2023: The Year in Photos

Everyone always says they had a busy year, and we believe them and agree. So did we.

In 2023, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center established the new Division of Radiation Oncology, created a new referral-only Acute Clinical Evaluation Clinic and Sara Hurvitz, MD, took the reins as senior vice president of Fred Hutch’s Clinical Research Division and head of UW Medicine’s Division of Hematology and Oncology.

From physically expanding our patient care to sharing key findings at scientific conferences to gathering with community to help obliterate cancer, Fred Hutch's researchers, clinicians and other employees saw many successes this year. We invite you to take a look at some of these achievements through our amazing photography.

We've also gathered together our most-read articles and two special story packages in case you missed them.

Exterior photo of the South Lake Union Clinic Building 2 — Fred Hutch's South Lake Union Clinic Building 2 initially opened in late March and was fully operational by summer. Click on the photo to read more. Photo by Robert Hood / Fred Hutch News Service

Photo of person talking to another with a scientific poster in the background — The Research Administration Employee Engagement Committee hosted an Open House on May 16 on the Fred Hutch campus. This open house poster session showcased the work and collaboration of the 47 teams who support our science. Photo by Robert Hood / Fred Hutch News Service

Photo of researchers at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division (VIDD) Faculty Retreat at the Columbia Tower in June 27. — The waning of the pandemic allowed researchers, clinicians and others from across the organization to gather again to share ideas and strengthen working relationships. The Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division (VIDD) Faculty Retreat, pictured, was held in June. Photo by Robert Hood / Fred Hutch News Service

Photo of researcher Cecilia Moens holding a tank of fish in her lab — Our labs bustled with energy, ideas and experiments throughout the year. Dr. Cecilia Moens holds a tank of zebra fish that her lab used to watch neural circuits develop. Click on the photo to read more. Photo by Robert Hood / Fred Hutch News Service

Photo of Obliteride participants wearing orange — More than 4,300 participants and volunteers gathered for Obliteride, our annual summer bike ride, 5K walk/run and fundraiser that raised more than $8 million this year. Click on the photo to read more. Photo by Connor O'Shaughnessy / Fred Hutch News Service

Photo of a man placing a painted hand print on Dr. Scott Furlan's lab coat — Many organizations contributed to our efforts this year and their support was both appreciated and recognized. Here, an attendee of the 2023 Hyundai Hope on Wheels Ceremony, held at Fred Hutch in August, places a painted handprint on Dr. Scott Furlan's lab coat. Photo by Connor O'Shaughnessy / Fred Hutch News Service

Photo of First Lady Jill Biden with a handful of researchers in a Fred Hutch room. — First Lady Jill Biden visited Fred Hutch in September, discussing the Biden Cancer Moonshot with Fred Hutch President and Director Dr. Thomas J. Lynch, Jr., and other scientists, and touring the lab of Dr. Cyrus Ghajar, a translational researcher working on an ambitious initiative to prevent metastatic cancer. Click on the photo to read more. Photo courtesy of Kariba Jack

Photo of a Daisy Award winner and colleagues — Our clinical teams treated thousands of patients last year, helping families navigate cancer or undergo screening in order to catch the disease early. And they did it to an exceptional degree. Above, registered nurse Tiffany Curtis, left, receives a Daisy Award with colleagues in November. Photo by Robert Hood / Fred Hutch News Service

Photo of Bridgette Hempstead speaks during the Anti-Racism in Oncology video project premiere celebration. — Diversity, equity and inclusion continued to be a significant focus for our organization. Above, Cierra Sisters founder and Fred Hutch research collaborator Bridgette Hempstead speaks during the Anti-Racism in Oncology video project premiere celebration. Click on the photo to read more. Photo by Robert Hood / Fred Hutch News Service

Most-read articles of 2023

These five articles from 2023 were the top read stories on our website this year.

Insulin resistance turns tidy brain cells into slobs — which could be a link between diet and neurodegenerative diseases - Nov. 7
New work in fruit flies shows that a high-sugar diet impairs “housekeeping” brain cells.

Dr. Sara Hurvitz joins Fred Hutch, University of Washington - June 14
Longtime UCLA breast oncologist and international expert will be senior vice president of the Clinical Research Division.

Going long: Viruses linger with lasting impact - April 10
Herpes, HIV, Epstein-Barr and other viruses hang around, causing potential long-term health woes. Should ‘long COVID’ surprise us?

Dead to me? Insights into a tumor’s necrotic core - Feb. 27
Research from Cheung Lab reveals role for ‘dead zone’ within cancers as a launch system for metastatic spread.

Fred Hutch launches MET-X, a ‘transformative approach to metastatic disease’ - Feb. 3
New Center for Metastasis Research Excellence aims to detect, prevent, treat and cure stage 4 solid tumor cancers.

Special story packages

We also published two special story packages on topics relevant to our audience of cancer patients, caregivers, families and friends. Here are the links in case you missed them.