A team of researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has been awarded up to $10 million in funding to support the development of the Cancer Identification and Precision Oncology Center (CIPOC), a project aimed at accelerating cancer diagnosis and optimizing personalized treatment delivery through advanced data science.

CIPOC will leverage diverse data sources — including electronic health records, imaging, insurance claims, and geographic information — to create an oncology learning health system. This system will enable real-time cancer case identification, patient recruitment for research, precision care recommendations, and improvements in care equity and quality.

The funding is from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).

The project, led by four principal investigators from UNC–Chapel Hill, will integrate expertise from over 12 schools and centers within the university:

• Ashok Krishnamurthy, Ph.D., director of the Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI), leads the data science core.
• Jennifer Elston Lafata, Ph.D., a professor in the Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, oversees innovation and optimization.
• Caroline Thompson, Ph.D., MPH, an associate professor of epidemiology, leads the rapid identification core.
• Melissa Troester, Ph.D., MPH, a professor of epidemiology, heads the precision oncology core.

“CIPOC is a multi-disciplinary project that will significantly advance not just rapid cancer identification and precision oncology but also health data science and informatics,” said Krishnamurthy.

The three-year initiative will initially focus on UNC Health, with the potential for statewide and national expansion. A key feature is an AI-powered virtual multidisciplinary tumor board that uses clinical and imaging data to inform treatment decisions and track tumor progression.

The project also aims to democratize precision oncology by creating open-source data tools that health systems of all sizes can adopt. This aligns with ARPA-H’s goals to enhance healthcare equity and resilience.

“This project will accelerate academic discovery and optimize cancer care delivery,” said Lafata. “It represents a step forward in making personalized cancer care more accessible and equitable.”

The proposal was developed with support from UNC’s Office of Research Development, led by Nathan Blouin and Nate Warren.

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