News
Updates
CRC Screening Guidelines in US to Begin at Age 45
The US Preventive Services Task Force has lowered the age for routine colorectal cancer screening. The recommendation...
Thriving as a Patient Advocate: Balancing Unseen Burdens
Watch Dr. Laura Porter's presentation at the 2nd Annual Global Colon Cancer Association's 2021 Congress Thriving...
A microbiome signature for colorectal cancer
A collaboration of the Quirke and Huttenhower labs has led to the publication of two papers, in Clinical Cancer...
Dr. Cindy Sears is named 2021 Women of ID Honoree
The Infectious Diseases Society of America Foundation has recognized OPTIMISTICC Co-Investigator Dr. Cindy Sears, as a...
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month Inspires Team OPTIMISTICC
Team OPTIMISTICC kicked off Colon Cancer Awareness month at our March 5 team meeting, where we honored Dress in Blue...
Allen-Vercoe group publishes book chapter on Fusobacteria.
Graduate students Avery Robinson and Jacob Wilde contributed to a book chapter with Emma Allen-Vercoe that covers many...
Avery Robinson and Greg Higgins awarded Canada Graduate Scholarships
Pop some champagne and toast Avery Robinson and Greg Higgins of the Allen-Vercoe lab! Avery won a Canada Graduate Sch...
45 is the New 50
On October 27, 2020, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued a recommendation that colorectal cancer screening...
Dr. Kimmie Ng on the death of “Black Panther” actor Chadwick Boseman and Young-Onset CRC
As a result of the tragic and untimely death of actor Chadwick Boseman from...
From the Advocates
Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month – Advocates’ Journeys
March Is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month and we asked the advocates to discuss their journeys.
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Co-Investigator and Advocate Dr. Laura Porter shares notes from the ASCO 2020 Virtual Meeting
I attended the virtual annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) May 29-31, 2020. I...
Meet Laura
Dr. Laura Porter is a stage IV colon cancer survivor and has worked as a patient advocate in a variety of roles,...
Meet John
I am a bowel cancer survivor. I was born in the Cambridgeshire Fens in the East of England, I went to school...
Meet Lee
Lee was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer in March 2004, and since undergoing several rounds of chemotherapy and a...
Meet Marielle
Marielle was diagnosed with young onset Stage III colon cancer in June 2017. After completing numerous rounds of...
Meet Carlos
He received a degree in Psychology and Pedagogy by Complutense University of Madrid and a doctorate in Education by...
Meet Barry
Barry sits on the Board of Directors of several corporations, not-for-profit organizations and foundations including...
Meet Candace
Candace is an accomplished Foundation Executive Director with significant experience in community outreach and patient...
From the Scientists
Can we treat bowel cancer by targeting the bugs in our guts?
Bowel cancer Cancer refers to a collection of diseases in which some of the body’s cells divide uncontrollably and can...
My Search for New BALOs
Bdellovibrio-and-Like Organisms (BALOs) are bacteria that have a unique lifestyle; they are predatory bacteria that...
Biomarker for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer (LARC) Identified from the Gut Microbiome
A team led by VHIO Principal Investigator and OPTIMISTICC scientist Dr. Paolo Nuciforo has found an association betwe...
Studying the CRC Microbiome in Mice and a Robogut
Fusobacterium nucleatum(Fn) is a common bacterial member of the human oral microbiome—and it is an opportunist. When...
