ABCD Mentor Helps Develop New App for Cancer Researchers

— By Megan Brown, Marketing & Communications Support

April 22, 2025

Oliver Bogler, PhD, became an ABCD Mentor as a way of supporting the breast cancer community. “I used to do this in person at the cancer center where I was treated, and so I was glad to learn of ABCD’s virtual mentoring opportunity,” he says.

Through his work at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), he’s helped develop a new app for early career cancer researchers called NanCI. Powered by AI, NanCI provides customized recommendations for research papers and science news based on the person’s interests and research areas. The goal is to help researchers stay informed and up to date on the latest science, while also providing a way to connect with other members of the research community based on shared interests.

While the app is not currently open to patients – you must work at an academic institution and use your work email to register – Dr. Bogler shares that may be a possibility in the future. “We are considering expanding our community to include patients and citizen scientists down the road,” he says.

Learn more about NanCI and continue reading for a brief interview with Dr. Bogler:

Q: What need(s) does this app fill for someone who is in the cancer research field?

A: It helps cancer researchers keep up with the scientific literature. Literally hundreds of new papers appear every day, so NanCI’s AI helps scientists stay informed. With its powerful Google AI, the app can also help the user quickly see what questions they have that can be answered. NanCI is also a way to find scientists with similar interests to help our users build their professional network.

Q: As the Director of the Center for Cancer Training within the NCI, you were involved in the development of the app. Can you share a little bit about that?

A: Yes, I am leading the development of the app from the non-technical side, and the NCI is supporting its development and working in collaboration with Google and an AI startup, Barnacle.ai. My focus on early career cancer researchers was the reason we developed NanCI – to help them launch successful and joyful science careers and make progress against cancer.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like people to know about the app?

A: We are currently on iOS/iPhone but will soon have web and Android versions to make it more widely accessible.