Bridging Discovery and Care in Cancer Research
On April 7, Tufts University School of Medicine hosted the 5th Converging on Cancer @Tufts Symposium: Bridging Research and Care, bringing together researchers, clinicians, and industry leaders to advance the fight against cancer—from foundational discovery to patient-centered care.
Since launching in 2016, the symposium has become a signature Tufts event, highlighting the university’s strength in interdisciplinary collaboration and its focus on translating research into real-world impact. Opening the day, Helen Boucher, MD, Dean of Tufts University School of Medicine and Chief Academic Officer for Tufts Medicine, emphasized that meaningful progress happens at the intersection of disciplines. “Progress does not happen in isolation,” she noted, underscoring the importance of convergence across ideas, expertise, and communities.
The 2026 symposium was organized around three interconnected themes shaping the future of cancer research.
The morning session, Infections and Cancer, brought together basic science, clinical, and population health perspectives on the role of infections in cancer development and prevention. Presentations by Associate Professor Elizabeth White, PhD, and Assistant Professor Rui Guo, PhD, focused on foundational research related to virus-associated cancer biology. Professors Rebecca Perkins, MD, Michael Paasche-Orlow, MD, and Jairam Eswara, MD, contributed clinical and population-level perspectives, showing how infection-related cancer research connects to prevention, screening, and patient care.
The afternoon session, Innovations in Breast and Prostate Cancer Research, featured perspectives spanning biomedical engineering, translational science, and clinical medicine, with presentations from Associate Professors Madeleine Oudin, PhD, and Paul Mathew, MD, as well as Professors Shelly Peyton, PhD, and Russell Taichman, DMD. Together, their work showcased advances in precision diagnostics, targeted therapies, and personalized treatment approaches.
The final session of the day, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention, reflected the multidisciplinary scope of contemporary cancer research. Presentations by Professors Iris Jaffe, MD, PhD, and Thomas Schnelldorfer, MD, PhD, along with Associate Professors Vicky Yang, DVM, PhD, and Srivalleesha Mallidi, PhD, brought together expertise from molecular science, comparative medicine, surgery, and biomedical engineering. This portion of the program emphasized translational approaches that bridge laboratory insight and clinical application to strengthen cancer care and population health.
Spanning the full spectrum of discovery and care, the symposium highlighted the breadth and depth of work underway at Tufts and its partner institutions. More than a showcase of research, Converging on Cancer reinforced what drives progress most—collaboration, convergence, and a shared commitment to improving outcomes for patients.