The collaboration between the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) and Mayo Clinic in the area of cancer research, clinical care, training and public health has gotten a boost.
This is even as the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, Director General of NICRAT, Prof. Usman Malami Aliyu and other experts in the cancer space have visited the Mayo Clinic, had strategic meetings, toured their facility and also initiated the process of drafting and signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Key research and clinical facilities toured by the Nigerian delegation led by Dr. Salako include Digital Pathology Tissue Registry, Digital Pathology Scanning Suite, Biospecimen Accessioning & Processing Unit, Pathology Research Core and Mayo Clinic Hospital, Rochester
The MoU will formalize and guide the collaborative efforts in the area of collaborative research initiatives, capacity building, infrastructure development, clinical trials and
technology collaboration
As part of the MoU, teams from Mayo Clinic and NICRAT will convene during the upcoming Science of Advanced Prostate Cancer in Africa (SoAPCA) and NICRAT conferences, scheduled to take place in Lagos, Nigeria later in September, 2025.
It would be recalled that on April 8, 2025, the Mayo Clinic extended an invitation letter to the Director General of NICRAT, Prof. Malami with the title: Invitation to Attend Strategic Business Meeting at Mayo Clinic, United States.
The letter reads: “We would be honored to host you for a series of high-level discussions centered on the growing collaboration between Mayo Clinic and the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT).
“The primary goal of your visit is to strengthen our joint efforts in advancing global oncology, with a focus on collaborative cancer research, clinical trials, research training and education initiatives in Nigeria.
“Your visit will include strategic meetings with leadership from the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, Digital Pathology, Center for Digital Health, and the Mayo Clinic Platform teams.”
“In addition, you will tour our facilities and gain insights into current global oncology projects, including those already underway in Nigeria.”
Mayo Clinic is a foremost global health institution that is committed to eliminating healthcare disparities and relieving the burden of cancer for all communities, everywhere. “Our vision for the future of cancer care is ambitious because the 19 million people diagnosed with cancer every year need answers now.”
