Driving Precision Oncology Discoveries
At the Sloan Precision Oncology Institute, we take a broad view of precision oncology. Our definition of precision oncology encompasses a wide range of areas including genetics and genomics, metabolomics, tumor microenvironment, environmental exposures and theranostics. It spans risk, prevention, diagnosis and treatment and is propelled forward by varied and rich data sets developed in partnership with patients, the communities served by Fred Hutch Cancer Center and the wider Cancer Consortium.
“The Sloans' generous gift will help Fred Hutch establish one of the world’s premier precision oncology centers that will bring together our very best basic science, data science, disease-oriented translational science, science of cancer prevention and understanding of the immune system.”
— Dr. Tom Lynch, president and director of Fred Hutch
Key Initiatives
Biorepository/Tissue Donation Program
Molecular Profiling/Genomics Initiative
Clinical Data Templates Project
Research Funding Awards
Early Detection and Precision Interception
Leadership
Peter Nelson, MD
Dr. Nelson is responsible for developing and implementing a world-class precision oncology program at Fred Hutch, in collaboration with consortium partners, UW Medicine and Seattle Children’s. A premier precision oncology program is critical to our ability to understand cancer and develop novel and targeted screening, prevention and treatment strategies for our patients and communities.
Eric Collisson, MD
Dr. Collisson is responsible for growing our preclinical and clinical trials work, focusing on the molecular analysis of cancer. He is engaged in building connections between Fred Hutch, other major cancer centers and cooperative clinical trial consortia to design trials that help drive preclinical ideas into clinical practice.
Precision Oncology: Advancing Personalized Cancer Research and Care
Experts at the Stuart and Molly Sloan Precision Oncology Institute are working to improve cancer outcomes at the individual and community level by developing and implementing personalized prevention, early detection and treatment strategies. Learn how donor support is helping accelerate their efforts to bring more targeted, effective therapies to patients.
Stuart and Molly Sloan Precision Oncology Institute Research Funding Awards
Since 2024, the Sloan Precision Oncology Institute has supported innovative precision oncology research through our research funding awards. To date, ten projects have been funded through our Ignition and Technology Dissemination Awards.
Coming Soon: 2026 Sloan Precision Oncology Institute Research Funding Awards
Starting in May, the Sloan Precision Oncology Institute will be requesting innovative, forward-thinking proposals centered on Investigators’ interpretation of Precision Oncology that address a research hypothesis (IGNITION Award) or that focus on disseminating novel technologies to the research community (TECHNOLOGY DISSEMINATION Award). It is anticipated that one Technology Dissemination Award and three Ignition Awards will be supported in 2026.
Prior to preparing full applications, Investigators will submit a 1-page Letter of Intent which will be due by June 15, 2026. Successful LOI applicants will be notified at the end of June and asked to submit a full proposal by August 10, 2026. The competition will officially open, and full LOI and application instructions will be shared, on May 15, 2026.
Events and Announcements
Stuart and Molly Sloan Precision Oncology Institute is hosting a series of symposia to spotlight different areas of Precision Oncology research
The series kicked off on October 1, 2024, with a symposium to explore the current cancer vaccine landscape. The Advances in Cancer Vaccines Symposium featured talks from an international panel of investigators, clinicians, and industry leaders from across the field.
A second symposium highlighting the emerging field of theranostics was held on February 28, 2025. The Theranostics Symposium was organized in partnership with UW Radiology and co-hosted by Drs. Amir Iravani, Director of Theranostics, and Delphine Chen, Director of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Fred Hutch Cancer Center.
On May 20, 2025, a symposium on Artificial Intelligence and computational oncology was hosted in collaboration with our Data Science Lab ("DaSL") and Dr. Jeff Leek, Vice President and Chief Data Officer, Fred Hutch Cancer Center.
The series is continuing with two symposia in the first half of 2026. A symposium on functional precision oncology was held on March 26, 2026 and a symposium centered on new approaches to traditionally undruggable targets is planned for May 5, 2026. The Functional Precision Oncology Symposium was co-hosted by Drs. Chris Kemp, Professor, Human Biology Division, Fred Hutch Cancer Center and Venu Pillarisetty, Professor, Division of General Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine. The Drugging the Undruggable Symposium is co-hosted by Dr. Behnam Nabet, Assistant Professor, Human Biology Division, Fred Hutch Cancer Center.
Community Advisory Board
Central to the mission of the Sloan Precision Oncology Institute is the integration of the Community Advisory Board that is representative of the communities we serve. The role of the Community Advisory Board is to provide guidance on key initiatives and to ensure that our programs are balanced, accessible and meet the needs of our patient population.
The Sloan Precision Oncology Institute team recognizes the importance of the patient voice in shaping research directions. Working together with people from communities served by Fred Hutch Cancer Center and including their voices as advisors is essential to fairness in research practices and improved cancer outcomes.
Current Community Advisory Board members joined us at our Fred Hutch campus in South Lake Union for quarterly meetings in 2024 and 2025. The first meeting of 2026 was held in early March with future meetings planned for June, September and December of this year. At board meetings, members discuss our key initiatives, share their perspective and provide valuable feedback on patient materials, engagement and education. Our board meets three to four times annually.
We are extending our invitation to join our Community Advisory Board. Eligible members are current patients with cancer, cancer survivors, family members or caregivers of a person with cancer.
Contact Us
For more information about our precision oncology efforts, please contact us.