Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota

October 4, 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



TODAY'S CANCER CENTER SEMINAR

Identification of a novel small-molecule inhibitor for the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1) pathway

 

Chalet Tan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota-Duluth


A peek at next week’s seminar:

 

Causes of childhood cancer: Where to next?

Julie Ross, Ph.D., Professor and Director, Division of Pediatric Epidemiology & Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics, Associate Director, Population Sciences, Masonic Cancer Center

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

SPECIAL SEMINAR– CANCER CENTER DIRECTOR CANDIDATE

Wednesday, October 5, 2005, 12:00-1:00 p.m., 450 CCRB

Philip McGlave, M.D.

Associate Director, Experimental Therapeutics, Cancer Center and Co-Program Leader, Translational Research, Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota

Director, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, Department of Medicine

Professor, Department of Medicine

"Advancing Research and Care Through a Comprehensive Cancer Center"

 

NEWS

EDITOR NAMED FOR CANCER CENTER’S WEB SITE

Good news for the Masonic Cancer Center and members concerned about the outdated condition of the center’s web site. Gina Kennedy recently joined the Masonic Cancer Center’s communications team as senior web editor.

Gina has more than 10 years of professional writing and editing experience for general and specialized audiences with eight of those years involving web editing. Since 2001, she has been senior web editor and electronic communications director for the University of Minnesota Alumni Association where she wrote and edited web articles and supervised the Web site’s upgrade and redesign. Before that, she was employed as a web editor for the Star Tribune and she was news editor for ican, Inc., which was a web service for infectious disease doctors and infection control professionals.

Gina’s education includes a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, with an emphasis on science reporting. She accepted the senior web editor position because it is an opportunity for her to combine her medical journalism and web site management skills for an organization with a meaningful mission.

Please welcome Gina to the Masonic Cancer Center. And look for more information in next week’s Update about plans for reorganizing the Masonic Cancer Center’s Internet site.

OB-GYN PATIENT CONFERENCE SEMINAR
Wednesday, October 5, 2005, 7:45 a.m., 450 CCRB

A case-based discussion regarding treatment strategies for ovarian cancer
Bradley Monk, M.D., Associate Professor, University of California, Irvine, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology

Sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline

HERBERGER’S STILLWATER GRAND OPENING BENEFITS U OF M CANCER CENTER

You are invited to the Herberger’s Grand Opening at the Stillwater store, 2001 Washington Avenue on Wednesday evening, October 5, 5-10PM. Herberger’s is celebrating the grand opening of the new store in Stillwater. You’ll be able to see the store before the general public and use the Private Night discount while shopping. A portion of the evening’s sales will be donated to the Masonic Cancer Center to support breast cancer research. And, each time you use your Herberger’s Rose credit card, you’ll be making an additional gift to the Masonic Cancer Center.

Since 2001, Herberger’s stores have been raising money for breast cancer research through “Charge Against Breast Cancer”. With each purchase made using a Herberger’s card, the Masonic Cancer Center receives a donation. Herberger’s has also recruited several merchandise partners to sponsor special in-store promotions throughout the past year, helping “Charge Against Breast Cancer” raise nearly $300,000 for breast cancer research at the Masonic Cancer Center.

For further information contact Rosemary Gruber, 626-5456, or Sue Julson, 624-1913.

“TARGETING CARCINOGENESIS” COURSE TO BE HELD IN ROCHESTER, MN OCTOBER 6-7, 2005

The Mayo School of Continuing Medical Education and Hormel Institute/University of Minnesota will be jointly sponsoring an upcoming CME course, entitled "Targeting Carcinogenesis", which will be held in Rochester, MN on October 6-7, 2005. The course faculty includes 25 nationally- and internationally-renowned experts in cancer-related research. Course registrations and abstract submissions can be made on-line through the Mayo CME website. (http://www.hi.umn.edu/symposium.html).

