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A new framework for engaging patients and the public in basic cancer research

Nature Reviews Cancer (2025)Cite this article

Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) is well established in clinical settings, but less well defined in laboratory settings. Here we propose a framework for embedding PPIE ambassadors into basic cancer research pipelines, outlining strategies to address power imbalances, enhance communication and facilitate knowledge translation.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    Shreya Gandhi

  2. Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

    Shadi Ahmadian

  3. The Brain Tumour Charity, Hampshire, UK

    Peter Buckle

  4. Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    David A. Largaespada

  5. Laboratory of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Kenneth Aldape

  6. Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    Sheila Mansouri & Gelareh Zadeh

Authors
  1. Shreya Gandhi
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  2. Shadi Ahmadian
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  3. Peter Buckle
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  4. David A. Largaespada
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  5. Kenneth Aldape
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  6. Sheila Mansouri
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  7. Gelareh Zadeh
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Sheila Mansouri or Gelareh Zadeh.

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Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Related links

Canadian Cancer Society Patient Partnership Network: https://cancer.ca/en/research/our-approach/engaging-people-in-cancer-research-funding/what-is-patient-engagement-in-research-funding

HEAL Community Partner Committee: https://heal.nih.gov/

Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI): https://www.pcori.org/

People in Research: https://www.peopleinresearch.org/

The Brain Tumour Charity’s Involvement Network: https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/get-involved/volunteering/use-your-experience/join-our-involvement-network/

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Gandhi, S., Ahmadian, S., Buckle, P. et al. A new framework for engaging patients and the public in basic cancer research. Nat Rev Cancer (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41568-025-00898-5

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