Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota

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Masonic Cancer Center of the University of Minnesota

Update is sent to Masonic 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

 

News

Education and Events

Funding News and Opportunities

 

News

Members in the news
Daniel Mulrooney, M.D. Prevention and Etiology Program member, was quoted in an Associated Press article published in the Detroit News about the study he presented at ASCO that children who survive cancer face a greater risk of heart problems later in life.

Members in the journals
Kudos to Ameeta Kelekar, Ph.D., Tumor Biology and Metastasis Program member, who was invited to be the editor of a review series on autophagy, "Autophagy in Higher Eukaryotes—A Matter of Survival or Death" that appeared in the July issue of the journal Autophagy. Kelekar, also a member of the editorial board for the journal, wrote the introduction to the review series. Read the article.

Donors provide record-setting support for Masonic Cancer Center
Philanthropic support from our community is vital to ensuring that the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota continues to be a national leader and a local resource in discovering new cancer treatments, improving quality of life for cancer survivors and their families, and educating the public about cancer detection and prevention. The Masonic Cancer Center's development team is pleased to announce that they have just closed a record-setting year in direct-mail fundraising! A total of 5,667 donors made 7,400 gifts totaling $574,558 in support of the Masonic Cancer Center. Increases in direct-mail support during Fiscal Year 2008 include 26.6% in dollars, 59.6% in number of gifts, and 48.8% in the number of donors.

Kudos to Diana Morgan, who leads the direct mail program, and to the development team as they continue to build these partnerships in this fiscal year.

To support the Masonic Cancer Center or to learn about ways to give, please visit the Web site and click on "Make a Gift."

Masonic Cancer Center announces recipients of 2008 Internal Grants Program pilot awards
Congratulations to the following Masonic Cancer Center members who are recipients of pilot awards through the center's Internal Grants Program. This program offers seed grants to members with the goal of fostering the development of novel research ideas that focus on a problem in cancer. In turn, the cancer center expects that internal funding will lead to nationally peer reviewed funding. This year's awardees are:

Brainstorm Awards

  • Vivian Bardwell, Ph.D., Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, and Courtney Aldrich, Ph.D., Center for Drug Design—"Developing chemical inhibitors of polycomb repressive complexes for cancer therapy"
  • Mark Distefano, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry, and Elizabeth Wattenberg, Ph.D., Environmental Health Sciences—"Light activated cancer drugs"
  • Jaime Modiano, V.M.D., Ph.D., Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, and Sharon Murphy, Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics—"Effect of nicotine on nitrosamine—induced cancer"
  • Theresa Rose-Hellekant, Ph.D., Department of Pharmacology-UMD, Edward Perkins, Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology-UMD, Jon Holy, Ph.D., Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology-UMD, and Amy Greene, Ph.D., Department of Pharmacology-UMD—"Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell promotion of breast cancer growth and metastasis"

Cancer Population Sciences Awards

  • Steven Fu, Ph.D., Department of Medicine—"Peer-based proactive tobacco treatment strategies for urban American Indians"

Leukemia Research Fund

  • Mukta Arora, M.D., M.S., Department of Medicine—"Association of genetic polymorphisms with clinical outcomes post hematopoietic stem cell transplant"
  • Vivian Bardwell, Ph.D., Department Genetics, Cell Biology and Development—"An in vivo dissection of the role of BCOR in MLL-AF9 mediated leukemogenesis"
  • Koho Iizuka, M.D., Department of Medicine/HOT—"SHP-1 function in human NK cell development and function"
  • Dan Kaufman, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Medicine—"Anti-leukemic activity of human embryonic stem cell-derived lymphocytes"
  • Ameeta Kelekar, Ph.D., Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology—"Dissecting a Noxa-containing multi-protein complex in human hematopoietic cells"
  • Nobuaki Kikyo, Ph.D., Department of Medicine/HOT—"Novel epigenetic functions of the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL)-fusion proteins"
  • Ashish Kumar, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Pediatrics—"Identification of co-operating mutations in MLL-AF4 leukemia"
  • David Largaespada, Ph.D., Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development—"The interaction between molecularly targeted therapy and conventional chemotherapy studied in the mouse model"
  • Tucker LeBien, Ph.D., Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, and Chengguo Xing, Ph.D., Department of Medicinal Chemistry—"Endoplasmic reticulum-localized Bcl-2 antagonist therapy for leukemia and lymphoma"
  • Michael Verneris, M.D., Department of Pediatrics—"New approaches to identify minimal residual leukemia following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation"
  • Xianzheng Zhou, Ph.D., Department of Pediatrics—"Antigen-based targeting of leukemia stem cells"

