At Mayo Clinic, research is integral to everything we do. We would be unable to offer the highest possible levels of care and continually improve the practice of medicine without research, and the education programs and processes to make it a reality.

We are pleased to introduce some of our newest programs - or in some cases - simply their entrée into online presence. In addition to new sites, we constantly are updating current content to give a glimpse of new research initiatives, completed projects and noteworthy findings. Here are some new sites, as well as some with fresh content and updated information:

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  Students and faculty in the inaugural SPARK class.

  SPARK Research Mentorship Program, aka the Science Program for the Advancement of Research Knowledge, began in Summer 2017 as an opportunity for students to be mentored by some of the top researchers in the world..

The SPARK Research Mentorship Program at Mayo Clinic's campus in Jacksonville, Florida, provides high school students in Duval and St. Johns counties mentored research experiences in world-class laboratories. This program enables students to develop a basic understanding of scientific research and produce a highly competitive science fair project.

• Brain Tumor Stem Cell Research Laboratory

In the Brain Tumor Stem Cell Research Lab, Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, M.D. and his team study the molecular pathways of glioblastoma, chordoma and metastatic brain cancer to find new therapies for patients.

Work in the lab includes novel therapeutics for glioblastoma, cell migration and invasion, cellular therapy, models of brain and spine cancers, and maintenance of a human tissue bank.

The gall bladder is highlighted in this illustration of a baby's internal organs.

• Hepatobiliary Cancer Laboratory

In his lab,  Lewis R. Roberts, M.D. and his team study hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder cancer.  The team's research goals include identifying and targeting cancer genes to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hepatobiliary cancers.

They also are developing culturally appropriate health education interventions for hepatitis B and hepatitis C in the Somali community in Rochester, Minnesota, and beyond.

• Nicotine Research Program

 The Nicotine Research Program at Mayo Clinic studies the best methods to help people quit using tobacco and strategies to prevent people from starting at all.

It is a key component of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center, one of the first centers in the country to focus exclusively on treatments for tobacco dependence.

Thanks for visiting. Keep watching Advancing the Science for the latest Mayo Clinic research news and information.

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Tags: About, brain cancer, brain tumor, Innovations, Progress Updates