Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota

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Masonic Cancer Center of the University of Minnesota

Cancer Center Update is sent to Cancer Center members and staff every Tuesday at 10 a.m. Please submit items to Sandi Sherman, sherm019@umn.edu, by noon the previous Friday.

In This Issue

Today's Cancer Center Seminar

News

Education and Events

Cancer Center Program Meetings

Grant Information and Announcements

Today's Cancer Center Seminar

Tuesday, March 13, 2007, 12-1 p.m., 450 CCRB
Dysregulation of BLyS in B-cell malignancies: Tipping the scales towards survival
Anne Novak, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic

Host: Yoji Shimizu, Ph.D.

A peek at next week's seminar:
Tuesday, March 20, 2007, 12-1 p.m., 450 CCRB
Investigation of the cytokine-cancer connection
Michael A. Caligiuri, M.D., J.L. Marakas Nationwide Insurance Professor and Director, The Comprehensive Cancer Center & The Division of Hematology/Oncology, Ohio State University

Host: Bruce Blazar, M.D.

For a complete schedule visit the Masonic Cancer Center Web site Seminar Series listing.

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News

Kudos

Congratulations to Emily Faivre, Ph.D., who is the recipient of the 2007 Medical School Roza Steer Breast Cancer Research Award from the Minnesota Medical Foundation. The $1,000 award is presented for outstanding basic or clinical research by a graduate student or medical student in the field of breast cancer. She is first author of a paper in the journal Molecular and Cellular Biology, which describes a novel mechanism by which progesterone drives the growth of breast cancer cells. Faivre, a recent graduate of the MICaB Graduate Program, conducted her thesis research in the laboratory of breast cancer researcher Carol Lange, Ph.D. She will conduct a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr. Holly Ingraham at the University of California, San Francisco in September.

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New Member

Deepali Sachdev, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology and Transplantation
Program areas of interest: Breast Cancer, Cancer Progression and Metastasis
Area of scientific interest: Targeted therapy with an emphasis on the type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF1R) in breast cancer; development of biomarkers for IGF1R targeted therapy using in vivo imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy; regulation of breast cancer metastasis by IGF1R.

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Registration opens for Cancer Center Spring Poster Session and Symposium April 2

Online registration for the Eighth Annual Spring Poster Session and Symposium will open Monday, April 2, 2007 with a final deadline of April 27, 2007. This event is sponsored by the Masonic Cancer Center Core Facilities and will be held Wednesday, May 17, 2007, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Students, staff, postdocs and PIs are invited to participate by presenting a poster. The research presented in the poster must include the use of a Cancer Center Cores Facility. For more information, visit the Masonic Cancer Center Web site, or contact Sabine Fritz at 4-7151, fritz017@umn.edu.

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Education and Events

Open house to celebrate new Cancer Center space and welcome faculty

Wednesday, March 14, 2-3:30 p.m., Moos Tower, 2nd floor (enter through doors directly across from room 2-520)
Celebrate our new Cancer Center space and welcome the faculty housed in Moos Tower. Coffee and cake will be served.

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Special seminar

Thursday, March 15, 2007, 2-3 p.m., 450 CCRB
ErbB-4 signaling in cell growth, differentiation, and disease
Bryan E. Linggi, Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University

Dr. Linggi is a faculty candidate in molecular oncology, Department of Pediatrics. For further information, contact Arlys Clements at 612-626-2961.

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Scientific Writing Development Series

This is a four-part program being offered by Office of Clinical Research for AHC faculty and staff. The Friday sessions from noon to 1 p.m. will be:
April 13: Tackling the Writing Process
April 20: Anatomy of a Manuscript
April 27: Writing Effective Introductions and Abstracts
May 4: Responding to Reviewer Comments

Locations include 1-450G Moos Tower (Twin Cities) and via polycomm in Duluth at 146 Med and 389 Pharmacy. Registration is required. Visit the AHC Web site to register.

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Cancer Summit 2007

Tuesday, May 8, 2007, Earle Brown Heritage Center, Brooklyn Center
Health care professionals, advocates, and cancer survivors will discuss how cultivating leadership can strengthen comprehensive cancer control in Minnesota at the fourth annual Cancer Summit, hosted by the Minnesota Cancer Alliance. The keynote speaker will be Tom Kean, M.P.H., executive director of C-Change. The Summit will feature breakout sessions ranging from primary prevention to palliative care, and discussions with cancer experts, including the directors of the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic cancer centers. The Summit is open to anyone interested in learning about Minnesota cancer control efforts. Continuing education credits will be offered. The Masonic Cancer Center will pay the Cancer Summit registration fee for members and staff. Visit the Masonic Cancer Center Web site for more details.

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Cancer Center Program Meetings

Cancer Progression and Metastasis Program

Wednesday, March 14, 2007, 12-1 p.m., 450 CCRB
The role of osteoclasts in regulating osteoblast differentiation
Kim Mansky, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Developmental and Surgical Sciences, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry

For a complete schedule visit the Web site.

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Cancer Epidemiology Interest Group

Thursday, March 15, 2007, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Mayo A-110
Glycemic load, insulin resistance, and colorectal cancer
Andrew Flood, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health

For a complete schedule visit the Web site.

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BMT Conference

Monday, March 19, 2007, 1:15-2:15 p.m., 450 CCRB
Leukodystrophies: clinical, biochemical and genomic studies
Paul Orchard, M.D., Associate Professor , Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation , University of Minnesota

For a complete schedule visit the Web site.

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Grant Information and Announcements

Avon-NCI "Progress for Patients" (PFP) Awards for Early Phase Clinical Interventions and Biomarkers in Breast Cancer

Deadline: April 27, 2007
The National Cancer Institute announces the 2007 "Avon-NCI Progress for Patients" (PFP) Awards Program: A Special Public-Private Initiative in Early Phase Clinical Interventions and Biomarkers in Breast Cancer supported by a partnership between the Avon Foundation and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). All NCI-designated Cancer Centers are eligible to apply for a competitive supplement proposing projects corresponding to at least one category from the following types of studies:

  1. Phase I, II, and/or I/II treatment trials with any novel or previously approved agents;
  2. Risk assessment or prevention studies involving humans;
  3. Validation testing of a biomarker(s) in human subjects (this type of study can involve the use of specimens from either a retrospective or prospective trial); and/or
  4. Imaging studies in early detection, treatment monitoring, and response to therapy.

Projects that are still within the discovery phase or the pre-clinical development stage (e.g., involving toxicity screens on animals), or that focus on technology development, are not eligible for this funding mechanism. Additionally, funds from this program are not intended to create pilot or feasibility data for R01 or other applications.

Proposals must be submitted by the Principal Investigator of NCI Cancer Center Support Grants. PI's who are interested in submitting a proposal should contact Doug Yee at yeexx006@umn.edu by the end of March. To read the entire program announcement visit the NIH Web site.

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American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant

Deadline: April 16, 2007
Amount: Up to $30,000
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. Applications may be obtained by contacting LeAnn Micek, 612-626-1926, micek003@umn.edu.

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