On May 13, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. met with leaders from Duarte, Calif.-based City of Hope as part of the cancer center’s “The Next Frontier of Cancer Prevention and Care: The Microbiome” event.
The event brought together researchers and physicians from the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute and other U.S. cancer centers, according to a May 18 news release from HHS.
In addition to remarks from Mr. Kennedy, event speakers included Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, NIH director; George Sigounas, PhD, chief scientific advisor at the NCI; Giorgio Trinchieri, MD, head of the cancer immunology section at the NCI’s Center for Cancer Research; and Marcel van den Brink, MD, PhD, president of City of Hope National Medical Center.
The program examined how the microbiome “may influence cancer risk, immune function, response to treatment and long-term health,” a May 13 City of Hope news release said.
“The science that will change outcomes for cancer patients depends on the strength of partnership across government, academia and health care,” Robert Stone, CEO and the Helen and Morgan Chu Chief Executive Officer Distinguished Chair at of City of Hope, told Becker’s. “National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers are part of the nation’s scientific and clinical infrastructure. The advances that help patients live longer and better lives depend on sustained research, strong partnerships and a shared focus on making the best cancer care available to more people, including communities that have not always had access. That is why convenings like this matter, bringing together the full strength of leading institutions to accelerate progress for patients.”
Editor’s note: This article was updated May 27, 2026, at 1:30 pm CT.
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