The Arizona Cancer Evolution Center (ACE) launched its ACE Scholars Program in 2021, with the purpose of creating an interdisciplinary and connected community of young researchers. The ACE Scholars Program serves motivated undergraduates from a diverse set of backgrounds and skill sets who are interested to pursue research projects at the intersection of cancer biology and evolutionary theory. The emerging field of cancer evolution seeks to employ evolutionary theory to address how we can understand the progression of cancer in individuals and how natural selection has shaped cancer risk across the tree of life. Our group explores a broad range of research questions within this field, from cancer-like diseases in species of coral to reproductive cancers across mammals and the language of cancer. Much of our research relies on computational and bioinformatics methods but a background in these topics is not required to be considered for admission. The ACE Scholars Program offers robust training in the methods relevant to our research as well as career and professional development training aimed to enhance graduate school applications, science communication, and personal branding.