ANNETTE BOMAN TRANSLATIONAL CANCER RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM TO BE HELD SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8

The second annual Annette Boman Translational Cancer Research Symposium will take place this Saturday, October 8, 2005 at Bennett’s on the Lake, 600 East Superior Street, Duluth, Minnesota. This symposium is sponsored by Duluth Clinic Cancer Center University of Minnesota – Duluth School of Medicine and the Masonic Cancer Center. The symposium will be introduced by Dr. John Kersey and Cancer Center members Doug Yee, Carol Lange, Terri Rose-Hellekant, and Michael Garwood are among those scheduled to present. A schedule and registration form can be found at http://www.cancer.umn.edu/page/docs/boman-sched-2005.pdf.

VOLVO FOR LIFE DAYS TO AID PEDIATRIC CANCER RESEARCH

Volvo for Life Days is a fundraising event for pediatric cancer research. This national event partners Volvo dealerships with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, which honors Alexandra Scott, a young cancer patient from Philadelphia who gained national attention for her efforts to raise money for pediatric cancer by holding annual lemonade stands. Alex died in 2004 at age eight, but her family continues her mission. During Oct. 8-16, the three Volvo dealerships in the greater metro area will make a donation for each person taking a new Volvo for a test drive. Then at the Oct. 15 Minnesota Gophers and Wisconsin Badgers football game, local Volvo dealers will staff a lemonade stand outside the Metro Dome for game goers to enjoy a lemonade and make a donation to pediatric cancer research. The Masonic Cancer Center will receive half of the proceeds raised locally. The other half will go to Alex’s Foundation and be awarded as grants to pediatric cancer researchers.

CANCER CENTER MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

• Michael Garwood, Ph.D., and Michael Nelson, M.D., were featured in a WCCO-TV news report about research they are doing on the use of MRI/MRS for better detection and treatment of breast cancer. To see the story, click http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_273095703.html
• Levi Downs, M.D., and Doug Yee, M.D., were quoted in an article on breast cancer in the October issue of Minnesota Monthly magazine.
• Cindy Blair, Ph.D., was quoted in an article by Reuters Health and listed on abcnews.com regarding her research finding that obese women face greater multiple myeloma risk, published in the journal Epidemiology.
• Doug Yee, M.D., participated in a panel discussion about the disparities women in ethnic communities may face in getting screened and treated for breast cancer. The program was produced by TPT and aired Sunday evening.

FOUR CANCER CENTER MEMBERS FEATURED IN TV AND PRINT CAMPAIGN

In the last couple of weeks, you may have seenJohn Kersey, M.D., Walter Hall, M.D., and Levi Downs, M.D., on TV, or opened a magazine to a picture of Todd Tuttle, M.D.

The ads featuring these Cancer Center members are part of a campaign launched Sept. 19 by University of Minnesota Medical Center and University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital and currently running throughout the Twin Cities and much of Minnesota on television, radio, newspapers and magazines until Thanksgiving. The entire campaign includes three TV commercials and three print ads about cancer, heart and pediatric services. The goal of the campaign is to showcase the importance of academic medicine and reinforce in the minds of Minnesotans why they should consider the University for their health care needs early on. To communicate this message, the ads feature physicians affiliated with UMPhysicians whose work reflects the strength of academic medicine.

To see the ads and learn more about the campaign, visit www.thisismore.org.

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE CANCER CENTER HISTOPATHOLOGY CORE

Cathy S. Carlson, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVP, Director, Histopathology Laboratory Core Facility sent Update the following announcement:

As many Cancer Center members already are aware, Dr. Nicole Kirchhof, the staff pathologist for the Masonic Cancer Center Histopathology Core, left the University of Minnesota at the end of July to pursue an opportunity in industry. Dr. Kirchhof was a tremendous asset to the core and we certainly were sorry to see her leave. We are pleased to announce, however, that we have identified another outstanding individual, Dr. Ilze Matise, who will be taking over Dr. Kirchhof’s responsibilities. Dr. Matise is a board-certified Veterinary Pathologist who did her pathology training and completed a PhD degree in Veterinary Pathology at Iowa State University. Dr. Matise worked as a diagnostic pathologist in the Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for the past four years. Her first day of working for the core was September 19, 2005. We also have another new staff member, Aric Frantz, who began his position as an Assistant Scientist with the core on July 1, 2005. Aric previously had worked in a research laboratory at the University of Chicago and has a wealth of laboratory experience.

