University of Cincinnati to host cancer research retreat

Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

CINCINNATI (AP) — The head of the University of Cincinnati's Cancer Institute will gather specialists from across the university for a second straight year to develop new cancer research ideas.

Dr. William Barrett's retreat for research will offer three prizes totaling $100,000 to be divided among three winning ideas, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported (http://cin.ci/1N2fE5h ).

Barrett convened the first retreat with nearly 90 intellectuals, not just those with a medical background.

"People were very skeptical because this is not how science is done," Barrett said. "My response was that research has gotten us so far but not far enough. We need a quantum leap."

Barrett said his idea was to "stimulate collaborations" in seeking to find a cure.

Attendees will be split into groups and have two hours to come up with a new idea that hasn't been funded for study before. The ideas can focus on research, prevention, survival or another area.

"People who didn't know each other before get together and bring what they have to the table, and it gets people excited about something new, something different," Barrett said of the event that will be held on the university's campus July 14.

One group member will give a five-minute presentation of the idea before retreat attendees vote on the winners.

Oncologist Kris Huang, a breast-cancer specialist at the University of Cincinnati and last year's winner, said he was eager to take on "a very fresh way of approaching the problem, of mixing all your ideas. It reminded me of a more entrepreneurial effort."

___

Information from: The Cincinnati Enquirer, http://www.enquirer.com