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Researchers and Staff
May 15, 2007
In This Issue
Message from the Masonic Cancer Center Director
Cancer Center Program Meetings
Funding News and Opportunities
Message from the Masonic Cancer Center Director
I know news is coming fast and furious from the state Legislature regarding various funding initiatives, but I want to update you on an issue that has a direct impact on our Cancer Center and to urge your support.
Specifically, the Biomedical Sciences Research Facilities Authority would allow the University to build additional biomedical research buildings without having to come back to the Legislature for each new building. The Authority would commit state funding for the building of five new research buildings over the next 10 years. One of those buildings would be for cancer research. Passage of this measure would reduce the enormous amount of time and energy required to secure funding for each building. At the same time, the Authority would demonstrate the state's commitment to research and allow us to plan for the future.
At present, this measure is stalled in the Legislature and we have about a five-day window of opportunity to attempt to move it forward. I urge you to read this message from the Academic Health Center and the editorial from the Star Tribune. Both provide some outstanding reasons for the support of this measure. Then I urge you to contact legislators you know. I know they would be interested in hearing from you on this matter.
Thank you for your support of our Cancer Center and University. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss this further.
Doug
Douglas Yee, M.D.
Director, University of Minnesota Cancer Center
Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology
Tickle Family Land Grant Chair in Breast Cancer Research
Today's Cancer Center Seminar
Tuesday, May 15, 2007, 12-1 p.m., 450 CCRB
Dendritic cells as vectors and targets for immunotherapy
Karolina Palucka, M.D., Ph.D., Investigator, Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, Dallas
Host: Wei Chen, M.D., Ph.D.
A peek at next week's seminar:
Tuesday, May 22, 2007, 12-1 p.m., 450 CCRB
An infectious retrovirus susceptible to an interferon antiviral pathway from human prostate tumors
Robert H. Silverman, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute Cleveland Clinic
Host: Robert Fleischmann, Ph.D.
For a complete schedule visit the Masonic Cancer Center Web site Seminar Series listing.
News
Members in the news
Cancer Center members Brian Van Ness, Ph.D., Robert Kratzke, M.D., and Douglas Yee, M.D., were quoted in the article "code YOU: Will genetic testing make personalized medicine a reality?" in the May issue of Minnesota Medicine.
Peter Lee, M.D., appeared on Sunrise, KARE-11's morning news program, speaking about Melanoma Monday, the annual free skin cancer screening.
Doug Yee, M.D., was quoted in an article about breast reconstruction in Mpls/St.Paul Magazine.
Ross presents at NCI meeting
Julie Ross, Ph.D., Associate Director of Population Sciences, was the invited plenary speaker at the NCI meeting on Synergizing Epidemiology Research on Rare Cancers. Ross spoke on the Childhood Cancer Research Network and how it may be a model for research of rare cancers.
New on the Web site: Grand Rounds presentation on soft tissue tumors
"Lumps and Bumps: Avoiding Pitfalls in Management," a Grand Rounds presentation by Cancer Center member Edward Cheng, M.D., is now available in the sarcoma information section of the Masonic Cancer Center Web site , or by going directly to a slide show with sound. The lecture describes key pieces of information physicians should look for in a patient's history and physical exam to know whether additional evaluation is necessary to make a prompt, accurate diagnosis. Production of the presentation for the Web was sponsored by the Karen Wyckoff Rein in Sarcoma Fund.
Histopathology Shared Resource welcomes Dr. Gerry O'Sullivan
The Histopathology Shared Resource is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. Gerry O'Sullivan, who begins his faculty appointment on May 14, 2007. Dr. O'Sullivan holds a veterinary degree from University College Dublin and a doctorate degree from North Carolina State University. He is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists and has considerable rodent pathology experience, having served as head of the pathology group at 3M pharmaceuticals for the past five years. Dr. O'Sullivan will be focusing his efforts on pathology evaluations of tissues submitted by users of the shared resource. He may be reached at 5-3254 (office phone) or by email at gos@umn.edu.
Office of Clinical Research provides online access to scientific writing course
The Office of Clinical Research recently sponsored a Scientific Writing Development Series, consisting of four one-hour sessions. Topics included: tackling the writing process; anatomy of a manuscript; writing effective introductions and abstracts; and responding to reviewer comments. Presentations and resources can be accessed at the Office of Clinical Research Web site.
Education and Events
Breast Cancer Interest Group Seminar
Tuesday, May 15, 2007, 10-11 a.m., 450 CCRB
Friend or Foe: Heat shock proteins in pancreatic diseases
Ashok K. Saluja, Ph.D., Professor and Vice Chair of Surgery
MICaB Career Development Program
Tuesday, May 15, 2007, 2-4 p.m., 2-137 Jackson Hall
Teaching and research positions at liberal arts colleges: the ultimate connection with students
Marc J. Tetel, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College
Refreshments will be available.
