June 13, 2006

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.

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In This Issue:

Today's Cancer Center Seminar

News

Events

Professional Education and Seminars

Grant Information & Announcements

Reminders

NEWS

Members in the news

 

Levi Downs, M.D., was quoted in reports by the Star Tribune, Minnesota Public Radio, and WCCO-TV about the recently approved vaccine for cervical cancer.

 

Jasjit Ahluwalia, M.D., who also is executive director of the University's Office of Clinical Research, was quoted by United Press International and Medical-News.net about research that found African American light smokers are more motivated to quit smoking by completing health education than by using nicotine gum.

 

Dan Mulrooney, M.D., wrote an article about survivors of childhood cancer for the June issue of Minnesota Health Care News.

 

Jeff Miller, M.D., was quoted in Nature Biotechnology about research on natural killer cells.

 

Peter Lee, M.D., wrote a Health Talk and You column on skin cancer that appeared in the Walker Pilot-Independent.

 

Stephen Hecht, Ph.D., was quoted in the Albuquerque Tribune about his study on cancer-causing chemicals found in urine of infants whose parents smoke.

 

New Members

 

Megan C. Daman, R.N.

Care Coordinator

Clinical focus : Neuro-oncology

Area of scientific interest : Chemotherapy delivery via blood-brain barrier disruption; management of chemotherapy side effects; cancer care coordination among various disciplines.

 

Marna E. Ericson, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology

Program : Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention

Area of scientific interest : Mechanisms of tumor development in interactions with the neuronal, immune, and vasculature microenvironment;  development of imaging technologies for use in model systems and clinical applications; role of environment — stress and skin cancer.
Area of clinical interest : Skin cancer/melanoma

 

Timothy E. Hanson, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health

Programs : Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention, Prevention and Etiology, Cancer Progression and Metastasis, Transplant Biology and Therapy, Breast Cancer Research

Area of scientific interest: Analysis and design of experiments; survival analysis; hierarchical modeling, longitudinal data

 

Marc E. Mooney, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry

Programs : Prevention and Etiology; Translational Research

Area of scientific interest: Smoking cessation pharmacotherapy development; analysis of behavioral factors in decision-making and compliance with medication treatment; and development of interventions to improve pharmacotherapy completion.

 

Rocco Ricciardi, M.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery

Programs: Translational Research, Prevention and Etiology

Area of scientific and clinical interest: Surgical outcomes, cancer prevention

 

Seeking Recognition Award Nominations

We are currently accepting nominations for the Cancer Center 's recognition award honoring outstanding contributors in Population Sciences.  Cancer Prevention & Etiology, Carcinogenesis & Chemoprevention and Biostatistics staff, as well as other staff and faculty contributing to the Cancer Center in these areas, are eligible for this award. Nominees do not need to be Cancer Center employees.

 

Submit a nomination on-line.

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EVENTS

Special seminar

Thursday, June 15, 2006, 1-2 p.m., 450 CCRB

The Role of Visfatin and Other Adipokines in Inflammation and Cancer

Simona Ognjanovic, Ph.D., Reseacher, Cancer Control and Prevention, University of Hawaii at Manoa

 

Dr. Ognjanovic is a candidate for an assistant/associate professor position in the Division of Pediatric Epidemiology & Clinical Research.

 

Host: Julie Ross , Ph.D.

Light refreshments will be served.

 

"Drive Cancer Out" Car Show Saturday, June 17

 

Are you a car buff? Join the Walter P. Chrysler Club on Saturday, June 17th, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. in Roseville 's Central Park for their “Drive Cancer Out” car show, a fundraiser for the University of Minnesota Cancer Center. Bring your Chrysler or Chrysler-built car and be a part of the show ($20 registration fee), or just stop by to check out the cars (free). Pack a picnic lunch and join car club members in voting for the best car at the show. Walter P. Chrysler Club members will offer rides in some of the cars. For more information contact Garry Yazell at 612-624-7169, yazel001@umn.edu. Flyers are also posted on each floor of the Cancer Center Research Building near the north elevators and in the atrium. Garry is an employee at the University's Research Animal Resources department and cares for the Cancer Center 's animals.

 

Fourth Annual International Conference on Transposon and Animal Biotechnology, June 22-23, 2006

 

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Transposon Research will host the Fourth Annual International Conference on Transposition and Animal Biotechnology June 22-23, 2006 at the McNamara Alumni Center on the University of Minnesota 's Minneapolis campus. The goal of the conference is to serve as a key forum for information exchange and development of transposon tools for genetic applications from functional genomics to molecular medicine. Topics to be discussed include basic transposon biology, transposon applications in an array of model organisms from fish to mammals large and small, somatic cell usage from gene trapping to gene therapy, and novel approaches implementing nanotechnological tools for delivering and detecting transposon-based gene transfer.

