# The Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences Oncology Center

> **NIH NIH U54** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $2,020,087

## Abstract

In collaboration with cancer cell biologists at the Washington University School of Medicine and the University
of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center, as well as computational biophysicists at the University of Arizona,
bioengineers and clinicians at Johns Hopkins University propose to create the Johns Hopkins Physical
Sciences Oncology Center (PSOC). This PSOC will develop an integrated approach for a systematic,
quantitative understanding of the forces mediating local invasion from the hypoxic primary tumor to distant
organs, through single and collective invasion into the stromal matrix and confined migration along confining
tracks, some of the early critical step in the metastatic cascade. To address the complexity of the combined
effects of hypoxia, matrix microstructure and confinement on tumor cell invasion, we have developed three
inter-related projects. Computational biophysicists will establish a computational core to systematically develop
a quantitative understanding of forces in the metastatic cascade. PSOC projects will share innovative
biophysical methods and experts. This PSOC takes a trans-disciplinary, integrated approach, combining the
fields of physics, biomedical engineering, cancer biology, ecology, and clinical medicine, to transform our
understanding of metastatic cancer, opening new paradigms for prognosis and treatment.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10016193
- **Project number:** 5U54CA210173-05
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** KENNETH J. PIENTA
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $2,020,087
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-08-29 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10016193

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10016193, The Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences Oncology Center (5U54CA210173-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10016193. Licensed CC0.

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