Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota

January 11, 2005

Cancer Center Update is sent to Cancer Center members and staff every Tuesday at 10 a.m. To submit an item for publication, send the information to Sandi Sherman by noon the Friday before publication.

In This Issue:

Today's Cancer Center Seminar

News

Events

Professional Education and Seminars

Grant Information & Announcements

Reminders



NEWS

TODAY’S CANCER CENTER SEMINAR

Immunotherapy of malignant melanoma
Douglas Schwartzentruber, M.D., Medical Director, Surgical Oncologist, Center for Cancer Care at Goshen Health System, Goshen, Indiana

Host: Arkadiusz Dudek
Cosponsored by Chiron Biopharmaceuticals

A peek at next week’s seminar:

 Active cytosine deamination in carcinogenesis?

Reuben Harris, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota


For a complete schedule visit: http://www.cancer.umn.edu/page/aboutus/date.html

SEEKING RECOGNITION AWARD NOMINATIONS

We are currently accepting nominations for the Masonic Cancer Center 's recognition award honoring outstanding contributors in Clinical Research and Experimental Therapeutics. Clinical Research/Experimental Therapeutics staff, as well as other staff and faculty contributing to the Masonic Cancer Center in these areas, are eligible for this award. Nominees do not need to be Cancer Center employees. Nominations for this award will be accepted through January 23, 2005.

To submit a nomination on-line, go to http://www.cancer.umn.edu/page/aboutus/recogform.html.
Electronic or hard copies of the form may also be requested from cchr@ahc.umn.edu.

Please join us Monday, January 31, 2005 at 3:00pm in room 450 CCRB for the Recognition Event in this area. The Associate Directors for Experimental Therapeutics and Clinical Research will highlight activities and accomplishments in these areas as well as present the recognition award.

NEW MEMBERS

Ashley L. Schempp, B.S.
Clinical Research Associate, Division of Gynecologic Oncology

Program: Translational Research, Prevention and Etiology
Area of clinical interest: Gynecologic cancer

Tracy L. Bergemann, Ph.D.
Research Associate, Biostatistics Core

Program: Biostatistics Core
Area of scientific interest: Haplotype estimation, Genetic association studies, Data variability issues in microarray experiments

Matthew P. Boente, M.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health

Area of scientific interest: Ovarian and endometrial cancer, clinical trials, targeted therapy
Area of clinical interest: Gynecologic cancer

Joseph S. Koopmeiners, M.S.
Research Fellow, Biostastics Core

SESAME STREET LIVE BENEFIT FOR CLUB BUTTERFLY OF THE CHILDREN’S CANCER RESEARCH FUND

Imagine singing and dancing with all your favorite Sesame Street Live Friends. You can at a special Sesame Street Live performance to benefit Club Butterfly of the Children’s Cancer Research Fund on Saturday, January 22, 2005 at 5:30 p.m. at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Ticket packages start at $25 and are limited. Call the Children’s Cancer Research Fund office at 952-893-9355 to purchase today.

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GRANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Please call Kamala Upadhyaya at 626-5326 for assistance with your application.

POSTDOCTORAL PROGRAM IN THE EARLY DETECTION OF CANCER
LETTER OF INTENT RECEIPT DATE: FEBRUARY 15, 2005
APPLICATION RECEIPT DATE: MARCH 1, 2005

We are at the beginning of a major breakthrough in cancer control. The explosion in knowledge of gene sequence and function, fueled in large part by the Human Genome Project is already transforming how patients and physicians evaluate risk, prevention, detection, and the treatment of cancer. Emerging technologies are enabling rapid, cost-effective, and coordinate evaluation of an individual’s DNA sequence and complex patterns of RNA and protein expression. This in turn, presents us with the challenges of translating such knowledge into clinical management.

Canary Fund in partnership with the American Cancer Society has created a postdoctoral fellowship program focused on studies in the tools and technologies for developing strategies for the early detection of cancer. Research should be directed at new approaches to improve clinical methods for the screening of cancer including, but not limited to, research focused in the following areas:
• Minimally invasive strategies for early detection
• Biomarker identification or discovery, particularly protein biomarkers
• Imaging, including novel molecular imaging strategies

Awards will be 3 years in duration with progressive stipends of $40,000, $42,000, and $44,000 per year, plus $4,000 per year for institutional allowance. Based upon the availability of funds and the scientific merit of the applications, it is anticipated that up to 5 awards will be made. To reserve funding for full 3 year fellowships, applications will only be accepted from scientists who at the time of application have had no more than 2 years of research experience beyond their terminal degree (MD or PhD). Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents working with an accomplished mentor at a non-profit institution. Postdoctoral fellowships are designed to support a program of research training and study to enable new investigators to develop the critical skills necessary for an independent career in cancer research.

The deadline for receipt of applications is March 1, 2005. A letter of intent is required and should be submitted by February 15th. It should provide the title of the project, a brief summary of the specific aims, and an outline (2-3 sentences) of the techniques to be used to achieve the aims. Awardees will be asked to attend the May 24-26, 2005 Early Detection Symposium in Palo Alto, California. For additional information regarding program policies or to obtain an application, please refer to the ACS website: www.cancer.org/research

For specific inquiries, please contact:

Christopher Widnell, PhD
American Cancer Society, Inc.
404-329-7552
christopher.widnell@cancer.org
or
William Phelps, PhD
American Cancer Society, Inc.
404-329-6835
william.phelps@cancer.org

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EDUCATION AND SEMINARS


CANCER BIOLOGY RESEARCH CLUB

Friday, January 14, 2005, 3:30 p.m., 450 CCRB

The role of sFRP1 in Prostatic Development and Cancer Progression

Meg Joesting, Marker Lab


For a complete schedule visit http://www.cancer.umn.edu/page/grant7.html


BMT CONFERENCE

Monday, January 17, 2005, 1:15 – 2:15 p.m., 450 CCRB

No conference due to Martin Luther King holiday.


For a complete schedule visit http://www.cancer.umn.edu/page/aboutus/bmtlect.html



 

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