Translational Breast Cancer Research Awards

  • Junxuan Lu, Ph.D., Cancer Biology Section, Hormel Institute, and Chengguo Xing, Ph.D., College of Pharmacy—"Pyranocoumarin compounds for breast cancer prevention and treatment"
  • Naoko Shima, Ph.D., Department Genetics, Cell Biology and Development—"A link between the DNA replication licensing factor MCM2-7 complex and BRCA1 in breast carcinogenesis"

Translational Sarcoma Cancer Research Awards

  • Subbaya Subramanian, Ph.D., Department of Lab Medicine and Pathology—"Molecular characterization of osteosarcoma by microRNA expression profiling"

Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center (TTURC) Research Awards

  • Lawrence An, M.D., Department of General/Preventive Medicine—"Nicotine reinforcement thresholds in novice young adult smokers"
  • Stephen Hecht, Ph.D., Lab Medicine and Pathology—"Identification of an (S)-NNAL binding site in rat lung"

Welcome new staff
Flora Danhua Fan, Ph.D., recently joined the Bioinformatics Shared Resource as a Research Associate. Her undergraduate background was in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and she obtained her Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota in Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology with a minor in Bioinformatics. Fan, whose office is in room 5-140 MCB, can be reached at 612-626-3648, fanx0038@umn.edu.

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Education and Events

Nancy C. Hanson Legacy Golf Tournament
Sunday, August 10, 2008, 1-9 p.m., Oak Glen Golf Course, 1599 McKusick Road, Stillwater, Minn.
The Nancy C. Hanson Legacy Golf Tournament benefits the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Registration is $135 for 18 holes of golf and dinner, entertainment and a silent auction. Don't golf? You can still join the fun by attending the dinner in the evening. Register for this event.

Macy's Glamorama
Friday, August 15, 2008, Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis.
Macy's Glamorama 2008 is heading back to the '80s with an arcade of eye candy couture and modern sounds. Headlined by the chart-topping '80s superstar Cyndi Lauper and late '80s hip-hop sensation MC Hammer, Macy's fashion spectacular will rock the runway in true '80s style, once again supporting Children's Cancer Research Fund (CCRF). Topping this year's list of designers are Varvatos USA, Michael Kors, Marc by Marc Jacobs, BCBG Runway, Donna Karan and Just Cavalli. All proceeds benefit CCRF, whose support enables the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota to continue its pioneering efforts in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of childhood cancers. More information and tickets are available on the CCRF Web site.

Hope Lodge Picnic
Wednesday, August 20, 2008, The Richard M. Schulze Family American Cancer Society Hope Lodge, 2500 University Ave. SE, Minneapolis
Health care providers are invited to a Hope Lodge Picnic to visit with their patients, tour their free home-away-from home, and visit with other Twin Cities physicians, nurses, social workers and healthcare providers. RSVP to Mary or Joan at 612-379-6352.

Visit the Web site for more information on referrals to the Hope Lodge or call Mary Wiles, Hope Lodge Manager at 612-379-6352, mary.wiles@cancer.org.

Silent No More 5K Walk/Run for Ovarian Cancer
Saturday, September 13, 2008, Rosland Park, Edina
The Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance (MOCA) Silent No More 5K Walk/Run for Ovarian Cancer raises funds for ovarian cancer research, education, and support for women with ovarian cancer and their families. In just eight years, MOCA has awarded more than $2 million for ovarian cancer research in Minnesota, thanks in large part to the success of the Silent No More event. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m.; a survivor photo will be taken at 8:30 a.m.; 5K run begins at 9 a.m.; 2K walk begins at 9:30 a.m.; and a Kids Fun Run begins at 10 a.m. For more information or to register, call 612-822-0500 or visit the Web site.

