PVM Faculty Member Involved in New Purdue Partnership Focused on Big Data Approach to Cancer

A graduate student in a lab points to an x-ray film showing Dr. Ratliff
Dr. Timothy Ratliff, left, director of the Purdue University Center for Cancer Research and PVM distinguished professor of comparative pathobiology, works with a graduate student in the Hansen Life Sciences Lab on campus. (Purdue University photo)

The Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, led by Dr. Timothy Ratliff, Purdue Veterinary Medicine distinguished professor of comparative pathobiology, is partnering with the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research to improve the use of biostatistics, predictive modeling, and data science in cancer research.  Dr. Ratliff, who serves as Purdue’s Robert Wallace Miller Director of the Center for Cancer Research, said the partnership will include the appointment and exchange of scientific staff, sabbatical opportunities, student training, and postdoctoral fellowships.

“The Purdue University Center for Cancer Research is honored to enter into a partnership with the Frederick National Laboratory to enhance and accelerate educational and research activities in the field of computational biology and predictive modeling,” Dr. Ratliff said. “Working with the outstanding investigators at Frederick National Laboratory will benefit our students and faculty and will enable us to have a greater impact on the field.”

Purdue and Frederick National Laboratory also will conduct cooperative research in protein crystallization in microgravity.  Dr. Ethan Dmitrovsky, director of the Frederick National Laboratory and president of Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., said the agreement brings together two leaders in cancer research.  “The Purdue University Center for Cancer Research conducts world-class basic research that has led to significant advances in the field,” he said. “This mutually beneficial partnership will allow some of the best minds in cancer research to come together to accelerate research discoveries that will ultimately benefit patients.”  

The Purdue Center for Cancer Research conducts basic research on the cellular causes and potential treatment of cancers. The center is one of only seven National Cancer Institute-designate basic research cancer centers in the nation. 

Writer(s): Steve Tally (Purdue News Service) and Kevin Doerr | pvmnews@purdue.edu

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