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Researchers and Staff
January 8, 2008
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
Cancer Center Program Meetings
Funding News and Opportunities
Today's Cancer Center Seminar
Tuesday, January 8, 2008, 12-1 p.m., 450 CCRB
Molecular mechanisms for bone metastasis
Katherine Weilbaecher, M.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine
Host: Denis Clohisy, M.D.
A peek at next week's seminar:
January 15, 2007, 12-1 p.m., 450 CCRB
Activating genes with RNA
Bethany Janowski, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
Host: Carol Lange, Ph.D.
Visit the Cancer Center Seminar Series calendar for a complete schedule of lectures.
News
Members in the news
Douglas Yee, M.D., Cancer Center director, and John Kersey, M.D., founding director emeritus, were mentioned in a Hibbing Daily Tribune article about a fundraiser for breast cancer research that was organized by sixth graders at Assumption School. The students offered their bake sale proceeds for the dollar-for-dollar matching program that the University of Minnesota has launched to fund an endowed chair named for Kersey. Kathy Beenen, development director for women's health at the Minnesota Medical Foundation, came to the school to formally accept the donation and deliver a letter of thanks from Yee.
In a recent Academic Health Center Health Talk & You column, Cancer Center member Nelson Rhodus, D.M.D., M.P.H., writes that if detected early enough, oral cancer survival rates are as high as 75 to 90 percent. To prevent oral cancer before it starts, Rhodus and his colleagues are researching ways to simplify early detection and refine early diagnostic testing methods. Read Health Talk & You.
Kalpna Gupta, Ph.D., member of the Women's Cancer Program, was quoted by Reuters about her recent study that morphine plus celecoxib may provide better cancer pain control, published in the British Journal of Cancer.
Cancer Center members Selwyn Vickers, M.D., Todd Tuttle, M.D., and Ed Greeno, M.D., were quoted in an article about the new Minnesota Pancreas and Liver Center in M.D. News, a monthly publication distributed to physicians' offices.
Kudos
Congratulations to Cancer Center members Rahel Ghebre, M.D., and Susanta Hui, Ph.D., on being awarded positions as scholars on the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) grant. Ghebre conducts research on surgical and new chemotherapeutic treatments for ovarian and vulvar cancers. Hui focuses on trace (ultra sensitive) element/biotract and its application to early detection and tumor proliferation.
The BIRCWH program, funded by a grant from the NIH, is an internal K-12 grant mechanism similar to the Career Advancement Program for Clinical Research Scholars. It fosters career development of junior faculty members. The BIRCWH scholars must engage in basic, clinical, translational, behavioral, or health services research in an area relevant to women's health, with an emphasis on sex and gender factors. Senior faculty mentors are paired with junior faculty to enable the scholars to establish independent research in areas that integrate scientific disciplines. Scholars are guaranteed set-aside time for research to advance their skills as independent investigators.
Peterson elected chair-elect of national chemical toxicology society; Sturla elected member-at-large
Lisa Peterson, Ph.D., member of the Masonic Cancer Center's Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program, has been elected chair-elect of the American Chemical Society's Division of Chemical Toxicology.
Peterson is the first woman to be elected to head the more than 1,000-member national society of chemists and biochemists whose scientific research focuses on toxicology, the study of poisons, their actions, detection, and treatment of conditions produced by them. She begins her duties as chair-elect in January and next year she will become the division chair.
Peterson is a professor in the University of Minnesota's Division of Environmental Health Sciences and has her own laboratory in the Cancer Center. Her laboratory research focuses on investigating the chemical compounds found in tobacco products and their impact on health and cancer causation. Specifically, she is exploring the mechanisms by which nitrosamines and furan exert their tissue-specific carcinogenic effects.
Shana Sturla, Ph.D., also a member of the Masonic Cancer Center's Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program as well as the Prevention and Etiology Program, was elected to a one-year term as member-at-large. Sturla is an assistant professor in the University's Department of Medicinal Chemistry. Her research focuses on understanding the chemical mechanisms by which environmental chemicals cause cancer, and developing approaches for treatment and prevention using natural and synthetic agents prevent cancer.
