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Throughout 2024, MIT's Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research has celebrated 50 years of MIT's cancer research program and the individuals who have shaped its journey. In honor of this milestone anniversary year, on Nov. 19 the Koch Institute celebrated the opening of a new exhibition: Object Lessons: Celebrating 50 Years of Cancer Research at MIT in 10 Items.
Object Lessons invites the public to explore significant artifacts — from one of the earliest PCR machines, developed in the lab of Nobel laureate H. Robert Horvitz, to Greta, a groundbreaking zebra fish from the lab of Professor Nancy Hopkins — in the half-century of discoveries and advancements that have positioned MIT at the forefront of the fight against cancer. 50 years of innovation The exhibition provides a glimpse into the many contributors and advancements that have defined MIT's cancer research history since the founding of the Center for Cancer Research in 1974.
When the National Cancer Act was passed in 1971, very little was understood about the biology of cancer, and it aimed to deepen our understanding of cancer and develop better strategies for the prevention, detection, and treatment of the disease. MIT embraced this call to action, establishing a center where many leading biologists tackled cancer's fundamental questions. Building on this foundation, the Koch Institute opened its doors in 2011, housing engineers and life scientists from many fields under one roof to accelerate progress against cancer in novel and transformative ways.
In the 13 years since, the Koch Institute's collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to cancer research has yielded significant advances in our understanding of the underlying biology of cancer and allowed for the translation of these discoveries into meaningful patient impacts. Over 120 spin-out companies — many headquartered nearby in the Kendall Square area — have their roots in Koch Institute research, with nearly half having advanced their..
. Becca Hoff.
