University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

Founded in 1980, the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Iowa received its NCI designation as a comprehensive cancer center in 2000. The Center is dedicated to bringing the finest cancer care and research to Iowa and beyond. Holden ensures that all the cancer research, clinical service, and education at Iowa are interdependent.

The Center is a matrix center that spans the university and includes more than 300 physicians, faculty, and researchers from 36 related university departments and six colleges, as well as the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics as members and other cancer-focused faculty.  Research at Holden is organized into four research programs: cancer genes and pathways, experimental therapeutics, free radical metabolism and imaging, and cancer epidemiology and population science.

Each of these programs is focused on a cancer-relevant scientific discipline, is translational, and includes members from several colleges and diverse backgrounds. The Holden Cancer Research Laboratories allow the Center to locate and integrate many researchers in close proximity to each other.

Holden embraces the tripartite mission of academic medicine – research, clinical care and education. It provides specialized cancer care through a dozen multidisciplinary teams and educates patients and their families about how to reduce their risk of cancer. In addition, Holden faculty are training future cancer clinicians and researchers through its education activities.