InnovaCore Center for Research and Biotechnology

10/18/2026

I am delighted to announce that United Medical Centers (UMC) has joined InnovaCore Center for Research and Biotechnology’s FQHC-Based Clinical Research Network.

Health centers care for more than 30 million Americans, yet their patients remain largely absent from the clinical trials that shape their care. Along the Texas–Mexico border, where diabetes and obesity rates are among the highest in the nation, research access has been almost nonexistent.

UMC’s partnership changes that. Together with health centers in Bexar County and our academic partner, Sul Ross State University, we are bringing border communities into the evidence base, with INNOVACORE providing the infrastructure that makes their participation possible.

My thanks to Dr. Gaston Zylberg and the UMC leadership team for their vision and partnership. To view the full announcement, visit:

United Medical Centers Joins INNOVACORE's FQHC-Based Clinical Research Network. United Medical Centers, a federally qualified health center serving Kinney, Maverick, and Val Verde counties, has joined a network that brings border communities into the clinical research shaping patient care. - PR13177...

05/27/2026

May is National Cancer Research Month: A Message from InnovaCore Center for Research and Biotechnology

This year, an estimated 2.1 million Americans will hear the words "you have cancer." But here is what is also true: the five-year cancer survival rate has climbed from 49% to 70% in our lifetime. None of that was inevitable.

This year's theme is United by Cancer Research. It captures something we believe deeply: cancer is not defeated by any one institution. It slowly yields to the shared interdisciplinary work of investigators, clinicians, laboratories, and patients worldwide.

INNOVACORE was built to close that gap. As a physician-founded, fully integrated clinical research entity headquartered in San Antonio, we operate with a network of multispecialty physician-investigators across the United States and internationally, including partners at the Indus Hospital & Health Network in Pakistan and the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, and a growing footprint of community and academic sites across the U.S. South and Southwest.

Nationally, INNOVACORE has partnerships with the Jones-Dunklin Cancer Center at Jefferson Regional in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and Oklahoma Cancer & Blood Specialists, Oklahoma, bringing clinical trials to regions where the cancer burden is among the highest in the country and access to research has historically been limited. This network is built on a single principle: breakthrough research must reach the communities where need is greatest.

To the investigators, coordinators, patients, and partner institutions who make this work possible, thank you. United by cancer research, indeed.

To learn more about INNOVACORE: https://innovacore.net/portfolio/

04/19/2026

Honored to be attending the AACR Annual Meeting 2026 in San Diego representing INNOVACORE Center for Research and Biotechnology and our growing network of outstanding partners.

Proud to stand alongside collaborators from CorePath Laboratories, Jones-Dunklin Cancer Center, Jefferson Regional, Oklahoma Cancer Center, Oklahoma Pulmonary Care, Indus Hospital & Health Network, Aga Khan University (Nairobi, Kenya), and many others…each committed to advancing innovation, expanding access, and improving outcomes in cancer care.

Looking forward to meaningful conversations, new collaborations, and translating science into real-world impact.

01/16/2026

Strategic Partnership Announcement

INNOVACORE™ Center for Research and Biotechnology and Jefferson Regional Medical Center are proud to announce a strategic partnership to expand community-anchored cancer research and care across Southeast Arkansas, with a shared commitment to improving outcomes for rural and underserved populations. This partnership will initially support cutting-edge clinical research for patients in the Jefferson Regional Jones-Dunklin Cancer Center.

By combining INNOVACORE™’s translational research and clinical trials infrastructure with Jefferson Regional Medical Center’s regional oncology footprint, this collaboration will expand access to clinical trials closer to home, strengthen oncology services across the region, and advance innovation in cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment while creating a scalable model for patient-driven, community-integrated cancer research.

Sohail Rao, MD, MA, DPhil, President & CEO of INNOVACORE™, stated: “This partnership reflects a simple principle: breakthrough clinical research must reach the communities where need is greatest. By aligning research capability with trusted local care delivery at Jefferson Regional Medical Center, we can accelerate access to trials, elevate standards of oncology care, and build a sustainable model that serves patients with dignity, equity, and urgency.”

About INNOVACORE™ Center for Research & Biotechnology:
INNOVACORE™ is a translational research organization dedicated to advancing innovation in diagnostics, clinical trials, and evidence-driven healthcare. Through strategic partnerships with healthcare systems and academic collaborators, INNOVACORE™ supports high-quality research infrastructure and helps bring new therapies and technologies to patients, especially in rural and underserved communities. To learn more, visit: https://innovacore.net

About Jefferson Regional Medical Center (JRMC)
Jefferson Regional Medical Center (JRMC) is a leading community-based health system serving Southeast Arkansas, providing comprehensive medical and oncology services through the Jefferson Regional Jones-Dunklin Cancer Center. JRMC is committed to delivering high-quality, compassionate care close to home while expanding access to advanced cancer services, screening, and research opportunities for the communities it serves. To learn more, visit: https://www.jrmc.org.

12/22/2025

12/12/2025

We were honored to welcome Prof. Sunil Lakhani, a Professor of Pathology at the University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia), to our San Antonio campus yesterday. A world-class leader in breast pathology, Prof. Lakhani has contributed extensively to advancing our understanding of breast disease. He is a member of the WHO “Blue Book” expert group and recently authored a chapter on breast pathology in Robbins & Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease.

During his visit, we had an engaging discussion on mutual areas of interest including collaborative research, artificial intelligence in diagnostics, digital pathology, and strengthening resident education and training through shared academic initiatives.

12/02/2025

Strengthening Our Oklahoma Footprint: Introducing Our New Clinical Research Coordinator - Amna Javed

Thrilled to welcome Amna Javed to the INNOVACORETM Center for Research & Biotechnology as our Clinical Research Coordinator, supporting our investigators in the clinical research network in Oklahoma.

Amna brings a strong focus on data accuracy, study operations, and patient-centered research coordination, and will play a key role in strengthening our clinical trial infrastructure across Oklahoma. She will work closely with our investigators, clinic teams, project managers, and sponsors to ensure high-quality study conduct and the timely ex*****on of active and upcoming trials.

Please join us in welcoming Amna to the INNOVACORETM family and to our growing research footprint in Oklahoma!

Amna can be reached at her email: [email protected]

11/08/2025

From Polished Prose to Proven Science: Funding Brains, Not Bytes

Seed grants work when they back talent, sharp questions, and accountable milestones, not shiny prose. With generative AI making it easier to draft proposals, this commentary argues for investigator-centric funding plus clear disclosure and guardrails: AI can help with clarity and structure, but novelty, rigor, and feasibility must come from the investigator.

How does your organization handle AI-assisted applications?

To view the article: https://innovapath.us/index.php/IN/article/view/176/101