New members
Sean P. Elliott, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Urologic Surgery
Program areas of interest: Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship
Clinical focus: Reconstruction of genitourinary complications of radical pelvic surgery and radiation
Area of scientific interest: Variations in care of urologic malignancies and minimizing genitourinary complications of radical pelvic surgery and radiation
Russell V. Luepker, M.D., M.S.
Mayo Professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health
Program areas of interest: Prevention and Etiology
Clinical focus: Thoracic cancer
Area of scientific interest: Disease prevention through behavioral interventions on diet, exercise, and smoking.
Nancy C. Raymond, M.D.
Professor, Departments of Psychiatry & Family Medicine and Community Health
Director, Powell Center for Women's Health
Program areas of interest: Women's Cancer Research
Area of scientific interest: As director of the Powell Center for Women's Health, Raymond is the principal investigator on the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health Program, which supports two scholars who collaborate with the Masonic Cancer Center on women's cancer research. Her research interest is in the neuropathological basis of impulsivity in eating disorders and sexual disorders.
T. Andrew Taton, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry
Program areas of interest: Immunology
Area of scientific interest: Biomaterials, particularly nanostructured biomaterials, as synthetic cancer vaccines and therapeutics
Bevan Yueh, M.D., M.P.H.
Professor and Chair, Department of Otolaryngology
Program areas of interest: Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship
Clinical focus: Head and neck cancer
Area of scientific interest: Head and neck cancer outcomes, function and treatment effectiveness
Farewell to Kamala Upadhyaya
Susan Collins, Cancer Center finance and operations director, announced that Kamala Upadhyaya, fiscal officer, has accepted a position in the University's Controller Office as Associate Director, Sponsored Financial Reporting. "This is a tremendous opportunity for Kamala, and she, of course, will be a great asset to that office," said Collins. "It will be hard to fill Kamala's shoes—she has worked ably for the Cancer Center for over 10 years and has an expertise of grants accounting equal to anyone at the University. Fortunately, she leaves us with a staff dedicated to maintain the same level of outstanding service."
Kamala's last day with the Masonic Cancer Center is Friday, January 11.
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society issues "Call for Nominations" for Relentless for a Cure Award
The 2nd Annual Relentless for a Cure Award will be presented at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's 2008 Man & Woman of the Year Grand Finale Gala in June. The award is given to an outstanding Minnesota medical professional whose research, diagnosis and/or treatment has contributed to improved quality of life for patients and their families and/or great advancements in the field of lymphoma or blood cancers. The professional can be a physician or a researcher who is actively practicing or retired.
The deadline for nominations is January 11, 2008. Read how to make a nomination (PDF).
Call for posters: Marching Toward Cancer Prevention Interactive Workshop
Poster submissions are now being accepted for the Marching Toward Cancer Prevention Interactive Workshop, which will be held March 28, 2008, in Rochester,Minn., during the Marching Toward Cancer Prevention conference March 27-29. Posters should highlight cancer prevention outreach strategies and/or resources. The objective for the workshop is to identify cancer prevention projects that can be replicated in other communities for a variety of cancers. Conference organizers include the Colon Cancer Coalition; Mayo Clinic Cancer Center; and University of Minnesota, Rochester. Financial sponsors include the American Cancer Society, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, and the Masonic Cancer Center. For more information about the March 27-29 Marching Toward Cancer Prevention event, read the brochure (PDF). For more information about submitting a poster for the March 28 Interactive Workshop, read the Call for Posters letter (MSWord doc), or contact Nicole Bennett Engler, 507-266-9087, engler.nicole@mayo.edu.
Education and Events
The Minnesota Chemoprevention Consortium - MC2
Wednesday, January 9, 2008, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center, Administrative Building Auditorium, 35838 120th Street, Waseca, Minn.
