Cancer Center History

Mission and Structure

BCCC’s mission is threefold: to conduct cutting-edge cancer research, to engage in meaningful community outreach, and to provide educational opportunities that foster the next generation of STEM professionals. The center emphasizes translational research—bridging laboratory discoveries to clinical applications—and collaborates with local hospitals and cancer centers to address disparities in cancer care.

Founding Leadership Team (Pictured)

• Professor Maria Contel, Ph.D., Director and Research Area Leader (until 2025)
• Professor Jennifer Basil, Ph.D., Vice Director (until 2025)
• Professor Brian Gibney, Ph.D., Associate Director of Education (until 2023)

Current Leadership

In 2025, Professor Alexander Greer became the center’s director. The current team also includes postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and over 40 undergraduate research assistants.

Research and Academic Contributions

Faculty from across Brooklyn College work with BCCC on cancer-related research across three main areas: cancer biology and biochemistry, drug development and delivery, and patient-oriented research.

Notable research achievements

• Publication of dozens of articles
• Issuance of patents
• Several federal grants awarded

The center has hosted over 50 scientific seminars and multiple symposia, including the Brooklyn Breast Cancer Symposium and the Brooklyn Colorectal Cancer Symposium. These events have featured speakers from prestigious institutions such as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, SUNY Downstate, Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center, and Weill Cornell Medicine.

Educational Initiatives

The center has developed robust educational programs, including:

• The Stacey & Michael Garil Summer Research Internship Program, supporting undergraduate research
• Medical interpretation training in partnership with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Physician shadowing programs with Maimonides Health and Memorial Medical Care
• Lay Health Navigator training with Tisch Cancer Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine
• Career seminars and workshops on cancer research and public health

Community Outreach and Partnerships

Community engagement is central to the center’s mission, and we have partnered with over 30 organizations, including:

• American Cancer Society
• Arthur Ashe Institute
• Haitian Community Coalition
• Maimonides Health
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Mixteca Organization
• Tisch Cancer Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Selected Outreach

• Health and wellness fairs
• Cancer prevention workshops in English and Spanish
• HPV awareness campaigns
• Free mammogram events
• Educational panels on cancer disparities
• The center also launched a Brooklyn Health Map, a data dashboard highlighting health disparities across Brooklyn neighborhoods.