Purdue Institute for Cancer Research

06/13/2026

From fundamental insight to real-world impact for nearly 50 years.

06/12/2026

ICYM the news: 📣 Purdue secures $9.4M in renewal of NCI center grant as its cancer research institute nears 50 years of federal designation.

purdue.link/purdue-news-cancer-grant

06/11/2026

A team of Purdue researchers led by Purdue Institute for Cancer Research (PICR) member Graham Cooks has developed a method that uses fast-moving microdroplets to accelerate chemical reactions without high temperatures or catalysts.

“These reactions proceed up to a million times faster than those in a bulk solution,” according to Nicolás Morato, research assistant professor at PICR and a member of Aston Labs.

“We are using this capability to rapidly synthesize libraries of chemicals that can be used to develop a variety of drugs, such as cancer treatments and antibiotics, as well as agricultural materials that protect crops. The same DESI system can also be used to test these chemicals’ activities right after creating them. We can generate thousands of anticancer drug candidates and test how well they work against a cancer-related enzyme, or even directly in cancer cells, all using the same technology.”

🗞️ Catch the FULL STORY:

Purdue researchers developed a mass spectrometry system that accelerates chemical reactions without heat or catalysts, reducing resources and enabling faster analysis and rapid drug discovery.

06/07/2026

06/04/2026

🎉 The highest professional distinction awarded to academic inventors.

Congratulations to Purdue Institute for Cancer Research member David Nolte on his induction as a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.

The NAI Fellows Program recognizes academic inventors whose discoveries are translated into technologies that benefit society. Nolte's work in biophotonics and optical imaging has resulted in 20+ Purdue patents, 50+ patent applications, and the founding of two Purdue-based startup companies. https://stories.prf.org/nai-david-nolte/

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06/03/2026

Only 8️⃣ institutions in the country hold National Cancer Institute designation as Basic Laboratory Cancer Centers. They are a critical, irreplaceable part of the nation's cancer research infrastructure, dedicated to answering fundamental questions that make progress in the fight against cancer possible.

PICR is one of those few. And its recent renewal will extend Purdue University's record of federal recognition that now spans nearly five decades and places the institute on course for its 50th anniversary as an NCI-designated center in 2028.

06/02/2026

📢 The Purdue Institute for Cancer Research has secured $9.4 million in renewal of its National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG), extending nearly five decades of federal recognition for excellence in cancer research and setting the institute on a course to reach 50 consecutive years of designation in 2028.

The award affirms PICR's standing as one of just 74 NCI-designated cancer centers in the United States and one of only eight designated as a Basic Laboratory Cancer Center.

For nearly 50 years, Purdue University researchers have advanced discoveries, technologies and scientific knowledge that continue to shape the future of cancer research.

🔗 Read the full story: https://purdue.link/NCI-grant-renewal

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05/29/2026

The Purdue Institute for Cancer Research has received a five-year National Cancer Institute (NCI) training award to launch the Purdue Interdisciplinary Cancer Research Training (PICRT) program, a new doctoral program designed to prepare the next generation of cancer researchers.

Led by Dorothy Teegarden (Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences) and Danzhou Yang (Purdue College of Pharmacy), PICRT will provide students with interdisciplinary training, mentorship and hands-on research experiences across Purdue's cancer research enterprise.

As Purdue University's cancer institute approaches 50 years of National Cancer Institute designation (a milestone we will reach in 2028!) this investment helps strengthen the future cancer research workforce and expands Purdue's impact well beyond West Lafayette.

🔗 purdue.link/cancer-training-grant

05/23/2026

🏆 Congratulations to Purdue Institute for Cancer Research member Deborah Knapp on receiving Purdue University’s Morrill Award, the institution’s highest faculty honor.

Knapp was recognized for excellence in research, teaching and engagement that reflects the spirit of Purdue’s land-grant mission.

Knapp's comparative oncology research continues to shape how scientists understand and combat cancer across species.

05/16/2026

Some milestones are years in the making. 🎓