Message from the Chair

The Ben May Department for Cancer Research has a long and impactful history. Starting with Charles Huggins’ discoveries in 1941 of the hormone-dependence of many prostate cancers, findings from the Ben May department have improved the lives of cancer patients around the world. With Dr. Huggins at the helm and the support of philanthropist Ben May, the Ben May Laboratory for Cancer Research was formally launched in 1951 under the motto “Discovery is our business”. Beginning with the pioneering work of Huggins on prostate cancer that led to his Nobel prize in 1966, followed by the discovery of the estrogen receptor and its importance in breast cancer by Elwood Jensen, Ben May faculty have continued to make outstanding basic science discoveries to understand and treat cancer. 

The goal at the inception of the Ben May Laboratory for Cancer Research was to cut across diverse fields to advance the study of basic and cancer biology. This interdisciplinary approach led to the transition of the Ben May Laboratory to become the Ben May Department for Cancer Research in 2006. It drives the Ben May Department to this day. With strengths in cell signaling, metabolism, and immune oncology, the department has a unique role to bridge fields and improve knowledge of the tumor microenvironment and how cancer cells interact with their neighboring cells and tissues. Labs in the Ben May have made seminal findings in these areas. Ultimately, interactions with the microenvironment shape tumor growth and metastasis, and offer new opportunities to target and treat cancers. 

As an interdisciplinary hub to promote the translation of basic cancer research, the Ben May Department actively partners with various other departments and centers across the University of Chicago. Most notably, we collaborate with the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Radiation Oncology, and Gynecology/Obstetrics. This goal involves development of the next generation of cancer biology researchers ready for cross-field collaboration and has led to an updated departmental motto of “Discovery and training are our business”.

Assuming the chair in July of 2025, I am honored to work with Ben May Department faculty, staff, trainees, and cancer researchers across the University to continue the legacy and grow the impact the Ben May Department for Cancer Research in this next exciting phase.