Cancer retreat focuses on innovation
UC Cancer Institute leaders will hold annual retreat and award $100,000 to a team with the most creative and innovative idea to combat cancer
Medical researchers are always on the hunt for the next best thing in medicine, and finding a better way to treat cancer is at the forefront of that mission.
The University of Cincinnati (UC) Cancer Institute is contributing to the next phase in discoveries by hosting a day-long retreat for cancer clinicians and scientists from the university as well as community partners.
The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 pm., Friday, June 7, at the UC 1819 Innovation Hub, 2900 Reading Road, and will include presentations from guest speakers about data and innovation as well as an interactive session, allowing experts to collaboratively develop ways to advance the field.
The winning team will receive $100,000 in pilot funding.
“The purpose of this event is to propel UC and our region to the forefront of evolving technologies and innovations,” says William Barrett, MD, director of the UC Cancer Institute and chair and professor of radiation oncology at the UC College of Medicine, who is leading the day’s events. “Each of the day’s participants have been asked to send in a brief written description of his or her prediction for their respective fields prior to the retreat; during the day’s events, people with potentially collaborative interests will be grouped together to formalize ideas on advancing cancer treatment through research and will present to the group, who will then vote on a winner.”
Stuart Aitken, CEO of 84.51˚, a data science and tech company, and Mike Zelkind, co-founder and CEO of 80 Acres Farms, a local indoor farming tech company, will be guest speakers at the event.
Additional speakers from UC and UC Health include:
- Neville Pinto, PhD, president of UC.
- Andrew Filak Jr., MD, interim senior vice president for health affairs and dean of the College of Medicine.
- Richard Lofgren, MD, president and CEO of UC Health.
- David Adams, chief innovation officer and CEO of the UC Research Institute.
Related Stories
The future, decoded. UC scholars reveal what’s next
May 20, 2026
The University of Cincinnati’s NEXT Innovation Scholars presented Gen Z-fueled insights on possible future trends at the Futures Forum 2026. Here’s what they see ahead.
6 ways starting a GLP-1 medication could affect your emotions
May 20, 2026
When patients first start taking a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medication, they probably expect to feel full. But they might not anticipate how it can influence their emotions. The medications act on the stomach and the brain, said Malti Vij, MD, a University of Cincinnati adjunct associate professor in the College of Medicine's Department of Internal Medicine and a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine.
UC researchers recruit older adults for extreme heat health study
May 20, 2026
The University of Cincinnati’s Center for Collaboration on Climate & Community for Health (C4H) is recruiting older adults to participate in a study tracking their health during periods of extreme summer heat.