Key result
Structured patient research advocate involvement in pre-clinical cancer research fosters trust and patient-centered thinking among trainees.
Why the study?
Patient research advocate involvement in pre-clinical research remains limited because pathways for incorporating patient perspectives are not always clear.
Structured patient research advocate involvement in preclinical research fosters mutual respect, trust, and more patient-centered scientific thinking.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Supports structured patient advocate involvement in preclinical cancer research; confirms value for developing more patient-centered researchers and clinicians.
Objectives Patient research advocate (PRA) involvement in clinical trials has increased, yet involvement in pre-clinical research remains limited because pathways for incorporating patient perspectives are not always clear. MATCHMAKERS seeks to build models for effective PRA participation in pre-clinical science. Background Cancer Grand Challenges (CGC), founded by NCI and CRUK, supports global interdisciplinary teams advancing cancer research and requires patient advocate involvement to ensure real-world impact. Launched in 2024, CGC Team MATCHMAKERS includes researchers from 10 institutions across six countries working to crack the code of how T cells recognize cancer cells using structural biology, high-throughput screening, and artificial intelligence to inform predictive immunotherapy tools. Methods Four PRAs from the USA and Brazil contribute lived cancer experience and advocacy expertise. PRAs attend monthly research meetings, PRA meetings, CGC advocate sessions, and annual CGC and MATCHMAKERS summits. The Lead PI and Program Manager attend PRA meetings and coordinate interactions with trainees and investigators to facilitate bidirectional learning and involvement. Results PRAs have partnered with five trainees from four labs, co-developing shared language, context, and communication tools. PRA involvement has strengthened understanding of MATCHMAKERS research goals, while trainees report appreciation of patient needs and translational relevance. Key activities and trainee reflections are summarized in the Table. Conclusions Early experience demonstrates that structured PRA involvement fosters mutual respect, trust, and more patient-centered scientific thinking. Next steps include expanding PRA-trainees partnerships across institutions and contributing to CGC-wide best-practice development for PRA involvement in pre-clinical research. Citation Format: Annie Ellis, Luciana Holtz, Michele Rakoff, Tracy Solak, Matheus O. de Souza, Michael Birnbaum. MATCHMAKERS Cancer Grand Challenge Team: Partnership and purpose to maximize patient research advocate involvement in collaborative preclinical research [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2026; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2026 Apr 17-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2026;86(7 Suppl):Abstract nr 6356.
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Ellis et al. (2026) studied this question. Structured patient research advocate involvement in pre-clinical cancer research fostered mutual respect, trust, and more patient-centered scientific thinking among trainees.
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