In order to help us better serve your research needs, please be sure to communicate your requests clearly in writing on the request form that is available on our website (http://www.cancer.umn.edu/page/cores/histo.html). For questions regarding gross and histopathology tissue interpretation, please contact Dr. Ilze Matise: matis001@umn.edu; 625-4256. For questions regarding gross or histological/immunohistological preparations or imaging, please contact Aric Frantz: frant063@umn.edu; 625-7758. If you had previously been working with Dr. Kirchhof and will be continuing your project with Dr. Matise, please give Dr. Matise the information needed to ensure a smooth transition. She is happy to meet with investigators to provide input on project design and to ensure that the information provided by the core meets your needs. We thank you for your patience during this transition!

SURVIVORS’ PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE AFTER CANCER WILL BE CANCER U PROGRAM, OCT. 22

Please let your patients, family members and others who may benefit, know about the Oct. 22 Cancer U: Ask The Experts program. Here are the details…

Ruth Bachman, member of the Masonic Cancer Center’s Advisory Board and survivor of soft tissue sarcoma, will lead a panel of survivors in discussing the challenges they have encountered and the choices they have made in their life after cancer. The program is an opportunity for attendees to hear the survivors’ stories and share their own experiences. It will be held 9-11 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 22, in the Ski-U-Mah Room, McNamara Alumni Center.

The panel of survivors will include: Christopher Bohen, M.A., English literature, storyteller and survivor of childhood lymphoma and adult bladder cancer; Laura Devereaux, vice president, Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance (MOCA) and ovarian cancer survivor; Joanne Disch, Ph.D., director, The Densford Center, University of Minnesota School of Nursing and breast cancer survivor; and Paul Leland, member of Advocates for Colorectal Education (ACE) and rectal cancer survivor.

There is no charge for the program, but pre-registration is requested because seating is limited. For more information about the program, parking, and to register, call 1-888- CANCERMN (1-888-226-2376), or send email to ccinfo@umn.edu, or visit the Masonic Cancer Center’s web site at www.cancer.umn.edu/

Cancer U: Ask The Experts is an education and outreach program offered in the spring and fall to give Minnesotans an opportunity to get the facts about cancer from Cancer Center researchers. About 100 people attended the Sept. 17 program that focused on life after cancer from a research and medical perspective.

NEW MEMBERS

Jasjit S. Ahluwalia, M.D., M.P.H, M.S.
Professor, Department of Medicine, Executive Director, Office of Clinical Research, AHC
Program: Prevention and Etiology
Area of scientific interest: Cancer prevention, control and population sciences with a specific focus on underrepresented minorities and other underserved populations. Research activities include work in nicotine addiction and smoking cessation, nutrition, obesity and physical inactivity.

James K. Anderson, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Urology
Programs: Translational Research, Cancer Progression and Metastasis
Area of scientific interest: Thermal therapy treatments for renal cell carcinoma
Clinical Focus: Urologic/Prostate Cancer, Renal cell carcinoma

Dana L. Brandenburg, PsyD.
Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
Programs: Prevention and Etiology, Breast Cancer
Area of scientific interest: Smoking cessation, breast and gynecological screening behaviors
Clinical Focus: Tobacco cessation

Erik N. Cressman, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology-Interventional Radiology Section
Program: Cancer Progression and Metastasis
Area of scientific interest: Development of new animal models with focus on improved survival and decreased morbidity relative to current therapies such as RFA, chemoembo, etc; Development of new molecular imaging technology such as MR probes, specifically ESR probes for oncology
Clinical Focus: Liver cancer

Joseph E. Gaugler, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, School of Nursing
Programs: Prevention and Etiology, Translational Research
Area of scientific interest: Cancer caregiving; psychosocial support for families of cancer patients


Faris Farassati, Ph.D., Pharm.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation.
Programs: Translational Research, Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer, Breast Cancer Research.
Area of scientific interest: Cancer gene therapy, Pro-oncogenic cell signaling (with focus on Ras signaling), Development of “Signal-Smart” oncolytic viruses, Gene slicing using small-interfering RNA (siRNA) technology for treatment of cancer.
Clinical Focus: Malignancies with aberrant Ras signaling, Neuro-oncology, Thoracic Oncology.

