The Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) represents 108 of the leading academic and freestanding cancer research centers in North America. AACI is accelerating progress against cancer by enhancing the impact of academic cancer centers and promoting health equity.
Read The History of the Association of American Cancer Institutes, written in 2021 by Donald L. “Skip” Trump, MD, and Eric T. Rosenthal.
View AACI's statement on the public health crises of racism, discrimination, and violence.
AACI's Clinical Research Innovation (CRI) provides a network for cancer center clinical research leaders to share best practices. Much of CRI’s activity is organized around an annual meeting attended by more than 400 clinical trials leaders from AACI cancer centers, industry representatives, and government agencies, who come together to address common challenges. Member services include access to active listservs, including a community outreach and engagement (COE) listserv, launched in 2021; and the opportunity to participate in working groups and task forces that focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion; staff retention; and the role of clinical trials office medical directors.
The AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting convenes hundreds of AACI cancer center members with leaders of national cancer research and advocacy groups, industry, and government health agencies. No other meeting presents information on cancer research and patient care as it directly pertains to academic cancer centers. It is also unique in providing cancer center leaders with a forum to discuss these issues and develop best practices with their peers.
To advance the use of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapies use and establish best practices, AACI established the CAR T Initiative in 2018. AACI centers engage with the initiative through webinars, listserv discussions, calls, and meetings. Working groups focus on issues including clinical research and administrative barriers.
The AACI Public Policy Resource Library (PPRL) was the presidential initiative of Roy A. Jensen, MD, immediate past president of AACI. The PPRL enables cancer centers and others in the cancer advocacy community to share resources—including talking points and legislation enacted across the U.S.—to foster collaboration, promote cancer prevention, and spur the development of policies that will improve the lives of Americans through lowered cancer incidence and mortality. The PPRL also highlights federal legislation endorsed by AACI.
AACI aims to mitigate cancer disparities by leveraging cancer center expertise to convert understanding of those disparities into meaningful, measurable actions to improve patients’ lives. Results of an AACI survey on cancer center catchment areas were published in a 2022 paper about reducing the burden of cancer through community outreach and engagement.
Recognizing the urgent need for diversity in the oncology leadership pipeline, Caryn Lerman, PhD, is focusing her presidential initiative on leadership development for emerging cancer center leaders from diverse backgrounds. Dr. Lerman and her steering committee are developing a leadership diversity and development curriculum as well as best practices for mentoring and onboarding.
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