Michael O'Rorke, an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology in the College of Public Health, is particularly proud of his work with rare tumors.

Tell us about your hometown; how did it shape you?

I grew up in North Belfast, Northern Ireland. Most folks know it for being the birthplace of the RMS Titanic, scenic sights from Game of Thrones, or its sadly renowned history of ‘The Troubles’. I am very grateful and proud of my beginnings, and for the many wonderful hearts, hands and minds that have made me the wee man I am today.

Tell us about your hobbies/outside interests.

I love cycling - and commute to work daily. Doing anything outdoors, gardening, hiking, time out on the SUP – where there is a breeze and wildlife I am in my element. I have a passion for architecture (particularly Victorian homes). I build highly detailed, wooden 1:12 scale dollhouses in my spare time. I hope to exhibit one at the Iowa State Fair someday.

What is your favorite hang out place?

In truth, anywhere I can sit still for a spell – which anyone who knows me well will tell you is next to never. My dad calls it my ‘birdhouse’. I appreciate my screened porch. It’s nice to sit out there and listen to the birds, and watch the storms roll in. There is some nice walks around town too; Hickory Hill, Kent Park and Squire Point are some of my favorite local haunts. Love to experience the changing seasons.

Can you share a recent book/movie/performance that you found compelling and why?

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González – a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop. It’s a surprising read about a wedding planner and her frank portrayal of family, politics, her Puerto Rican roots, and life’s strife’s. I enjoyed the immersive culture, the story of her radical mother, and was also a little jealous of the crazy tías and tíos.

What attracted you to the University of Iowa?

I’d be lying if I said that its 199 days of sunshine/year vs Belfast’s measly 52 wasn’t a deciding factor. Jokes aside, I get asked this question a lot. And the answer is simple - I came to Iowa for its opportunities. Opportunities that have allowed me to grow as a young academic in a supportive environment. Iowa is one of the original SEER cancer registries, and one of only three in the country that have collections of residual diagnostic tumor tissue. Having a bank of clinically annotated population-based tumor samples, from a variety of cancer sites, was a major attraction for me.

What surprised you the most about the university?

That ‘Iowa nice’ is very endearing. Both inside the College of Public Health and across campus, it’s a pleasure to work with such a fantastic Epi family. Folks here are very collegial and are among some of the brightest most dedicated souls imaginable. It has made my transition to work and life here very easy. There’s plenty of character and jocularity to boot!

What shaped your interest in your discipline?

I knew I wanted to perform a job that would have utility for others. I started out as a care assistant, and then as a physiotherapy graduate. A dissertation in therapeutic modalities for lymphedema following cancer therapy led me to a chance encounter with an honorable cancer epidemiologist. This broadened my prospects to studying the role of physical activity and diet in the aetiology of a relatively rare malignancy. I spent the next three years of my life immersed in an all-Ireland case-control study of pancreatic cancer, meeting one-to-one with patients and controls, conducting interviews, collecting blood, urine and toenail specimens for bio-banking and analysis. I did not realize it at the time, but these early experiences were formative to my future directions.

Tell us about a project or achievement of which you are particularly proud.

I’m particularly proud of my work with rare tumors. What started with a PhD project in pancreatic cancer led to incorporation into a successful European consortium (PanGEN-EU). Coming to Iowa I got to work with our Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in carcinoid and neuroendocrine tumors (NET) where I am a co-investigator and co-leader of the biospecimens core. In 2021, I received funding from the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to conduct a nationwide prospective cohort study investigating the effectiveness and optimizing sequencing of therapy for NET patients (NET-PRO). A reflection of a hugely collaborative endeavor, we have just over 95% of our planned 2,500 subjects enrolled.

How do you see your work impacting your field?

Funding for rare cancers is a difficult sell. While their incidence may be low (affecting a relatively small proportion of the population), they quite often have very poor survival or many unmet needs. Unfortunately, these factors also make them difficult to study. I feel like our work here, and any work to move the needle on outcomes and treatment, will have an impact on future research and resources for these lesser-studied cancers.

What piece of advice would you give to today's students?

Courage, grit and kindness! Graduate school is a roller coaster with moments of triumph and challenges – be kind to yourself and others along the way (you're all in the same boat). Embrace the learning curve (nothing is wasted), fear failure at your own peril, your setbacks are what help you succeed! We are all perpetual learners - keep curious. You’ve got this!

Where do you see your career taking you?

I’d like to keep going with my rare cancer endeavors. Sustainability funding for a NET-PRO 2 would be great! I’d like to see us expand and continue the neuroendocrine cohort investigation, including the collection of tumor tissue and examination of molecular biomarkers. 1 in 2 men, 1 in 3 women will develop cancer in their lifetime. I’ve lost several family members, and academic mentors to the very conditions we have investigated. Cancer is sadly too personal for many. We’ve made big strides in cancer prevention, detection, therapy and prognosis, but there’s still much more to be done - I enjoy contributing to the puzzle.

In closing, what words of wisdom would you like to share, what quotation or person inspires you, what does the next chapter look like?

The road not taken – one of my favorite poems by Robert Frost. The last two lines of which are ‘I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.’ Not to misunderstand the poem (as both roads are described as equally traveled), but if I had never come to Iowa there might already be one less rare disease cohort – real or not, this thought gives me hope!