 

The deadline to register for the conference is Friday, June 16. More information including registration details can be found at the Beckman Center's Web site.

 

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EDUCATION AND SEMINARS

Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program Seminar

Thursday, June 15, 2006, 4:15 p.m., 450 CCRB

Rachel Loeber , Ph.D. candidate, Tretyakova lab

Cross-Linking of the Human DNA Repair Protein O6-Alkylguanine DNA Alkyltransferase to DNA in the Presence of 1,2,3,4-Diepoxybutane and Antitumor Nitrogen Mustards

 

Epidemiology Interest Group

Friday, June 16, 2006, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Mayo D327

Physical performance, disability and QOL in childhood brain tumor survivors.  Preliminary reports from a pilot study.

Kiri Ness, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Epidemiology/Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota

 

RSVP to Logan Spector, ( spector@epi.umn.edu ) by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 14 to reserve a lunch.

 

BMT Seminar

Monday, June 19, 2006, 1:15-2:15 p.m., 450 CCRB

Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation Using Anti-Thymocyte Globulin And Low Dose Total Body Irradiation: Reining In Adoptive Immunity

Amir Toor, M.D., Assistant Professor and Attending Physician, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center

 

Dr. Toor is a BMT faculty candidate

 

Host: Daniel Weisdorf, M.D.

 

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GRANT INFORMATION AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

Lymphoma Research Foundation announces 2007 research grant opportunities

 

The Lymphoma Research Foundation's research grant opportunities for 2007 are available in the following categories:

 

• LRF Fellowships
• LRF Clinical Career Development Awards
• LRF Follicular Lymphoma Research Initiative RFP
• LRF CLL/SLL Research Initiative
• LRF Mantle Cell Lymphoma Research Initiative RFP
• LRF Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium — Clinical Studies RFP

Letters of Intent to apply for funding are due by July 1, 2006. Completed Applications are due by September 8, 2006.

 

Get the RFP and the related guidelines and forms for these grant opportunities on-line.  Questions can be directed to Deborah Dwoskin, Research Grants Manager, ddwoskin@lymphoma.org.

NIH grant announcements

Cancer Research Network (U19)

 

Paul Calabresi Career Development Award For Clinical Oncology (K12)

Quick-Trials for Novel Cancer Therapies: Exploratory Grants (R21)

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POSITION WANTED

 

Maki Ueda-Shindo, M.D., Ph.D., is seeking a position at the University of Minnesota . Dr. Ueda-Shindo graduated from Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine with a Ph.D. (Doctor of Medical Science) degree in hematology and oncology. She is currently working at Otsu Red-Cross Hospital as a physician in the division of hematology, but is planning to join her husband, Dr Keisuke Shindo, who is working in the laboratory of Dr. Reuben Harris at the University of Minnesota . Dr. Ueda-Shindo's research has been in the area of the tumorigenic mechanism of adult T-cell leukemia cells through cytokine receptors, particularly interleukin-21 receptor. She isolated and characterized the monoclonal antibody to the interleukin-21 receptor. She is experienced with many techniques, including molecular cloning, cell culture, protein micro-assay, and flow cytometry. Contact Melissa Daufelt at cchr@umn.edu for Dr. Ueda-Shindo's complete cover letter and CV. She can be contacted at makiu@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp) or through her husband, Dr. Keisuke Shindo (612-624-0459, shind009@umn.edu).

 

REMINDERS

Children's Cancer Research Fund 4th Annual Time to Fly Walk/Run June 24

Help win the race against childhood cancer by participating in the Time to Fly Walk/Run on Harriet Island . The fourth annual event benefiting Children's Cancer Research Fund features something for everyone: competitive runners, recreational runners and walkers, and kids of all ages. Events include a 5K walk, 10K and 5K runs, and 1K and 2K Kids' Fun Runs. Both the 10K and 5K events are certified courses. Proceeds support childhood cancer research at the University of Minnesota .

 

Visit the Children's Cancer Research Fund web site to learn more about the event and how you can help support Children's Cancer Research Fund as part of the new Team Challenge.

Support Children's Cancer Research Fund by visiting the Water Park of America and save on admission

 

Anyone using a Water Park of America Coupon will save $2 on admission per guest to the park through September 1st. Each visitor using the coupon available online (pdf) will also help generate $0.50 for Children's Cancer Research Fund, benefiting childhood cancer research at the University of Minnesota , and WAMSO, benefiting the Minnesota Orchestra.

 

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