Welcome the UH Cancer Center! Hear from scientists and physicians and the research around key cancers that impact our communities in Hawaii.

Learn more about:

• Cancer Research Education and Training at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center
• Overview of major cancer research areas in Hawaiʻi
• Opportunities for high school students to gain cancer research experience
• Possible collaborations between STEMplus and the Cancer Center

Who should register? Hawaii life sciences educators in grades 9-12 from public and private schools

Agenda (to be updated closer to the event):

• Launa/introductions
• Hoʻike/presentations (Guest presenters: Dr. Gertraud Maskarinec, Dr. Lenora Loo, Ms. Kathleen Plaza)
• ʻAina ahiahi/dinner

The Cancer Research Training (CRT) office at the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center (UHCC) coordinates research education and training activities and provides educational opportunities by supporting travel to scientific meetings, seminars, workshops, and related activities. The mission of the UHCC is to reduce the burden of cancer with an emphasis on the unique ethnic, cultural and environmental characteristics of Hawai‘i and the Pacific. The goal of the CRT is to provide innovative training and mentorship experiences with a focus on the diversity of trainees and reducing health disparities.

UHCC brings Cancer Biology (CB) and Population Sciences in the Pacific (PSP) focused Programs together with translational and clinical researchers who focus on reducing cancer’s impact on the people of Hawai‘i and the Pacific. Both programs investigate the etiology of cancer as well as translational research to convert the findings into clinical treatment and prevention programs. The CB Program studies the basic mechanisms that contribute to the initiation, progression, and spread of cancer, while PSP focuses on reducing cancer risk and prolonging life through the identification of environmental, lifestyle, and genetic risk factors among diverse racial/ethnic groups. Since 1960, UHCC has operated the statewide Hawai‘i Tumor Registry, which provides detailed information on the estimated 7,000 newly diagnosed cancer cases in each year.

UHCC offered a new summer program in July 2023 introducing 20 high school students from 10 schools to cancer research and careers, with hands-on activities in population sciences: searching websites for relevant information about cancer incidence, performing simple data analyses, learning about pathology, exploring genomic databases, and listening to talks by researchers and oncologists. At this meeting, the UHCC presenters will ask for input from Hawaii’s science educators on relevant topics to improve future training opportunities. We would like to work with educators to better understand the educational needs for students interested in biomedical research, to design future courses for high school students interested in research, and to elicit ideas about appropriate formats and content related to cancer research and career planning.