RUSH University Medical Center has been a leader in developing innovative and life-saving treatments for more than 180 years. Today, RUSH is a thriving center for research, with physicians and scientists involved in endeavors across the research spectrum.
The RUSH Department of Radiation Oncology has a diverse portfolio of research activities in Clinical Research, Basic/Translational Research, Health Services Research, and Education Scholarship Research.
Clinical Research
- RUSH Radiation Oncology actively participates and accrues patients to trials for NRG, CCTG, SWOG, Alliance, and ECOG-ACRIN.
- RUSH Radiation Oncology has active cooperative group studies across multiple disease sites.
- RUSH Radiation Oncology faculty are actively involved in NRG leadership and residents are encouraged to get involved with national cooperative groups.
- Dr. Dian Wang, Professor of Radiation Oncology at RUSH, is the chairperson for the NRG Sarcoma Interest Group.
- RUSH Radiation Oncology was the top accruing site nationally for NRG-DT001, a phase 1B trial evaluating neoadjuvant Navtemadlin with preoperative radiation therapy in patients with wild-type P53 soft tissue sarcoma (STS).
- RUSH Radiation Oncology faculty and residents have active investigator-initiated and industry sponsored trials.
- The department maintains multiple prospective clinical databases to investigate pertinent clinical questions.
Basic/Translational Research
- RUSH Radiation Oncology has research opportunities in Radiation Physics and Radiation Biology.
- RUSH has partnered with Tempus to develop personalized medicine for oncology.
- RUSH University Medical center in partnership with the University of Chicago and in collaboration with Advocate Aurora Health, Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech), Loyola University Chicago, and NorthShore University Health System has created the Institute for Translational Medicine (ITM). This project is funded by nearly $35 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
- Researchers at RUSH have access to RUSH Core Facilities including the Biostatistics/Bioinformatics and Biorepository Cores. Researchers at RUSH also have access to UIC Core Facilities, conveniently located adjacent to RUSH.
Health Services Research
In the heart of Chicago, a city known for its vibrant tapestry of cultures and neighborhoods, RUSH University Medical Center provides healthcare to a diverse population. Rush has active research programs working to bridge gaps in healthcare access and outcomes across the various Chicago communities and surrounding suburbs.
- RUSH is an American College of Surgeons (ACS) accredited program and has access to the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB)
- RUSH Radiation Oncology developed the Cancer Health Literacy Patient Education Resources (C-HLPER)
- RUSH is a member of Chicago Area Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Network (CAPriCORN).
- The RUSH BMO institute for Health Equity coordinates, scales and sustains RUSH’s health equity programs in the communities we serve.
Education Research
RUSH Radiation Oncology is a member of Radiation Oncology Education Collaborative Study Group (ROECSG). Dr. Daniel Golden, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology, Program Director, and Vice Chair of Education at RUSH, is the founder and chair of this international organization dedicated to developing and disseminating radiation oncology education innovations for trainees and patients. The ROECSG Spring Symposium, an international radiation oncology education scientific meeting, is held annually at RUSH University Medical Center.