10/28/2026 Jonathan King
Written by Jonathan King
The Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL) has more than 130 members from across the Illinois campus. Given the great variety in backgrounds, research disciplines, and experiences of our members, we offer our Q&A series “Get to Know a Cancer Researcher” to provide readers a connection with the amazing array of individuals who comprise the CCIL’s robust cancer research team. This is the twelfth installment.
CCIL Member: Brendan Harley
CCIL Research Program: Cancer Engineering & Biological Systems
CCIL Research Theme: Comparative and Engineered Oncology Models
Faculty Position: Robert W. Schaefer Professor, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
What originally drew you to cancer research?
I’m a two-time childhood cancer survivor. It is the ultimate privilege be able to help change the way we understand, diagnose, and treat cancer.
What cancer problems are you seeking to address in your lab?
We are developing biomaterial models of the tumor margin to understand how cancer spreads and study the effectiveness of new therapies.
What keeps you going in your research? How do you recharge?
This job is about developing new cures but also training the next generation of scientists who go out into the world and see much further than you could have ever imagined.
What are fun or quirky facts about you that others may not know?
I have run more than 20 marathons and ultramarathons.
Can you tell us a favorite film or book of yours?
I have had amazing trainees in my lab – undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars. Their success after leaving my lab bring me so much joy.
What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of, and why?
I am proud of the research awards and fellowships my students have won. Winning mentoring awards, like the Stanley H. Pierce Award, means a lot to me. Watching students learn to combine ideas from different disciplines, graduate, and go on to start their own scientific careers is the most rewarding part of this work.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received, and how has it shaped your research career?
Don’t be afraid to move in new research directions. Bring others with you, and go create the future you want to live in.
Stay tuned for more weekly installments in the Cancer Center at Illinois “Get to Know a Cancer Researcher” series.
Editor’s notes:
Brendan Harley can be reached at bharley@illinois.edu.
This story was written by Jonathan King, CCIL Communications Coordinator.