A researcher in safety glasses, a white lab coat and blue protective gloves holds up a specimen container as she reads from a binder. A researcher in safety glasses, a white lab coat and blue protective gloves holds up a specimen container as she reads from a binder.

Cancer Research Center

Breaking Down the Biology of Cancer

Researchers at the UAlbany Cancer Research Center are working to better understand the genetic and environmental causes of cancer, while providing in-depth training to early-career scientists. 

Using state-of-the-art technologies, faculty and students focus on the underlying biology associated with tumor initiation and progression, as well as the development and evaluation of chemo-preventive regimens and therapeutic approaches for common cancers.

Our dedication to advancing cancer research while educating the next generation of scientists is demonstrated by various awards, including a $1.7M grant from the National Cancer Institute to study the role of nutrition in breast cancer.   

You can support our efforts to eliminate cancer by contributing to the Fund for Memory and Hope. Gifts of any amount are most welcome.  
 

Donate Today     Attend an Event     Meet our Researchers
 

 

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Public Health Approach

The Cancer Research Center is housed within UAlbany’s College of Integrated Health Sciences, which was founded in partnership with the New York State Department of Health — a close connection that makes the Center unique among cancer research facilities in the U.S.

Our faculty provide a collaborative research environment to foster graduate students and postdoctoral fellows' training in cancer biology.

Explore our master's and doctoral programs in Biomedical Sciences and Environmental Health Sciences.
 

 

Comprehensive Research

Faculty at the Cancer Research Center address a variety of topics related to cancer, including: 

  • Understanding the molecular actions of natural products including vitamins and dietary components 
  • Defining the genomic and molecular events associated with progression of early-stage disease to aggressive cancer 
  • Exploring whether exposure to silver nanoparticles — which can be found in a wide variety of household products—can lead to the development of cancer 
  • Identifying and understanding the genetic susceptibilities of cancer cells 
  • Investigating Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) to explore genetic and immunologic links between ME/CFS, autoimmune disorders and cancer 

 

Two researchers in white lab coats and protective glasses examine a specimen in the background, while a third researcher writes in a notebook in the foreground.


 

Weekly Scientific Discussions

Cancer Research Center Journal Club: Campus community members gather to watch a student, postdoc or faculty member present a paper of interest. Join us for a lively scientific discussion at 11 a.m. Tuesdays in the Cancer Research Center’s Massry Conference Room.  

Friday Research Talks: Join students, faculty and staff members for networking and informal conversations about ongoing research projects. These discussions are held at 11 a.m. Fridays in the Cancer Research Center’s Massry Conference Room.  

 

Renowned Lecture Series

Established through the generosity of Daniel J. Hogarty and the Hogarty Family Foundation, the annual Hogarty Lecture at the Center Research Center provides information to the community about a broad range of topics related to cancer.

Experts have previously spoken on cancer control in the 21st century, aging and cancer, inflammation and cancer progression, and combatting the tobacco epidemic.

 

events

Our Researchers

Douglas S. Conklin
Douglas S. Conklin
Associate Professor
College of Integrated Health Sciences; Department of Biomedical Sciences; Cancer Research Center; The RNA Institute
[email protected]
The Conklin Laboratory
Jason Herschkowitz
Jason Herschkowitz
Associate Professor
College of Integrated Health Sciences; Department of Biomedical Sciences; Cancer Research Center; The RNA Institute
[email protected]
Igor Kuznetsov
Igor Kuznetsov
Associate Professor
College of Integrated Health Sciences; Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics; Cancer Research Center
[email protected]
Bum-Kyu Lee
Bum-Kyu Lee
Assistant Professor
College of Integrated Health Sciences; Department of Biomedical Sciences; Cancer Research Center
[email protected]
Roxana Moslehi
Roxana Moslehi
Associate Professor
College of Integrated Health Sciences; Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics; Cancer Research Center
[email protected]
Ramune Reliene
Ramune Reliene
Associate Professor
College of Integrated Health Sciences; Department of Environmental Health Sciences; Cancer Research Center
[email protected]
JoEllen Welsh
JoEllen Welsh
Distinguished Professor, Empire Innovation Professor
College of Integrated Health Sciences; Department of Biomedical Sciences; Department of Environmental Health Sciences; Cancer Research Center; The RNA Institute
[email protected]
researchers

News

A portrait of BK Lee.
Faculty Spotlight: Bum-Kyu Lee
Bum-Kyu Lee joined the UAlbany Department of Biomedical Sciences in 2020 and received his PhD in Microbiology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2011. At the University of Texas, Lee gained expertise in molecular biology and genetics, with a primary interest in understanding how transcription factors and cis-regulatory elements influence final gene expression.
A woman sleeps in a bed with her head on the pillow.
COVID-19 May Be a Trigger for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
ALBANY, N.Y. (July 25, 2022) - UAlbany researcher Roxana Moslehi from the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics is conducting important investigations on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) to better understand the illness, including its potential connection to cancer, auto-immune disease, and long-haul COVID-19.
Doug Conklin points at a computer screen, showing another researcher important work on the screen.
From the Benchtop to the World
So you’ve made an important discovery… how can you deliver it to the public where it’s needed? University at Albany researcher Douglas Conklin takes us through the process of moving a breakthrough out to where it can do some good.
An exterior shot of the Cancer Research Center. The buildign is a pale blue grey with a fully glass wall. Bright lights shine through the glass windows. Next to the center, the road is lit up in a bright red. A tree is in the right corner.
UAlbany Breast Cancer Expert Chairing Premier Conference on Vitamin D Biology
ALBANY, N.Y. (October 7, 2021) – On October 13 and 14, 2021, Distinguished Professor JoEllen Welsh is chairing a virtual conference on vitamin D, bringing together global research leaders and rising scientists to discuss the latest research advances and accelerate scientific discoveries that optimize the health effects of the vitamin D endocrine system.
Ali Ropri stands outside the Cancer Research Center on the Health Sciences Campus. The green lawn is behind him.
Biomedical Sciences Student Works to Improve Understanding of Breast Cancer
ALBANY, N.Y. (August 5, 2021) – For so many of us, cancer has taken away loved ones far too soon. The need for rigorous cancer research is critical to prevent further loss of life, and Biomedical Sciences PhD student Ali Ropri is on the front lines of this fight, conducting research in Jason Herschkowitz’s lab at UAlbany’s Cancer Research Center to better understand breast cancer.
Contact the Cancer Research Center
Cancer Research Center

1 Discovery Drive
Rensselaer, NY 12144
United States

Email
[email protected]