Editorial Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers: Bridging Engineers and Oncologists for a New Perspective on Fighting Cancer

Abstract

At the 2010 Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Meeting, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Office of Physical Sciences-Oncology (OPSO) co-chaired a new session initiated by Cynthia Reinhart-King (Cornell University) entitled “The Physics and Engineering of Cancer Cells and Their Microenvironment” with the goal of building long-term support and recognition for biomedical engineers investigating cancer. The session emphasized the application of methodologies grounded in physics and engineering to the study of cancer to uncover new insights, identify new targets, and pursue novel therapeutic strategies. This session included invited speakers, such as Denis Wirtz (Johns Hopkins University (JHU)) and Roger Kamm (Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)), whose work is at the forefront of applying engineering approaches to understanding cancer phenomena and complexity.