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Researchers and Staff
April 15, 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
Funding News and Opportunities
Today's Seminar
Tuesday, April 15, 2007, 12-1 p.m., 450 CCRB
No seminar scheduled due to the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research.
A peek at next week's seminar:
Tuesday, April 22, 2007, 12-1 p.m., 450 CCRB
Gene therapy for cancer
Savio Lau-Ching Woo, Ph.D., Professor and Founding Director, Institute for Gene Therapy and Molecular Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Visit the Cancer Center Seminar Series calendar for a complete schedule of lectures.
News
The University of Minnesota has received its largest gift ever - $65 million from Minnesota Masonic Charities - to the Masonic Cancer Center. With this pledge, Masonic support of cancer research and care at the University of Minnesota over the past 53 years totals $100 million. In recognition of this record-breaking gift, the University of Minnesota Cancer Center will now be called the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota.
At the ceremony announcing the gift, Douglas Yee, M.D., director, said "Our continued partnership with Minnesota Masonic Charities and this extremely generous gift will allow us to take the Masonic Cancer Center to the next level. We will be able to significantly expand our capabilities in cancer research and treatment. We thank the Masons for their confidence in us."
The news conference announcing the gift was extensively covered by Twin Cities media including Twin Cities Business Journal, Pioneer Press, Star Tribune, WCCO-TV, KARE-TV, KSTP-TV, and Minnesota Public Radio. Visit the Web site to read the news release, see photos from the press conference, and for an overview of Minnesota Masonic Charities. The Web site also includes posters illustrating milestones in cancer research at the U of M and of Masonic support of cancer research at the U of M.
To learn more about the Masons, Cancer Center members and staff can read a brochure from the Minnesota Masonic Charities. Copies of the brochure are available on each floor of the Masonic Cancer Center Research Building in the Atrium. If you would like a copy of the brochure mailed to you, contact SvenErik Olsen, 612-626-5437, olsen057@umn.edu.
Members in the news
Ameeta Kelekar, Ph.D., Tumor Biology and Therapy Program member, was quoted in an article about Indian musicians performing in the Twin Cities in Friday's Star Tribune. Kelekar is president of the Indian Music Society of Minnesota.
Yee chairs AACR annual meeting session
Douglas Yee, M.D., director, is chairperson of the basic science/clinical interface session on "Targeting the Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF) System as a Cancer Therapy" at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in San Diego this week. During that session, he will discuss the "IGF system and cancer."
Mimi Yu, Ph.D., Prevention and Etiology Program, served on the AACR's Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Committee and Stephen Hecht, Ph.D., leader of the Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program, served on the AACR-CICR Award for Outstanding Achievement in Chemistry in Cancer Research Committee.
Successful conclusion of Cancer U in Maple Grove
Despite the very inclement weather on Thursday, April 10, twenty people attended the breast cancer program at Maple Grove. Milena Elimelakh, M.D., presented "Emerging Trends in Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment" and Todd Tuttle, M.D., spoke about "Evolution of the Surgical Treatment of Breast Cancer."
A note from DeAnn Lazovich, Program Co-leader, Prevention and Etiology Program
As your colleague and chair of the Minnesota Cancer Alliance Steering Committee for the next two years, I want to encourage you to register for the Cancer Summit, to be held at Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center on April 22nd. This is the one event each year when ALL members of the cancer community—from community-based organizations and cancer advocacy groups to health care providers and researchers—come together to share our work towards our common goal of reducing cancer.
The format this year will be different from the format of previous years. We hope it works! We are using this occasion to create opportunities and linkages for actions that we all can take to reduce the cancer burden. In working sessions, participants will have the chance to actively participate by indicating what they and/or their organization can bring to the specific Alliance activity (e.g., increasing colorectal cancer screening, ensuring tobacco cessation benefits available to all, application of intervention strategies for cancer control, implementation of cancer survivor care plans) AND also what actions they can do through their organization or in their community to make progress in these areas. And as always, the Summit offers a chance to connect with colleagues outside of the University, community-based groups and other organizations.
The Masonic Cancer Center will pay for your registration as well as the registration of your staff who may attend. To register, visit the Web site.
Tissue Procurement Facility has a wide variety of tissues available for research studies
Since 1997, the Tissue Procurement Facility (TPF) staff has been acquiring signed consents from over a thousand patients a year that allow TPF staff to process excess tissue that would otherwise be discarded after a diagnosis is made by the surgical pathologists at the University of Minnesota Medical Center. The TPF now has over 11,000 malignant or metastatic cancer tissues available for researchers. These cancerous tissues were derived from a wide range of organs and body sites including: brain, breast, colon, head and neck, liver, lung, lymph nodes, ovary, and uterus (see pie chart [PDF]). In addition, the TPF has banked over 16,000 normal tissues, 4,200 benign tumors, and 7,600 diseased tissues; which can serve as "controls" in research projects. TPF staff can also work with researchers to individualize the procurement of specific tissues to fit your research needs. Contact Sarah Bowel for more details as to whether we currently have the types of tissues that you need for your research project and for additional information (bowel001@umn.edu).
2008 Planning Grants in Health Disparities Research Program
The Program in Health Disparities Research has received a total of 24 letters of intent on a wide range of interesting health disparities topics for which community organizations are seeking collaborators from our university. The next step in the process is to identify University researchers who are interested in collaborating with community organizations on the projects in the letters of intent. One of the top questions that was received while accepting intent letters was, "How do we (community organizations) find academic researchers to partner with?" This highlights a genuine interest by community members to build collaborative relationships with university researchers. This is a unique opportunity for University researchers interested in working with community groups to begin to establish mutually beneficial community-academic relationships to eliminate health disparities.
