{"id":653148,"date":"2025-12-05T09:27:30","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T14:27:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.utk.edu\/health-wellness\/?page_id=653148"},"modified":"2026-05-20T08:28:44","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T12:28:44","slug":"cancer-and-other-chronic-diseases","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/research.utk.edu\/health-wellness\/research-areas\/cancer-and-other-chronic-diseases\/","title":{"rendered":"Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Accelerating cutting-edge diagnostics and life-saving treatments<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Cancer and other chronic diseases, including heart and respiratory diseases, stroke, and diabetes, have long been leading causes of death and disability in Tennessee and across the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UT faculty seek to mitigate the toll of these chronic diseases on lives and the economy. Their experimental and computational studies explore interactions between cellular mechanisms, genetics, genomics, and environmental and geographical contexts. Their results inform data-driven public health policies and accelerate the development and clinical application of life-saving treatments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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UT’s Approach<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, UT is transforming cancer diagnostics and therapies by developing cutting-edge precision radioisotope \u201ctheranostics\u201d<\/a> from concept to clinical application. ORNL and UT are hiring experts across multiple disciplines to build a center of excellence focused on developing new targeted cancer treatments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UT researchers are also applying computational and machine learning methods to help provide better patient outcomes. They\u2019re radically speeding up cancer screening and staging processes, advancing our understanding of chronic kidney disease, and developing physics-informed models to improve prediction and clinical interventions for cardiac events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UT faculty also explore the intersection of public health and the epidemiology of hypertension, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Researchers partner with clinicians, community organizations, and public health agencies to identify and predict geographical prevalence, barriers to receiving care (including time-sensitive oncology care), and support mechanisms for caregivers and patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

State-of-the-art machine learning and collaboration facilities in the Center for Precision Health<\/a> support UT\u2019s Precision Health and Environment faculty team<\/a>, focused on understanding connections between environmental conditions, social factors, and chronic diseases.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cOur big goal for the future is to figure out how to send radioactive particles specifically to the right place to treat cancer. We\u2019re building teams of experts in simulations, computations, and experiments, and connecting with patients to push forward innovative approaches to cancer treatment. It\u2019s essential to bring together disciplines. We want to build a strong pipeline for cancer research, from basic research to clinical trials to implementation, across Tennessee.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Rachel Patton McCord, Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Highlights<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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UT and UTMC Collaboration Could Revolutionize Breast Cancer Diagnosis <\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in Tennessee and the second most common cancer among women in the United States. Researchers at UT and UT Medical Center are using AI and machine learning to help doctors provide treatment plans to patients more quickly.

<\/a>Learn how advances in staging can save lives.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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McCord Receives $3 Million in Federal Funding for Genomic Research with Impact for Cancer Treatments<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Rachel Patton McCord researches how diseases like cancer change the human chromosome structure and how radiation impacts cells and their DNA. This valuable research has earned significant funding from the US Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more about McCord\u2019s research. <\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Leading Efforts to Address Complex Health Issues Affecting Tennesseans <\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Faculty members in nursing, microbiology, and nuclear engineering are leading research projects to address complex health challenges including breast cancer, diabetes, and other conditions that disproportionately affect communities across Tennessee.

<\/a><\/a>Meet professors focused on these health challenges.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Tran Receives American Heart Association Career Development Award<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cardiovascular disease epidemiologist Phoebe Tran received a three-year Career Development Award to examine how family and community social norms around health behaviors impact patients participating in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation.

Learn more about this project.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Facilities & Initiatives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Computational and experimental facilities across UT and ORNL, as well as clinical and research settings at UT Medical Center, provide critical infrastructure for innovation from research labs to patient bedsides. <\/p>\n\n\n\n