The Swiss Cancer Center - Leman is an alliance against cancer forged between several academic and clinical institutions: the University Hospital of Lausnne , the University Hospitals of Geneva, the University of Lausanne, the University of Geneva and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, as well as privileged partners. It sets out to rethink research in oncology by unlocking the power that resides in formative interactions between institutions and the development of collaborative expertise to improve outcomes. This alliance brings together, under a united and regional identity, all the specialists involved in the path from bench to bedside. Focusing their efforts on emerging fields within oncology, the partner institutions intend to develop innovative strategies such as immunotherapy and precision oncology to achieve personalized and predictive medical strategies that will ultimately revolutionize patient care. The SCCL conducts its research in a network of laboratories located within its constituent institutions. The AGORA translational cancer research building in Lausanne, located close to the CHUV, will be an interdisciplinary ‘melting pot’ of laboratories tapped from all partner institutions for their envisaged synergies.
The Agora, the flagship building of the Swiss Cancer Centre - Leman, embodies and puts into the practice the central vision of the SCCL has for cancer science and medicine. By bringing together more than 300 physician-scientists, cancer researchers and bio-engineers under the same roof, it is creating an interactive community involving complementary insight and expertise organized into ‘thematic neighborhoods’ within a single site. Its innovative, open architecture with interaction spaces throughout aims to stimulate collegial exchanges across disciplines, and between researchers and clinicians. As a result, the building will act as an arena of innovation in the fight against cancer. The visionary ISREC Foundation after having funded and overseen the construction of Agora, will continue to shepherd and inspire innovative translational cancer in the Agora building and the SCCL at large.
