CancerInstituteReport_2023

While the story of ONE UT began in 2022, the vision was outlined more than 35 years ago when Bell joined the medical center as a surgical oncologist. Bell said, “In all the years I have been at the medical center, I have never been more optimistic about our ability to make meaningful research contributions that will positively affect the health of the citizens of Tennessee.” To echo Dr. Bell’s vision, Dr. Day says, “We are now in a position, a new era, where the potential for success lies not in the hands of a single person, or in a path that follows the tradition of A-to-Z. We no longer have any excuses – the stars have aligned across Tennessee, and a vision that has been quietly resting here in Knoxville for 36 years is no longer quiet. Together, we are seizing the opportunity, and our collective abilities, to tackle the grand challenges that impact the health and wellness of this great state.”

Graduate School of Medicine and private industry. Dubbed ONE UT, this project is changing the way we tackle health, medicine and wellness. Our approach is framed by individual expertise, new approaches and the unique perspectives individuals discover as a member of a team. With a mission focused on health, education and the improvement of life, research in our ecosystem is leading to real-world solutions, and is built on a strong foundation of collaboration between clinicians and fundamental researchers. To say that this foundation is strong is an understatement – it is a living, breathing energy that has brought together more than 300 individuals from across the state to tackle the grand challenges that stand between sickness and prosperity, between despair and hope. To date, more than $2M has been invested in projects to support innovation and opportunity, including the development of computational tools to predict disease and illness, and the support of teams tackling challenges in rural East Tennessee communities.

“Together, we are seizing the opportunity, and our collective abilities, to tackle the grand challenges that impact the health and wellness of this great state.” – Brad Day, PhD

Cancer Institute Annual Report | 23

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