Biden visiting Duke to promote ‘cancer moonshot’

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) – Vice President Joe Biden will visit Duke University to observe cancer research and discuss the White House’s proposed $1 billion effort to accelerate progress on developing cures.

Biden will tour labs and participate in a discussion Wednesday afternoon on his effort to streamline cooperation between government agencies and researchers.

Don Graves serves in the White House as counselor to the vice president. He says Duke was chosen because of cutting-edge research there on cancer topics.

The Duke Cancer Institute hosts more than 100 board-certified cancer physicians and more than 500 staff members dedicated to cancer.

The trip is Biden’s first to a university since the president announced his budget request this month to fund the bulk of the effort dubbed the “cancer moonshot.”