Cancer institute here easily passes federal review
Share with others:
Following a year-long review, the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute will continue to be designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the federal National Cancer Institute and receive another five-year, $27 million core grant.
The designation allows UPCI to maintain the prestige of being one of only 35 comprehensive cancer centers nationally -- a designation it first achieved in 1989, four years after its founding.
Maintaining the comprehensive cancer center designation makes it easier to recruit top researchers and clinicians, and also allows UPCI to demonstrate the scientific prowess it needs to win increasingly competitive research grants.
"There's a fixed amount of money out there," said Nancy Davidson, UPCI's director, "so it's very important for us to show that we're scientifically at the top."
While it would have been highly unusual to not get it -- the National Cancer Institute almost never withdraws such a designation -- it is the first time the institution has successfully navigated the review process under a director other than Ronald Herberman, who was UPCI's first director when it opened in 1985 and until last year oversaw its growth into one of the nation's premier cancer centers.
In addition, it comes as UPCI is celebrating its 25th anniversary this academic year with a series of symposiums and other events.
All that taken together has made it one heck of time for the first 20 months of its new director's tenure.
"Was I stressed? Yeah," said Dr. Davidson, who is also a nationally known cancer researcher. "But did I know we'd get it? Yeah. It was a question of how well we'd do."
Linda Weiss, director of the office of cancer centers for the National Cancer Institute, said UPCI got a score of 20 to 30 on its review, which officially means the institution is "extremely strong with negligible weaknesses."
First Published October 18, 2010 12:00 am
