The Ohio State University Human Cancer Genetics Program (HCG) was established in 1997 on the campus of the OSU College of Medicine and Public Health. The program functions under the auspices of the James Cancer Hospital and Richard M. Solove Research Institute, as well as The OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC), one of only 38 institutions in the United States designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as a "comprehensive" cancer center.   HCG is an integral part of the Molecular Biology and Cancer Genetics Program within the OSUCCC.

Our Mission 

The mission of the OSU Human Cancer Genetics Program is the identification, analysis and characterization of genetic alterations associated with cancer susceptibility and development through a combination of basic, translational, and clinical research.

Within our research laboratories, HCG scientists are using state-of-the-art approaches to study fundamental questions regarding inherited and acquired forms of cancer. In addition to basic science, there is a strong emphasis on translating basic science advances into new, more effective and highly reliable diagnostics and therapies.

Our Partnerships

Although researchers in the Program have common goals, the investigators have significant diversity of backgrounds and expertise.  Interdisciplinary collaborations among labs within the Program are common and strongly encouraged by Program leadership.  These collaborations include not only partnerships between research labs, but also between research and clinical investigators.  In addition, there is a strong emphasis on collaborative efforts between HCG faculty and faculty of other departments and programs, including non-traditional collaborators in fields such as chemistry, bioinformatics, and bioengineering. 

HCG Program members are also highly active in interinstitutional and regional collaborative groups.  For example, the Human Cancer Genetics Program is an active participant in the Ohio Cancer Genetics Consortium, a coalition of institutions joined in the study of the genetic basis of human cancer susceptibility. The Consortium involves cancer genetics specialists affiliated with major medical centers in the three major metropolitan areas of Ohio: Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus. The Consortium is currently expanding current collaborative research among its members as well as integrating the individual institutional patient databases.