Project Summary
This project, proposed by clinician scientist Stephen Chun, M.D. at the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson
Cancer Center (MDACC) aims to expand the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored radiation oncology trial
program in the Houston Area Location (HAL) integrated academic satellites and support his national leadership
efforts with the NCI-sponsored cooperative groups. Since joining the MDACC faculty, Dr. Chun has led the
establishment of the HAL radiation clinical trial program and is the Director of Radiation Oncology Clinical
Research for the MDACC HALs. Under his leadership, there has been an unprecedented increase (1% in 2016
to 14% in 2021) in the proportion of HAL patients enrolled on radiation clinical trials. With the NCI-sponsored
cooperative groups, Dr. Chun currently serves as national Principal Investigator (PI) of a high-profile NRG
Oncology analysis, study champion of NRG/Alliance A082002, MDACC institutional PI of NRG-LU005, and has
been a top enroller for NRG Oncology-RTOG 1308 that was previously in jeopardy for closure due to poor
accrual. To achieve NCI-funded trial objectives in the MDACC HALs, Dr. Chun will spearhead the implementation
and expansion of a translational biomarker program, neurocognitive testing capabilities for NCI-sponsored
central nervous system (CNS) cancer trials, and the continuing medical education program on clinical research.
Dr. Chun is passionate about addressing healthcare disparities and is committed to establish a workflow to track
numbers of women and underrepresented minorities enrolled on clinical trials in the HALs, and independently
scrutinize patient inclusion and exclusion criteria and factors among to reduce demographic disparities. In order
to develop new research capabilities, Dr. Chun will join the leadership of the Protocol in a Day Workshop, which
is responsible for developing MDACC investigator-initiated radiation trials, establish the radiation clinical
research program at new and planned MDACC facilities, leverage artificial intelligence to capture more patients
eligible for trials, and continue to develop concepts with the NCI-sponsored cooperative groups. He will commit
a minimum of 20% of his effort (2.4 calendar months) to NCI-sponsored clinical research, and MDACC is
committed to support Dr. Chun’s efforts and conduct of NCI-supported clinical trials. The primary objective of his
career is to prioritize and expand institutional and NCI-sponsored trials in the MDACC HALs which aligns with
this R50 funding mechanism as well as with the broader mission of NCI.