Cannon Valley Cancer Ride
Saturday, September 20, 2008, Riverside Park, Cannon Falls, Minn.
The Cannon Valley Cancer Ride is a fun, family-oriented 20-mile bike ride on the scenic Cannon Valley Trail. The event is organized by Red Wing Masonic Lodge and Cannon Falls Oriental Lodge to raise money for the Partners for Life Campaign, which was established by the Grand Lodge of Minnesota to help raise funds for the Masonic Cancer Center. Through the help of Minnesota Masonic Charities, every dollar raised from the Cannon Valley Cancer Ride will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

The ride starts in Riverside Park in Cannon Falls and goes to Welch and back. The registration fee is $35 for riders 12 and older and $20 for riders under 12, and includes lunch and a t-shirt. Same-day registration is $30 for riders 12 and older and $15 for riders under 12, and includes lunch, but no t-shirt. Registration and t-shirt handout will start at 8 a.m.; the ride will start at 9 a.m. Visit the Web site for more information and a registration form.

Developmental Biology Center/Lillehei Heart Institute Symposium
Tubes, Branches and Pumps in Development
September 24-25, 2008, McNamara Alumni Center, A.I. Johnson Great Room
Registration is now open for the Developmental Biology Center/Lillehei Heart Institute Symposium. The first 25 graduate students who register and are presenting a poster at the symposium will have their registration and banquet fees waived. All registrants are welcome to present a poster. Visit the Web site for more information and to register.

Hormel Institute Symposium "Frontiers in Cancer Research" and the 8th International Skin Carcinogenesis Conference
October 4-7, 2008, Austin, MN
The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota is hosting a three-day conference in Austin, Minn., as part of the grand opening to celebrate its major expansion. The goal of this joint conference is to provide a scientifically driven symposium involving didactic sessions and facilitating discussions regarding molecular and cellular targets of cancer causation and prevention, and to provide a forum for exchange of the most recent and relevant information on the biological, cellular, and molecular changes that occur during tumor development. Newer technologies such as computer modeling of protein/protein interactions and small-molecular/protein interactions will also be highlighted, and a substantial translational focus will be included. Conference chairs are Zigang Dong, M.D., Dr. P.H., Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program member and executive director of The Hormel Institute, and Susan M. Fischer, Ph.D., professor, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas. Masonic Cancer Center Director Douglas Yee, M.D., and Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program Leader Stephen Hecht, Ph.D., are presenters at the conference. Visit the Hormel Institute Web site for more information and to register.

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Funding News and Opportunities

American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant
American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant applications are being accepted until October 6, 2008. 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.

Funding is available up to $30,000. Applications may be obtained by contacting LeeAnn Micek, 612-626-1926, micek003@unn.edu.

National Lung Cancer Partnership annual Research Grant and Career Development Awards
Deadline: September 2, 2008
Funding: See individual announcements

  • Career Development Award for junior clinical and basic investigators involved in lung cancer etiology, prevention, and treatment. National Lung Cancer Partnership is sponsoring this program to create a critical mass of lung cancer researchers to ensure effective translation of basic and behavioral research discoveries into patient therapies to reduce lung cancer incidence, morbidity and mortality.
  • Research Grant for the promotion of understanding the molecular, cellular, and environmental underpinnings of lung cancer, as well as differences in response to treatment, with a special emphasis on understanding sex differences in the disease. This award is designed to provide seed money for promising novel research in lung cancer for faculty members at any point in their careers.

Clinical Investigator Development Program
Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute
Deadline: October 15, 2008
The Center for Cancer Research (CCR) announces a new training opportunity for physicians interested in dedicating their careers to clinical oncology research. The Clinical Investigator Development Program will link eligible clinicians to a vibrant, multidisciplinary research community of more than 250 talented CCR intramural scientists conducting cutting-edge research on the campuses of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda and Frederick, Maryland.

Applications must include a current curriculum vitae, complete bibliography, three letters of recommendation, academic transcripts, permanent residency documentation and a one-page description of research interests and goals and how these relate to the chosen field. Applications must be received by email at moodyt@mail.nih.gov by October 15, 2008. For more information contact Terry Moody, Ph.D., at moodyt@mail.nih.gov.

Visit the Funding News & Opportunities Web page to see listings previously published in Update.

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