AACR Asia: American Association For Cancer Research Announces Its Plans

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 05 Nov 2007 - 2:00 PDT

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The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is pleased to announce its plans to facilitate global advances in cancer research through the establishment of AACR Asia, an office that will open officially in Singapore in 2009.

As the world's oldest and largest organization dedicated to the conquest of cancer, the AACR seeks to advance its mission to prevent and cure cancer through research, education, communication and collaborations. In pursuit of this mission over its 100-year history, the AACR has earned a highly regarded reputation for excellence in cancer research and advocacy, and wishes to further its work in the international arena by opening an office in Singapore, a central location in Asia.

Recent trends have made the Asian Pan-Pacific region an attractive and exciting place to engage in cancer science and build upon existing activities of the AACR. Top researchers from around the world are being drawn to the region -- to Singapore, in particular -- because of the countries' increased support for bioscience research and technology. The AACR commends the governments of Singapore and other Asian Pan-Pacific nations for their unfaltering commitment to advancing bioscience and biomedical research, which has broadened scientific research opportunities across the region and has yielded considerable growth in the number of research centers of excellence. Singapore is a burgeoning center for scientific discovery, with a high demand for leading-edge science, education and training, and with its stellar scientific expertise and international outreach the AACR is poised to enhance collaborations in the region and advance progress against cancer.

Perhaps most importantly, the AACR wishes to address the growing incidence of cancer in the Asian Pan-Pacific region. It is a core belief and value of the AACR that advances in cancer research lead to excellence in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer. The time is right for the AACR to leverage the region's growth trends in cancer research and funding to advance cancer research globally, which ultimately will translate new knowledge into better cancer care and cures for all humankind.

Specifically, the AACR establishes AACR Asia to:

* Become a global hub for cancer research information, networking and collaborations;

* Increase cancer research collaborations between the East and West;

* Provide educational opportunities for young scientists in the Asian Pan-Pacific region;

* Boost AACR's insight into cancer and cancer research in the Asian Pan-Pacific region and thus serve as an expert resource in the region;

* Facilitate and influence cancer public health and cancer research policy in the region;

* Further develop collaborations with regional governments, universities, and international non-governmental organizations;

* Identify new development and funding opportunities for cancer research.

The AACR is pleased to demonstrate its commitment to expanding its presence in Asia by hosting the first AACR Centennial Conference, Translational Cancer Medicine: From Technology to Treatment, this week in Singapore. This special meeting will convene an international group of senior scientists, young investigators and physicians from academia, industry and government to present new and developing technologies that will enable the translation of basic cancer research into the practice of cancer medicine. From this first step, the AACR will continue to develop relationships with key stakeholders from various sectors in the region and create an advisory committee with the goal of opening an office in Singapore in 2009.

The AACR wishes to thank the Government of Singapore, Minister of Health Mr. Boon Wan Khaw, Dr. Edison T. Liu and the Genome Institute of Singapore and A*STAR for their assistance in and support for its expansion into the Asian Pan-Pacific region.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 26,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication, CR, is a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. It provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Source: Staci Vernick Goldberg
American Association for Cancer Research