Venkatram R. Mereddy, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry- U of M-Duluth
Programs: Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention, Translational Research
Area of scientific interest: Boron Neutron Capture therapy for cancer treatment; rational design, synthesis and biological evaluation of small molecules as antibacterial and antineoplastic agents; total synthesis of new generation anti-cancer natural products; development of methodologies for targeted drug delivery of cancer therapeutics

Mimi C. Yu, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation
Programs: Prevention and Etiology, Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention, Breast Cancer Research
Area of scientific interest: The role of diet in cancer risk reduction

CANCER CENTER RECOGNITION EVENT SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 3

The Basic Sciences recognition event will be held Thursday, November 3, 2005 at 3:00pm in 450 CCRB. Tucker LeBien, Ph.D., associate and deputy director, will highlight activities and research in the area of Basic Sciences and honor outstanding contributors to the Masonic Cancer Center mission.

Nominations for the outstanding contributor award in Basic Sciences will be accepted through October 25. Persons working in Cancer Progression & Metastasis, Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer, Immunology and Research Core Facilities as well as other staff and faculty contributing to the Masonic Cancer Center in these areas are eligible for this award. Outstanding contributor awards are given to recognize employees for their performance. Examples might be:

  • Continued/sustained excellent job performance.
  • Contributions to the Masonic Cancer Center resulting, for example, in increased efficiency, increased quality of service, cost savings, or successful crisis management.
  • Significant contribution to a Cancer Center program, project or operation; and/or
  • Special service to a Cancer Center program, project or operational unit.

Nominees do not need to be Cancer Center employees. Nominations may be submitted on-line at http://www.cancer.umn.edu/page/aboutus/recogform.html. Hard copies of the nomination form also are available from Melissa Daufelt at cchr@umn.edu. Return the completed form to Cancer Center Human Resources at MMC 806.

CHILDREN’S CANCER RESEARCH FUND (CCRF) DAWN OF A DREAM BENEFIT

The Children’s Cancer Research Fund is happy to report that the annual Children’s Cancer Research Fund’s Dawn of a Dream benefit scheduled for Saturday, November 5, 2005 at the Depot in Minneapolis is sold out.

GRANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH GRANT

American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant applications are being accepted until October 17, 2005. This grant is for assistant professors who have no independent national funding and are engaged in cancer-related research. Cancer-related research includes genetic mechanisms of cancer, molecular mechanisms of cancer progression and metastasis, development of novel cancer therapeutic models and translational research, cancer immunology and immunotherapy.

Funding is available up to $20,000. Applications may be obtained by calling 612-626-1926 or sending email to micek003@umn.edu.

MENTORED PATIENT-ORIENTED RESEARCH CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD

PA-05-143

This is a reissue of PA-00-004, which was previously released October 8, 1999.

Application submission dates are June 1, October 1, and February 1

The goal of the Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) program is to ensure a future cadre of well-trained scientists working in POR areas who will become competitive for NIH research project (R01) grant support. The specific objectives of the Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award are to encourage research-oriented clinicians to develop independent research skills and gain experience in advanced methods and experimental approaches needed to become an independent investigator conducting patient-oriented research; increase the pool of clinical researchers who can conduct patient-oriented studies, capitalizing on the discoveries of biomedical research and translating them to clinical settings; and to support the career development of investigators who have made a commitment to focus their research endeavors on patient-oriented research.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-05-143.html

The following two notices will not appear in the Masonic Cancer Center web site:

NOTICE OF INTENT TO PUBLISH A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA) FOR THE CLINICAL PROTEOMIC TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT CONSORTIA FOR THE CLINICAL PROTEOMIC TECHNOLOGIES INITIATIVE

NOT-CA-05-029

Release Date: September 27, 2005


The purpose of this Notice is to announce the NCI's intention to issue a funding opportunity (i.e., a Request for Applications or RFA) in the late Fall of 2005 as part of the NCI Clinical Proteomic Technologies Initiative (CPTI). The CPTI is an integrated approach to develop and enhance proteomic technology capabilities to support the reliable discovery and measurement of cancer-associated proteins from readily accessible biological fluids. The CPTI will support the development of standards, resources, and clinical proteomic platforms for cancer research by harnessing efforts to establish standard references, quality control measures, and informatics platforms capable of aggregating and comparing data. The funding opportunity described here will be open to domestic (U.S.) academic, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Foreign institutions may be invited by eligible applicants to participate as subcontractors.

