Almost daily, Family House guests are treated to delectable, home-cooked meals that are lovingly prepared by an array of volunteer meal providers. On a recent Saturday evening, members from the Der & Cox Labs at UNC’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center prepared an Italian-themed dinner. The robust menu included hot soup, fresh vegetables, pasta, basil flatbread, and homemade cookies. 

Led by Andrew Waters, PhD, this young group of researchers—whose work is focused on developing inhibitors for cancer treatment—were inspired to give back to the community in this most tangible of ways. Dining with our guests, they heard story after story of the integral role Family House plays in one’s journey dealing with a serious illness. More than half of Family House’s guests receive treatment for cancer at UNC Hospitals.

"It was a valuable experience to us and the conversations we had with the guests were inspiring," Dr. Waters shared with us. "People from the lab have been texting me about how much they gained from this experience and said that it was a good lab bonding time as well. Family House is an incredible organization, and hopefully we can help out more in the future!"

You can enjoy more photos from the Italian-themed dinner on March 20th on Der & Cox Labs' blog here. We thank this lab team for taking a break from their busy schedules to share their culinary skills with our guests. This may be the beginning of other research labs to following their lead.

Photo credits: Der & Cox Labs