The tentative agenda includes:
- Proposal presentations: Chemoprevention by kava, Chris Xing, Ph.D., Department of Medicinal Chemistry
-Chemoprevention by indole-3-carbinol, Fekadu Kassie, Ph.D., Hecht Lab
-Clinical Trial Network: Paul Limburg
-Supercomputer studies: Zigang Dong, M.D., Dr.Ph., Director, Hormel Institute
-Chemoprevention in BRCA1/2 carriers, clinical study: Paul Limburg or others from Mayo
-Focused discussion on future work with indole-3-carbinol or cabbage: all participants
Please RSVP to Bob Carlson, carls307@umn.edu, so lunches will be available. Also please indicate whether you prefer a vegetarian meal.
Cancer Biology Journal Club
Wednesday, January 9, 2008, 12-1 p.m., 2-120 Moos Tower
Rachel J. Bergerson, Largaespada lab, will discuss "Trisomy represses ApcMin-mediated tumours in mouse models of Down's syndrome," Sussan T, et al., Nature 2008;3512:73-76.
The Cancer Biology Journal Club is held every Wednesday. For more information contact Sonja Johnson (john4368@umn.edu) or Rachel Bergerson (sapl0005@umn.edu).
Pediatric Cancer and Blood Diseases Conference
Joint Tumor Board Teleconference Wednesday, January 9, 2008, 1:15 p.m., 545 Diehl Hall/AHC Learning Commons
Treatment of medullary thyroid carcinoma in children and adolescents with MEN2B
Eric Raabe, M.D., Ph.D., JHU/NCI Pediatric Hematology Oncology Fellow Conference attendees will include the NCI Pediatric Oncology Branch, University of Minnesota, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Johns Hopkins University.
Cancer Center Program Meetings
Cancer Biology Research Club
Friday, December 21, 2007, 3:30-4:30 p.m., 450 CCRB
No meeting due to holidays and semester break. Meetings will resume on January 18, 2008.
For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.
BMT Conference
Monday, January 14, 2007, 1:15-2:15 p.m., 450 CCRB
Adult BMT late effect studies
Navneet S Majhail, M.D., M.S., Assistant Professor, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation
For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.
Funding News and Opportunities
2008 Advanced Clinical Research Award in Breast Cancer
The ASCO Foundation
Deadline: Letter of Intent due January 15, 2008, Application due: February 14. 2008
Award term: July 1, 2008- June 30, 2011
Funding: $450,000 in 3 annual increments of $150,000.
The Advanced Clinical Research Award is designed to provide funding to investigators who are committed to clinical cancer research, and is intended to support original research not currently funded. This research must have a patient-oriented focus, including a clinical research study and/or translational research involving human subjects. By continuing to support proven clinical researchers at a critical stage in their early career, ASCO hopes to expand the cadre of expert clinical oncology researchers who are developing promising research initiatives.
Applicants must be physicians (M.D., D.O., or international equivalent), 5-10 years post final subspecialty training, with full time faculty appointments in a clinical department at an academic health center. Applicants must be active members of ASCO and are expected to spend 75% of their time during the award period dedication to research.
Translational Research Program 2008
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Deadlines: Letter of Intent due March 1, 2008, 3 p.m. EST. Full application due March 15, 2008, 3 p.m. EST.
Funding: $200,000, which includes direct costs and a maximum overhead of $20,000 or 11.1 percent of direct costs per year for three years.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Translational Research Program was established to encourage and provide support for new and novel clinical research. The goal of the program is to accelerate transfer of findings from the laboratory to clinical application. The program's purpose is to fund research that shows high promise for translating basic biomedical knowledge to prevention or new treatments and, ultimately, to prolong and enhance life.
The grant may be funded for an additional two years if it includes an approved clinical trial and a fully justified research plan. A principal intent of the program is to permit the acquisition of sufficient data to apply to an appropriate agency or sponsor for sustained support.
Visit the Funding News & Opportunities Web page to see listings previously published in Update.