This funding opportunity will support the creation of multiple 5-year awards to establish the Clinical Proteomic Technology Assessment Consortia (CPTACs) through use of the NIH U24 cooperative agreement funding mechanism. The goal of the consortia will be to optimize and standardize proteomic technology platforms, with an emphasis on mass spectrometry (MS)-based and affinity capture-based approaches.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-CA-05-029.html

NOTICE OF INTENT TO PUBLISH A REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA) FOR ADVANCED PROTEOMIC PLATFORMS, ANALYTICAL METHODS, AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES FOR THE CLINICAL PROTEOMIC TECHNOLOGIES INITIATIVE
NOT-CA-05-030
Release Date: September 27, 2005


The purpose of this Notice is to announce the NCI's intention to issue a funding opportunity (i.e., a Request for Applications or RFA) in the late Fall of 2005 as part of the NCI Clinical Proteomic Technologies Initiative (CPTI). The CPTI is an integrated approach to develop and enhance proteomic technology capabilities to support the reliable discovery and measurement of cancer-associated proteins from readily accessible biological fluids.

The funding opportunity will support investigator-initiated projects in Advanced Proteomic Platforms, Analytical Methods, and Computational Sciences to overcome current barriers in protein/peptide feature detection, identification, and quantification and develop mathematical, computational, and predictive approaches for the analysis and facile exchange of large-scale proteomic data.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-CA-05-030.html

To view all grants available through the Masonic Cancer Center, visit http://www.cancer.umn.edu/page/aboutus/grantopp.html

EDUCATION AND SEMINARS

CORE CURRICULUM SEMINAR

Friday, October 7, 2005, 10:00 a.m., 450 CCRB

 

Leukemia Epidemiology

Julie Ross, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Pediatric Epidemiology and Clinical Research

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

 

TRANSDISCIPLINARY TOBACCO USE RESEARCH CENTER (TTURC) SEMINAR

Friday, October 7, 12 Noon, 450 CCRB

 

Implicit Cognition and Tobacco Addiction

Andrew Waters, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Behavioral Science, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

 

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

 

TTURC COURSE

Friday, October 7, 2005, 1:15-2:00 p.m., 450 CCRB

"Brain imaging to study drug addiction"

Kelvin Lim , MD, Department of Psychiatry

 

For more information visit http://www.cancer.umn.edu/page/aboutus/TTURCLectures.htm

CANCER BIOLOGY RESEARCH CLUB

Friday, October 7, 2005, 3:30-4:30 p.m., 450 CCRB

 

Genetic and signal transduction analysis of branching morphogenesis in the prostate

Sherry Kuslak , Marker Lab


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

BMT CONFERENCE

Monday, October 10, 2005, 1:15-2:15 p.m., 450 CCRB

 

Novel approaches to therapy in AML

Martin P. Carroll, M.D., Assistant Professor, Associate Director, Stem Cell Core Facility, University of Pennsylvania

 

Hosted by: Wei Chen MD, PhD

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


REMINDERS


ATTENTION BENEFITS ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES: UPLAN MEDICAL OPTIONS ARE CHANGING FOR 2006.

Employee Benefits is sponsoring informational sessions on your new UPlan medical options for 2006. Medica and HealthPartners will be the medical plan administrators for 2006 and will provide a comparable range of plan types from which to choose. Plan options from Medica will be the new low-cost plans throughout the state. RxAmerica will provide the prescription drug coverage for all the plan options. Because the plan options and low-cost plans are new for 2006, you must make an online election during Open Enrollment in order to have medical coverage for the 2006 plan year. The schedule for informational sessions can be viewed at http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/eb/uplan/openenroll/forums.html. Plan representatives from Medica, HealthPartners, and RxAmerica will be on hand to answer your questions. Delta Dental and HealthPartners Dental will also be represented at the sessions.