About
From the Director
Welcome to the website of the Technion’s Bruce and Ruth Rappaport Cancer Research Center (RTICC).
Cancer is as old as human existence, and despite major advances in early detection and molecular therapies, it still poses a great challenge to human health. It is a major cause of human death and of physical and emotional suffering, and has an enormous economic impact, affecting individuals, families, and entire societies.
Mission: I strongly believe that the basis for effective cancer treatments is discoveries that come from asking fundamental questions and adopting bold and high-risk/high-gain approaches that address unmet clinical needs. The future of cancer research is largely unexpected, yet, as far as predictions can be made, it must require the convergence of experimental research (basic and translational), exact and computational sciences, engineering, and clinical oncology and hematology. In this regard, the RTICC is a special integrative center that is situated at the Technion, one of the world’s leading technological universities, thus enabling such convergence. As such, I believe that the main mission of the RTICC is to bring together, at our Technion faculties and affiliated clinical centers, scientists from diverse research arenas ranging from cancer biology and biomedicine, chemistry, physics, the exact sciences, engineering and computation to clinical oncology and hematology.
Spirit for discovery; The RTICC has an egalitarian philosophy on conducting research that strongly encourages collaboration. We welcome both novice/young and well-established researchers to join together on the journey of cancer research. While this endeavor is not free of pitfalls and challenges, our capable and diverse team of RTICC researchers boldly explore the unknown territories of cancer research and work to turn innovations into inventions and discoveries into treatments.
Words of gratitude; I personally wish to thank the visionaries, Bruce and Ruth Rappaport z”l, and their beloved daughters, Irit and Vered Rappaport, as well as the entire Rappaport family, the Rappaport foundation, RTICC founder Prof. Aaron Ciechanover, and former head of the RTICC, Prof. Yuval Shaked, for their unconditional support and unwavering belief in our journey. I also thank the Kahn family for their generosity in establishing the physical heart of the RTICC, the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Human Health Building. Last but not least, I thank the many individuals who offer us ongoing support; we cannot do it without you. Thank you!
Amir Orian MD/PhD
Director, RTICC
