Program Directors in the Diagnostic Biomarkers and Technology Branch (DBTB) of the Cancer Diagnosis Program (CDP) stimulate and support research to develop new biomarkers, diagnostic strategies, models, innovative technologies, and improved devices. These advancements contribute to better tools for research and clinical decision making.
Research Areas
- Cancer Biology Integration: Incorporating new knowledge from cancer biology and tumor-host interactions into cancer diagnosis research.
- Innovative Technology Development: Developing innovative technologies and devices for use in cancer diagnostics, prognostics and prediction.
- Biomarker Platforms: Integrating and applying results from biomarker research and technology development into novel platforms for cancer diagnosis.
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Developing and implementing AI, machine learning models, and neural networks for analysis of high dimensional data applied to cancer diagnostics, prognostics and prediction.
- Liquid Biopsy and Non-Invasive Techniques: Supporting technologies for analyzing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), proteins, extracellular vesicles, and other analytes for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Selected Initiatives
Highlighted Recent Supported Projects
| Principal Investigator | Institution | Project |
|---|---|---|
| Jesse L. Berry, M.D. | Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles | Validation of an aqueous humor liquid biopsy for molecular prognostication and monitoring of children with retinoblastoma |
| Livia Schiavinato Eberlin, Ph.D. | Baylor College of Medicine | Development of the MasSpec Pen Technology to Guide Surgical Decisions in the Care for Patients with Ovarian Cancer |
| Michael R. Freeman, Ph.D. | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | Clinical Translation of a Large Oncosome-Based Prostate Cancer Blood Test |
| Oliver Jonas, Ph.D. | Brigham and Women’s Hospital | Using implantable microdevices for deep phenotyping of multiple drug responses in brain tumor patients |
| Scott R. Manalis, Ph.D. | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Targeting minimal residual disease in AML by using single-cell morphological and biophysical analysis with deep learning |
Workshops
- Workshop: Transformative Microsystem Technologies for Cancer Diagnostics, Monitoring Treatment Response, and Management Workshop 2025.
- Workshop: ctDNA in Cancer Treatment and Clinical Care (Sept. 14-15, 2023). Paper: NCI workshop on ctDNA in cancer treatment and clinical care
- Workshop: Circulating Tumor DNA Assays in Clinical Cancer Research (Sept. 29-30, 2016). Paper: Circulating Tumor DNA Assays in Clinical Cancer Research
Seminar Series
The DCTD Technology Seminar Series launched in 2025 in collaboration with multiple programs in DCTD, as a continuation of the previous 2024 CDP hosted Technology Seminar Series.