Washington University Participant Engagement and Cancer Genomic Sequencing Center (WU-PE-CGS)

Participant engagement and genomic sequencing research from the Washington University Participant Engagement and Cancer Genomic Sequencing Center (WU-PE-CGS) will fill critical gaps in knowledge, methodology, and characterization of cancer populations requiring more research, leading to optimal approaches for participant engagement, outreach, and communication in genomic characterization studies. Our overall goal is to build a rigorous, scientific evidence base for approaches on direct engagement of patients and post-treatment cancer survivors as research participants. Our focus is on rare cancers in populations with significant adverse outcomes (cholangiocarcinoma, multiple myeloma, and colorectal cancer). Our Center will be housed in an environment that fosters multidisciplinary collaboration, catalyzes new ideas, and ensures support that finds solutions for complex recruitment and engagement challenges. The specific aims are to: (1) Advance the field of participant engagement to study adverse cancer outcomes by conducting innovative and impactful direct stakeholder engagement with continuous evaluation and research; (2) Expand an exceptional, broad team of investigators, patients, and patient interest stakeholders; (3) Address adverse cancer outcomes by understanding challenges and improving the ability for low-resourced populations requiring more research to encounter, use, and benefit from genomic sequencing and analysis; (4) Organize and integrate Center units to facilitate team science within our Center and across the Network. WU-PE-CGS builds on a long, outstanding leadership record in cancer and genomic research across the cancer continuum and will enable a significant return on scientific investment in several ways. First, our Center has distinctive features, including a combined focus on adverse cancer outcomes, application of strategies to increase participant engagement, biospecimen acquisition success, and exceptional genomic sequencing expertise. Second, we have assembled a broad, world-class team with strong links to multiple rare cancers. Third, we engage investigators from different disciplines and invest in developing early career scholars. Fourth, we strategically and creatively disseminate products in ways that benefit researchers, practitioners, and community members. Fifth, we will partner with patient-centered interest groups to engage patients, optimize recruitment, and seamlessly return results. Finally, we developed a focused strategy for collective integration of our units. These synergies will allow us to become a national resource for optimal participant engagement, outreach, and communication approaches in genomic characterization studies, accelerating progress for researchers, patients, and their communities.