The letters of intent from organizations that did not indicate an established connection with an academic researcher are available through the Program in Health Disparities Research Web site (PDF).) The site also includes more information on the planning grants.
Education and Events
Center for Drug Design and Development
Wednesday, April 16, 2008, 10:30-11:30 a.m., 2-650 Moos Tower
Structural analysis of cytokine-receptor interactions to aid drug discovery
Mark R. Walter, Ph.D., Department of Microbiology Structural Biology, University of Alabama, Birmingham
Cancer Biology Journal Club
Wednesday, April 16, 2008, 12-1 p.m., 2-120 Moos Tower
Chris Pennell, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Lab Medicine and Pathology, will present "Matuzumab binding to EGFR prevents the conformational rearrangement required for dimerization," by Schmiedel J, et al., Cancer Cell 2008;13:365–373.
The Cancer Biology Journal Club is held every Wednesday. For more information contact Sonja Johnson (john4368@umn.edu) or Rachel Bergerson (sapl0005@umn.edu).
Spring Poster Session and Symposium
Thursday, May 15, 2008, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Cancer Center Research Building
The Ninth Annual Spring Poster Session and Symposium sponsored by the Masonic Cancer Center's Core Facilities will include oral presentations from 11 a.m. to noon followed by a poster session and lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. Students, staff, post-docs and PIs are invited to participate by presenting a poster. The research presented in the poster must include the use of a cores facility.
To register, visit the Web site. The final registration deadline is April 25, 2008. For more information, call Sabine Fritz at 624-7151 or send an e-mail to fritz017@umn.edu.
Health Maintenance Organization Research Network-Cancer Research Network annual meeting
April 13-16, 2008, Hilton Hotel, Minneapolis
In 2007, the Cancer Center signed a memorandum of understanding with HealthPartners to formally explore research opportunities through the NCI-funded Cancer Research Network (CRN), of which HealthPartners is a member. The Prevention and Etiology Program has as one of its goals for the renewal period to enhance this relationship. Of particular relevance is a session planned for April 15 at 3:30 p.m., entitled "Best Practices in Community and Translational Research," which speaks directly to how to foster academic/HMO partnerships. For more information about the annual meeting, view the program(PDF). To learn more about CRN, read "Building a Research Consortium of Large Health Systems: The Cancer Research Network" (PDF). Contact DeAnn Lazovich, Ph.D., 612-626-9099, lazov001@umn.edu for any questions about the affiliation or the upcoming meeting.
Faculty candidate seminar
Wednesday, April 23, 2008, 4-5 p.m., room 1-450 Moos Tower (below Java City)
Reducing cancer-related health disparities among African Americans: A line of tobacco research and future directions
Monica Webb, Ph.D., M.A., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Center for Health and Behavior, Syracuse University
Dr. Webb is a faculty candidate for the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and the Medical School's Program in Health Disparities Research.
2008 Time to Fly™ Team Challenge—Join Gopher Kids Cancer Research team
Join team Gopher Kids Cancer Research Saturday, June 28, 8:00 a.m. at Harriet Island Regional Park in St. Paul in the race against childhood cancer at the Time to Fly™ Walk/Run. Time to Fly™is a family-friendly event benefiting Children’s Cancer Research Fund in its efforts to eradicate childhood cancer. Our team can be comprised of anyone from co-workers to family and friends. Team members can participate in a 5K Walk, 5K or 10K Run, or a1K Kids' Fun Run.
Our team will have the opportunity to win great prizes for most participants and most money raised. To find out more about Time to Fly™, visit CCRF Time to Fly Event. To register or contribute go to Gopher Kids Cancer Research and click on the join or support buttons to get started. If you have questions, please contact Kim Johnson at john5713@umn.edu or at 612-626-6426.
Program Meetings
Cancer Epidemiology Interest Group
Friday, April 18, 2008, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., A-110 Mayo
Computer analysis of text and predictions of behaviors over time
David Fan, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development
Please RSVP to Logan Spector (spector@umn.edu) by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16, to reserve a lunch and indicate if you require a vegetarian selection.
For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.
Cancer Biology Research Club
Friday, April 18, 2008, 3:30-4:30 p.m., 450 CCRB
Breaking and entering: Cell entry by the oncolytic reoviruses.
Rachel Nygaard, Schiff lab
No seminar due to AACR meeting.
For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.
BMT Conference
Monday, April 21, 2008, 1:15-2:15 p.m., 450 CCRB
Transcending the limits of GVL
A. John Barrett, M.D., FRCP, Chief, Stem Cell Allotransplantation Section, Hematology Branch, NHLBI/NIH
Hosted by Dr. Bruce Blazar
For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.
Funding News and Opportunities
No new funding opportunities were submitted this week.
Reminder
April 18, 2008 at 4 p.m. is the deadline for submission of grant applications to the Masonic Cancer Center's Internal Grant Program. Letters of intent must have already been submitted in order to apply. Funding mechanisms include:
- Brainstorm Awards
- Cancer Population Science Awards
- Leukemia Research Fund
- Translational Breast Cancer Awards
- Translational Sarcoma Research Awards
- Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center (TTURC) Pilot Grants Program
See the Web site for application guidelines.
Visit the Funding News & Opportunities Web page to see listings previously published in Update.