Read more.
Bolstered by Research Consortium with Drexel, Jefferson’s Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center Earns NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center Designation
Thomas Jefferson University‘s Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (SKCC), Drexel University’s partner in the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Research Consortium, has earned a National Cancer Institute (NCI) "Comprehensive" Cancer Center designation, the highest recognition awarded by the NCI. Read more.
Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center Research Consortium: Committed to Changing the Cancer Landscape in Philadelphia
Drexel University and Thomas Jefferson University are longtime allies in the fight against cancer. That partnership was formalized in 2013 as the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (SKCC) Research Consortium, a relationship that was reinvigorated in 2021, in preparation for the center’s application to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. Read more.
Back to Top