MetNet Funding Opportunity
- RFA-CA-27-012: MetNet Centers (U54 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
- PAR-26-134: MetNet Research Projects (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
MetNet Research Advocates
MetNet brings together scientific experts in different disease and research areas to find answers to why and how metastasis occurs in cancer and discover solutions to prevent, control and ultimately eradicate it. Patient advocates bring a unique perspective to each MetNet center, working as valued partners with the researchers. They incorporate the patient experience into basic and translational research, having experienced cancer or having supported someone with cancer.
The advocates have three primary roles:
- Engage in a scientific discussion with the investigators to communicate patient priorities, preferences, and concerns.
- Mentor researchers to broaden their understanding of the disease, help them communicate their work in a way that is accessible for those outside the scientific community, and gain perspective on the impact they have on patients’ lives.
- Serve as a liaison to their communities by translating the progress of scientific research from MetNet for a general audience.
The research advocates are each a member of one of the five MetNet academic institutions’ centers, and they also work together on common advocacy goals across the centers.
MetNet Research Advocates recently gave a presentation on How to Write an Effective Lay Abstract.
MetNet News and Publications
MetNet News
New grants for MetNet were awarded in 2026.
Investigators with the Case Western Reserve University MetNet Project are studying the role of Kindlin-2 in small extracellular vesicles (EVs) during breast cancer progression and metastasis.
Dr. Cory Abate-Shen et al. with the Columbia University MetNet Project are investigating mechanisms that promote bone metastasis and tumor dormancy in prostate cancer, with a focus on the interplay between tumor cells and their microenvironment.
Dr. Nathan Reticker-Flynn et al. with the Stanford University MetNet Project are examining how tumors and the immune system co-evolve during metastasis to better understand how metastatic tumors escape immune responses.
Upcoming and Past MetNet Investigator Meetings
October 20 - 22, 2026 - Multi-Consortia Coordinating (MC²) Center All-Consortia Meeting
June 3 - 5, 2026 - MetNet Investigators Annual Meeting (joint with Cellular Cancer Biology Imaging Research Program)
October 27 - 28, 2025 - MetNet Investigators Annual Meeting
October 20 - 23, 2024 - MetNet Investigators Annual Meeting (Joint with the Cancer Systems Biology Consortium)
October 11 - 12, 2023 - MetNet Investigators Annual Meeting
October 17 - 18, 2022 - MetNet Investigators Annual Meeting
December 2, 2021 - MetNet Kickoff Meeting
September 24, 2021 - MetNet Center Introductions
Contacts for MetNet
For additional information about the MetNet, please contact Dr. Joanna Watson, Dr. Christine Nadeau, or Dr. Brunilde Gril.
Funded Projects
MetNet Research Centers (U54s)
| Institution | Principal Investigator(s) | Project Title |
|---|---|---|
| Stanford University | Christina Curtis | Evolutionary dynamics and microenvironmental determinants of metastatic breast cancer |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Roger Kamm, Vivek Shenoy | Mechanical determinants of organ-selective metastatic colonization, dormancy, and outgrowth |
| Stanford University | Melanie Hayden Gephart | Deconvolution and interruption of the cancer-neuro-immune axis facilitating brain metastases |
| Rockefeller University | Sohail Tavazoie | Center for systems-level study of metastasis |
| New York University School of Medicine | Eva Hernando, Iman Osman | NYULH Metastasis Research Network Center (NYULH MetNet Center) |
MetNet Research Projects (U01s)