UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute

06/17/2026

Big news for Mississippi’s future in cancer research!
The College Board has approved a new Cancer Biology and Therapeutics PhD program at UMMC — the first graduate program of its kind in the state. This program will train scientists to make discoveries that improve how cancer is detected, treated, and prevented, especially for the patients and communities who need it most.
Learn more and help spread the word: https://umc.edu/news/News_Articles/2026/06/CCRI-Education.html

06/16/2026

Today we’re highlighting Dr. Varsha Manucha, a trusted expert urologic pathology, head and neck pathology, and gynecologic and non-gynecologic cytopathology, providing expert diagnostic interpretation of tissue and cytology specimens. By partnering closely with multidisciplinary care teams across UMMC, Dr. Manucha helps ensure patients receive timely, accurate diagnoses that guide effective treatment decisions.

06/11/2026

We are proud to announce that the National Cancer Institute has invited Dr. Pier Paolo Claudio to participate in and speak at its Precision in Practice: A Functional Medicine Workshop, taking place July 1–2 in Rockville, Maryland.

This national workshop brings together experts from academia, industry, government, and patient communities to discuss the latest advances in functional precision medicine and identify opportunities to accelerate its clinical use for cancer patients.

Dr. Claudio was asked to contribute to a session focused on testing formats in functional precision medicine, reflecting the national recognition of his expertise and leadership in this rapidly evolving field.

Please join us in congratulating him on this prestigious invitation and in celebrating the impact of his work on the future of cancer care.

06/09/2026

CCRI team members including Dr. Wade Christopher are reaching out to physicians around the state.

A GREAT way to end the day...OPR OUTREACH!🙌
Even after a busy afternoon of procedures, Dr. Wade Christopher, surgical oncology & endocrinology, CONNECTED with a local dermatologist to discuss collaborative care for patients with melanoma & sarcoma.
OPR OUTREACH = CONNECTING THE DOCS! 🥼🤝🥼

06/08/2026

This Meet The Team Monday, we're introducing Dr. Ben McIntyre — a double board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon and Professor in the Department of Surgery at UMMC.

Dr. McIntyre is the team lead for reconstructive breast surgery at UMMC, where he specializes in helping patients restore their bodies and confidence after breast cancer. He performs some of the most complex reconstructive procedures available today, including the DIEP flap — a technique that uses the patient's own tissue to rebuild the breast. To date, he has personally performed hundreds of DIEP flap surgeries with a greater than 99% success rate. Dr. McIntyre also performs direct to implant reconstructions and this year began offering breast neurotization to help restore sensation in women’s breasts following mastectomy.

His training took him from the University of Virginia to New Zealand, where he completed subspecialty fellowship training in microvascular surgery at Wellington Regional Burns, Plastic and Maxillofacial Unit. He has been a featured lecturer at the annual Duke Flap Course for the past six years and is a board member of the Oncologic Reconstruction Course, which is committed to teaching plastic surgery trainees the most advanced updates in cancer reconstruction.

Beyond his surgical work, Dr. McIntyre is interim chief of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and is the Program Director of UMMC’s Plastic Surgery residency program. He prides himself in training the next generation of plastic surgeons. He just met his 10-year milestone at UMMC and is grateful to all of the women who have entrusted him to be involved in their care during a very difficult time in their lives.”

06/05/2026

What does it mean to build a cancer center that truly serves Mississippi?

In UMMC’s latest Coffee Talk video, Dr. Rod Rocconi, Ergon Chair for Cancer Research and director of the Cancer Center and Research Institute, sits down with Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs, to talk about exactly that. From expanding access to care across the state to growing a research enterprise that brings cutting-edge treatments closer to home and reaching for National Cancer Institute designation, Dr. Rocconi shares the vision driving the work at CCRI. It's a conversation worth watching. 💙
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d26GThu78w

06/04/2026

This Thank A Researcher Thursday, we’re recognizing the team at the UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute for their recent publication in The Prostate Journal. Their research shows that smoking alters the immune environment in a way that allows prostate cancer to grow and spread more aggressively. The encouraging finding: because smoking is a modifiable risk factor, quitting may help reduce or even reverse some of those harmful changes, as suggested in their findings. Their work is also highlighted on the Journal’s cover page. Thank you, Drs. Amod Sharma, Sarabjeet Kour Sudan, Pratim Guha Niyogi, Ajay Singh and Seema Singh, for your discoveries.
https://umc.edu/news/CONSULT/2026/April/CON04012026B.html

06/02/2026

When CCRI patient Chantal Taylor talks about resilience, she speaks from experience. Diagnosed as a teen with rare desmoid tumors — a condition affecting fewer than four people per million — she endured repeated surgeries, radiation, chemotherapy and years of pain.
During treatment at UMMC’s Cancer Center and Research Institute, she also faced depression, domestic violence, homelessness and the loss of her grandmother to COVID-19. Still, she pressed forward.
In 2025, she earned her associate degree in business with a 4.0 GPA, becoming the first in her family to complete a degree. Today, she is growing multiple creative ventures, including Legacy MS Magazine, digital novels, a podcast and small businesses.
Her care at CCRI included:
• Orthopaedics
• Surgical, radiation and medical care
• Pain management
• Long-term follow-up and supportive care https://umc.edu/news/News_Articles/2026/06/Chantal-Taylor.html

06/01/2026

Some of the most meaningful work at CCRI happens long before a transplant ever begins. Today for Meet the Team Monday, we’re celebrating Jennifer Rouse, Sonia Parker and Christy Luckett, the pre-transplant coordinators who guide patients and families through every step of the bone marrow transplant process. Their calm presence, clear communication and deep compassion make an overwhelming time feel a little more manageable. Get to know the team behind this life‑changing work.

05/30/2026

We are deeply grateful to the Magnolia Charitable Foundation for their generous gift to the UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute, made possible through the proceeds of their annual Golf Tournament and Gala.

This kind of community investment advances research, expands access to care and brings us closer to the day when a new cancer and research center will bring world-class care closer to home.

To every golfer, sponsor, donor and volunteer who made the tournament and gala a success, thank you. 💙