Eighth Annual Cancer Center Spring Poster Session and Symposium
Wednesday, May 16, 2007, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (oral presentations, 11 a.m.-noon), 450 CCRB
The Masonic Cancer Center Spring Poster Session and Symposium features presentations and display posters of research done by students, postdoctoral associates, and faculty that included the use of Cancer Center Core Facilities. Oral presentations will include:
- Relationship of human toenail nicotine, cotinine, and 4 (methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol to levels of these biomarkers in plasma and urine
Irina Stepanov, Ph.D., Hecht lab - GI tract cancer gene discovery using sleeping beauty mutagenesis
Timothy Starr, Ph.D., Largaespada lab - Combining targeted IGF1R therapy with cytotoxic drugs
Douglas Yee, M.D.
This year's event will include a "Symposium Quest" quiz.Completed quizzes will be eligible for prizes. Pick up your quiz at the Operations booth on 4th floor, CCRB. For information on the poster presentations and their locations visit the Web site.
Minnesota Chemoprevention Consortium (MC2) kick-off meeting
Wednesday, May 16, 2007, 1-3:30 p.m., Mayo Clinic, Gonda Building Room 8-104
MC2 is a new collaborative venture among investigators at the Masonic Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, Hormel Institute, Southern Research and Outreach Center, and Hormel Foods. The mission is to facilitate and implement interdisciplinary chemopreventive agent development and delivery for cancer prevention. The meeting is open to all investigators in the collaborating institutions.
Stephen Hecht, Ph.D., leader of the Masonic Cancer Center's Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program will introduce the MC2. Topics and speakers include:
"A clinical trial of PEITC in smokers," Jian-Min Yuan, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota
"Chemoprevention by selenium compounds," Johnny Lu, Ph.D, Professor, Hormel Institute
"Collaborative grant funding opportunities in chemoprevention," Paul Limberg, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Mayo Medical School
Please reply to Bob Carlson (carls307@umn.edu) if you plan to attend.
Pediatric Cancer and Blood Diseases Conference
Wednesday, May 16, 2007, 4 p.m., 450 CCRB
Pilot Study of Vascular Function During Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Angie Smith, M.D., Fellow, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/BMT
The 16th Annual Mark E. Nesbit Lectureship in Pediatric Oncology
Friday, May 18, 2007, 12 p.m., 450 CCRB
Genomics and risk-based therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia
William L. Carroll, M.D., Division Chief, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Director, Stephen D. Hassenfeld Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases, New York University Medical Center
This lecture is sponsored by the Children's Cancer Research Fund and the Mark E. Nesbit Lectureship Fund.
Proteomics Seminar
Friday, May 18, 2007, 1:30 p.m., 2-122 MCB
Proteomic Search for sera biomarkers for ovarian cancer using differential in gel electrophoresis and iTRAQ™
Amy P.N. Skubitz, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
Annual Salute to staff and faculty and Cancer Center picnic June 7, 2007
Join the Cancer Center's Salute to Staff and Faculty on Thursday, June 7, at 8:30 a.m. Light refreshments will be served in the atrium areas on all four floors of CCRB. Cancer Center director Dr. Doug Yee will present a State of the Cancer Center address at 9:00 a.m. in 450 CCRB.
The picnic will be held that same day at Newell Park (Pierce Butler Route at Fairview Ave N., St. Paul) from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Families are welcome.
Information about Newell Park can be found the Web site .
Cancer Center Program Meetings
BMT Conference
Monday, May 21, 2007, 1:15-2:15 p.m., 450 CCRB
CD4+25+ T regulatory cells (Tregs) using cell-based artificial antigen-presenting cells (aAPCs)
Keli Hippen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics , Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Minnesota
For a complete schedule visit the Web site.
Funding News and Opportunities
Healthy Food, Healthy Lives (HFHL) Initiative Request for Proposals
Application deadline: May 31, 2007
Amount: 3 awards, up to $200,000/year for 3 years
The Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives (HFHL) initiative is supported by the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. The deans of the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences (CFANS) and School of Public Health (SPH) co-lead this initiative with CFANS serving as the fiscal agent for the initiative. The HFHL Council of Deans includes the CFANS and SPH deans together with the deans of the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Medical School, and Extension.
The HFHL Council of Deans is requesting applications for research grants to fund faculty research teams in the five collegial units collaborating in this presidential initiative. Funds will be distributed through a competitive review process. Three projects will be funded through this request for proposals. One award will be made to a research team for each of the following priority areas:
- Prevention of diet-related chronic disease and obesity
- Food safety, from farm to table
- Public policy and public education to influence eating behavior
For more information and application instructions visit the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences Web site.
AACR Funding Opportunity for Metastatic Colon Cancer Research
Application deadline: June 26, 2007
Amount: $500,000-$1,000,000
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is now accepting applications for the 2007 Jeannik M. Littlefield-AACR Grants in Metastatic Colon Cancer Research. These grants will provide support for innovative cancer research projects designed to accelerate the discovery and development of new agents to treat metastatic colon cancer and/or for pre-clinical research with direct therapeutic intent. Special emphasis will be placed on research that holds promise for leading to individualized therapeutic options for treatment in the near future or for developing promising new cancer therapeutics for metastatic colon cancer, which will translate into clinical applications within a one- to two-year period.
For information about eligibility, the grant terms, and application instructions, please visit the AACR website or visit proposalCENTRAL to access the online application.
Inquiries may be directed to Ms. Julia Laurence at awards@aacr.org.
Visit the Funding News & Opportunities Web page to see listings previously published in Update.