NMSU’s premier cancer research partnership renewed for five years

A $5.9 million grant will continue the partnership between NMSU and award-winning scientists at the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, where NMSU students have been receiving hands-on training in cancer research for more than 20 years. 

The Partnership for the Advancement of Cancer Research, a federally funded program connecting NMSU and Fred Hutch, offers paid student internships and support for faculty. 

“This funding has benefitted junior faculty in cancer research, from bench science to social and public health sciences addressing health disparities, but the number one benefit is to all the undergraduate and graduate students we have trained under this grant,” says Graciela A. Unguez, Regents professor in biology and PACR director.

Over the last five years, Unguez explains, the partnership has expanded, adding outreach components in new population groups like youth and the LGBTQ+ community. PACR’s next five-year cycle will focus even more on collaborating with community organizations through workshops and activities.  

“I believe one of our roles is to develop research-based cancer prevention content for our community organizations,” Unguez says. “We want to have a very diverse portfolio of cancer research from the genome all the way to community health.”