The Ben May Department for Cancer Research

"Discovery is Our Business"

The Ben May Department for Cancer Research is comprised of faculty members whose mission is to achieve breakthrough discoveries in the field of cancer through fundamental scientific research.  The first step toward curing cancer is basic research that expands our knowledge of the molecular, cellular, and genetic events that lead to cancer, which may ultimately be translated into improved methods for cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.  The Ben May was formally established in 1951 with funds provided by Alabama businessman and philanthropist Ben May, and continues to receive generous support from the Ben May Charitable Trust.

Nobel Prize laureate Charles Huggins, MD, was the first Director of the Ben May. During his tenure for nearly two decades as Director, he declared the priority of the department to be basic research, stating that “Discovery is our business.”  The Ben May has always encompassed an integrative approach, uniting specialists in biochemistry, organic chemistry, pathology, physiology, pharmacology, and medicine.  Today, the Ben May boasts strong programs in cell signaling, growth regulation and development, programmed cell death, cell differentiation, immunobiology, and immunotherapy.

The Ben May’s faculty strives for academic achievement and scholarly distinction, and continues to recruit new scientists through, for example, the generous support of the Ben May Charitable Trust and the University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation Women's Board.  Several members of the faculty have been recipients of prestigious awards and hold leadership positions in national and international organizations.  In addition, faculty members are leaders in education and hold important academic and administrative positions within The University of Chicago.  Dr. Marsha Rosner, the current Director of the Department, is also the Charles B. Huggins Professor and Co-Deputy Director of the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center (UCCRC).

The Ben May is housed in the Gordon Center for Integrative Sciences, which is designed to encourage collaboration and facilitate the sharing of ideas among researchers.  The Department also participates in interdisciplinary research through collaborations with other university colleagues and organizations, including the UCCRC, Argonne National Laboratory, the Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, and the Computational Institute.   These partnerships have led to new and exciting research opportunities that have ultimately enhanced and advanced the Department’s mission. "Every advance in treatment in the war against cancer, from surgical removal of tumors to chemotherapy to prescription cancer medications like tamoxifen, has its origin in basic scientific research. High quality scientific research leads to discovery, and discovery leads to new treatments and eventually to cures. The Ben May Department for Cancer Research continues its longstanding dedication to the pursuit of fundamental scientific research and discovery."

-Marsha Rosner, Ph.D.