The Graduate Cancer Community at Illinois (gCC@I) was created as a student group designed to bring together students and researchers involved in cancer research across various disciplines, as well as to bridge the gap between on-campus research and the greater community as a whole. Our specific objectives are to:

• Educate graduate student and post-doctoral researchers regarding the social aspects and consequences of cancer, including disease, suffering, recovery, and the survivor’s burden
• Forge interdisciplinary collaborations between basic science researchers, engineers, and physicians in order to translate clinical problems
• Facilitate inter-institutional collaboration with clinicians in St. Louis, Chicago, and Indianapolis

To achieve these, the gCC@I hosts a number of academic events throughout the school year, including seminars delivered by cancer researchers and symposia to highlight on-campus research and promote community involvement. To better align with the opinions and needs of students, we held a student workshop and plan to arrange social events to promote discourse between students of varying backgrounds and perspectives.  Finally, the gCC@I keeps in contact with several other cancer-related groups, including the Young Survival Coalition (YSC) of Champaign-Urbana, to facilitate inter-community participation.