Discussion/Affinity Groups
The Cancer Center hosts a variety of discussion groups on a range of topics related to cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Although the groups are primarily intended for researchers and clinicians to learn from each other, advocates and community members are welcome and encouraged to attend. The times for these group meetings vary and are listed below. Most group meetings will be accessible via Zoom with the link available upon request from the group's contact person(s). Please join us.
View the Discussion Groups Calendar. Click on each title to see event information (contact person, speakers, title, zoom details if available, and more.)
Inter-programmatic Faculty Seminar Series (IPSS)
To foster more collaboration and inter-programmatic research. Center Members will present informal talks about their research and may describe new endeavors or grants. Presentations should be designed to be understood across the UH Cancer Center disciplines.
First and Third Fridays of each month, 2:45 PM to 4:00 PM | Sullivan Conference Center
Who Should Attend: UH Cancer Center faculty and staff
Contact: John Shepherd at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Top Research from the World (TRW)
As part of the IPSS session | Sullivan Conference Center
This series highlights research and findings from major conferences attended by our faculty and staff. Those that attend will present as they see fit at the IPSS session immediately following the workshop/conference.
Who Should Attend: UH Cancer Center faculty and staff
Contact: Cathy Zhang at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Liz Kuioka at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Empowering Minds (EM)
As part of the IPSS session | Sullivan Conference Center
The Cancer Research Skills Lecture Series to be hosted by Shared Resources and Cores to educate membership about laboratory skills and services, novel trends in techniques, lab research and grants. All SR and Core directors are expected to highlight their facilities once every 18 months.
Who Should Attend: UH Cancer Center faculty and staff
Contact: Lynne Wilkens at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Advancing Horizons (AH)
As part of the IPSS session | Sullivan Conference Center
Presentations from the Affiliated and Clinical Cancer Center members. Exploring the Forntier of Cancer Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention.
Who Should Attend: UH Cancer Center faculty and staff
Contact: Stephanie Si Lim at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Artificial Intelligence in Cancer Research - AI PHI Affinity Group
This group was formed to discuss the current trends and applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in cancer research and clinical practice. The group brings together AI researchers in a variety of fields (computer science, engineering, nutrition, epidemiology radiology, etc) with clinicians and advocates. Students, trainees and faculty with any or no background in AI are encouraged to attend. The goal is to foster collaborative interactions to solve problems in cancer that were thought to be unsolvable a decade ago before the broad use of deep learning and AI in medicine.
First Friday of each month, 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM
View AI PHI calendar for upcoming events
Who Should Attend: All welcome
Contact: John Shepherd at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Peter Washington at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Analysis of -Omics Data Working Group
This working group focuses on the analysis of -omics data, particularly epigenomics, gene expression, metabolomics, and microbiome data, to understand cancer incidence, progression, and survivorship. We offer members an opportunity to solicit feedback on works in progress, discuss recent advancement in the analysis of -omics data, and brainstorm potential funding opportunities to support new projects.
First Wednesday of each month, 3:00 PM
Contact: Alexandra Binder at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Cancer Survivorship Working Group
The overarching goal is to spur cancer survivorship research through learning about existing and creating new, efforts.
Third Thursday of each month, 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Who Should Attend: All welcome
Contact: Izumi Okado at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Erin Bantum at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Cancer Care Delivery Focus Group
Cancer Care Delivery Research (CCDR) is a multidisciplinary science that seeks to improve clinical outcomes and patient well-being by intervening on patient, clinician, and organizational factors that influence care delivery.
The CCDR focus group is multi-disciplinary and includes faculty from the Cancer Center, the Shidler School of Business, The School of Social Work, The School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene, the department of Kinesiology & Rehabilitation Science, the Department of Communicology, Queens Medical Center, Tripler Army Medical Center and the Pediatric Oncology program at Kapi‘olani Medical Center. The goal of the group is to explore opportunities to expand CCDR research in Hawaiʻi, leverage resources provided through the National Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP), and provide a forum for scholarship related to this important aspect of health care.
Contact: Izumi Okado at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Experimental Biology Research in Progress (EXRIP) Seminar Series
This series is for trainees, graduate students, and postdocs in the Cancer Biology (CB) program of UH Cancer Center and JABSOM to present their research to their peers and all interested faculty and staff.
30 minutes before the Cancer Biology/Translational and Clinical Research (CB/TCR), Epidemiology/Cancer Prevention in the Pacific (Epi/CPP) Faculty meetings
Who Should Attend: Trainees, Faculty, and Staff of the UH Cancer Center and JABSOM
Contact: Xin Chen (CB) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Pallav Pokhrel (CPP) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Gertraud Maskarinec (Epi) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Lecture Series
Prestigious visiting guest speakers on a variety of topics.
Schedule Varies | Sullivan Conference Center
Who Should Attend: Anyone - the public, faculty, and staff are welcome
Contact: Naoto T. Ueno at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Liver Cancer Affinity Group
The goal of this group is to bring together a multidisciplinary group of researchers and clinicians to address salient clinical issues revolving around liver cancer. The meetings will serve as forum to foster collaborative interactions that address these clinical issues with relevant and impactful translational research.
Schedule to be determined | Via zoom
Who Should Attend: All welcome
Contact: Xin Chen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Ben Green at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
PSP Smoking Cessation Working Group
The smoking cessation working group brings together behavioral scientists, clinical and social psychologists, epidemiologists, and clinicians conducting research within the Hawaiʻi Cancer Consortium with the purpose of generating and executing research ideas that would help reduce cigarette smoking prevalence in Hawaiʻi and the USAPI. The group identifies and analyses data that would enhance research in the area and lead to larger-scale future research. The group discusses the latest research in smoking cessation and invites regional and national leaders in smoking cessation research to present their findings to the Hawaiʻi Cancer Consortium community. Group members collaborate to develop proposals to conduct innovative smoking cessation trials.
Second Thursday of each month, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM | Hybrid
Who Should Attend: All welcome
Contact: Pallav Pokhrel at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Epidemiology and Cancer Prevention in the Pacific
Topics include cancer etiology, epidemiology, nutrition, and prevention.
Second Tuesday of each month, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Who Should Attend: PSP Program Faculty Members
Contact: Lani Park at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Supportive Care and Cancer Care Delivery Trials
A quarterly informational webinar to highlight and review current and upcoming cancer control, supportive care and cancer care delivery trials available in our community.
Fourth Wednesday of each month, 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Schedule to be determined for 2024
Contact: Tripit Reevesman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Christa Braun-Inglis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Weekly Trainees Meeting
Cancer research trainees will be exposed to a wide range of topics relevant to cancer health disparities. In addition, trainees will give presentations about their respective research projects.
Every Friday, 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM | Hybrid
Note: For Fall 2023, trainees will present their research projects on Friday, December 8 at 2:00 PM at 501 Conference Room. The seminars will resume again in Spring 2024.
Who Should Attend: UH Cancer Center and University of Guam cancer research trainees
Contact: Kathleen Plaza at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Women's Cancer Translational Research Affinity Group
The goal of this group is to bring together a multidisciplinary group of researchers, clinicians, students, and patient advocates to address salient translational research topics focused on women's cancer. The meetings will serve as forum to foster collaborative and productive interactions among group members.
First Tuesday of each month, 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Who Should Attend: Researchers, clinicians, students, and patient advocates
Contact: Lenora Loo at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Tripit Reevesman at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
