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Researchers and Staff
December 16 , 2008
Update is sent to Masonic Cancer Center members and staff every Tuesday morning. Please submit items to Sandi Sherman, sherm019@umn.edu, by noon the previous Friday.
NOTE: Due to upcoming holidays, Update will not be published on Dec. 23 or Dec. 30. Publication will resume on Jan. 6.
In This Issue
Funding News and Opportunities
Today's Seminar
Tuesday, December 16, 2008, 12-1 p.m., 450 MCRB
Genomics of sarcoma: Insights from microRNA and mRNA expression profiles
Subbaya Subramanian, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Lab Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota
This is the last seminar for the 2008 calendar year.
A peek at the next seminar:
Tuesday, January 6, 2009, 12-1 p.m., 450 MCRB
Epigenetic profiles in lung carcinogenesis
Heather Nelson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota
For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.
News
Members in the news
Carolyn Torkelson, M.D., was quoted in a Minnesota Public Radio story about a research finding reported at last week's San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium that shows why some women with breast cancer respond well to the drug Tamoxifen and others do not. Read more.
Jean Forster, Ph.D., Prevention and Etiology Program, was quoted in the Star Tribune about the difference in smoking rates among girls and boys found in a recent Minnesota Department of Health survey.
Daniel Weisdorf, M.D., co-leader of the Transplant Biology and Therapy Program, was quoted in the Pioneer Press, Science Daily, and Minnesota Daily about a study that found age alone should not prevent older patients with leukemia and related blood diseases from receiving stem cell transplants. Brian McClune, D.O., Transplant Biology and Therapy Program, was also quoted in the Science Daily story. The study was presented at the recent American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting. Weisdorf and McClune led the study in collaboration with researchers at other cancer centers. Read more.
Linda Burns, M.D., Transplant Biology and Therapy Program, was quoted in a Bloomberg News report that results from the latest studies make it likely that the drug Rituxin plus chemotherapy will become the new treatment standard for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Abstracts about these studies also were presented at ASH.
Anja-Katrin Bielinsky, Ph.D. Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer Program, was mentioned in e! Science News for taking part in a study where biologists managed to obtain the detailed three-dimensional structure of one of the proteins that form the core of the complex molecular machine—called the replisomed—that plant and animal cells assemble to copy their DNA as the first step in cell reproduction.
U of M cancer researchers discover link between infant leukemia and form of brain cancer
Researchers at the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota have discovered that a gene involved in the often fatal infant leukemia is also associated with an aggressive form of brain cancer, called glioblastoma. This discovery provides evidence that cancers may be interlinked. Ashish Kumar, M.D., Ph.D., Genetic Mechanisims of Cancer Program member, led the laboratory research team that made this discovery. Their finding was selected for the Presidential Symposium/Best of American Society of Hematology (ASH) discussion at the ASH annual meeting last week in San Francisco. Read more.
More news from ASH
Todd DeFor, M.S., Senior Research Fellow in the Biostatistics & Informatics Shared Resource at the Masonic Cancer Center spoke at the recent AHS meeting on "A modified comorbidity index for hematopoietic cell transplantation: improved prediction of non-relapse mortality and overall survival." If you presented at ASH and your research was not announced in Update, contact Sandi Sherman and she will add your name to the list of presenters on the Web site.
Education and Events
Cancer Biology Journal Club
Wednesday, December 17, 2008, 12-1 p.m., 14 LHI/KE
Mariangellys Rodriguez will discuss "Efficient tumour formation by single human melanoma cells, Quintana E, et al., Nature 2008; 456:593-599.
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
Wednesday, December 17, 2008. 4 p.m., 450 MCRB
Retinoblastoma
Drew Dietz, M.D., Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/BMT Fellow
Program Meetings
Tumor Biology and Progression Program Meeting
Wednesday, December 17, 2008, 9:15-10:15 a.m., 2-633 Moos Tower
Retreat planning meeting
For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.
Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer Program Meeting
Thursday, December 18, 2008, 4-5 p.m., 3-110 Moos Tower
Genomic copy number variation in cancer and schizophrenia: Mouse holds the key
Anindya Bagchi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development
For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.
Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program Meeting
Thursday, December 18, 2008, 4:15 p.m., 450 MCRB
Improving the clinical diagnosis of oral cancer via quantitative salivary proteomics
Timothy J. Griffin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics, University of Minnesota
For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.
Cancer Epidemiology Interest Group
Friday, December 19, 2008, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 2-137 Jackson Hall
Inflammatory biomarkers in gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary cancers
Simona Ognjanovic, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Epidemiology/Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics
For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.
BMT Program Conference
Tuesday, December 22, 2008
No conference due to holidays.
For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.
Funding News and Opportunities
NIH:
NIH Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00)
(PA-09-036)
National Cancer Institute
Application Receipt Date(s): Multiple dates, see announcement.
Funding: Up to $75,000/year for salary & fringe; up to $30,000/year for research support
The primary purpose of the Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) program is to increase and maintain a strong cohort of new and talented NIH-supported independent investigators. The program is designed to facilitate a timely transition from a mentored postdoctoral research position to a stable independent research position with independent NIH or other independent research support at an earlier stage than is currently the norm. Prospective candidates are encouraged to contact the relevant Institute or Center (IC) staff for IC-specific programmatic and budgetary information: Table of Institute and Center Contacts.
Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award (K25)
(PA-09-039)
National Cancer Institute
Application Receipt Date(s): Multiple dates, see announcement.
Funding: Up to $100,000/year for salary & fringe; up to $40,000/year for research support
The purpose of the Mentored Quantitative Research Career Development Award (K25) is to attract to NIH-relevant research those investigators whose quantitative science and engineering research has thus far not been focused primarily on questions of health and disease. The K25 award will provide support and "protected time" for a period of supervised study and research for productive professionals with quantitative (e.g., mathematics, statistics, economics, computer science, imaging science, informatics, physics, chemistry) and engineering backgrounds to integrate their expertise with NIH-relevant research. Prospective candidates are encouraged to contact the relevant NIH staff for IC-specific programmatic and budgetary information: Table of Institute and Center Contacts.
Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01)
(PA-09-040)
National Cancer Institute
Application Receipt Date(s): Multiple dates, see announcement.
Funding: Up to $75,000/year for salary & fringe; up to $30,000/year for research support
The purpose of the NIH Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) is to provide support and "protected time" (three, four, or five years) for an intensive, supervised career development experience in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences leading to research independence. Prospective candidates are encouraged to contact the relevant NIH staff for IC-specific programmatic and budgetary information: Table of Institute and Center Contacts.
Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (K08)
(PA-09-042)
National Cancer Institute
Application Receipt Date(s): Multiple dates, see announcement.
Funding: Up to $100,000/year for salary & fringe; up to $30,000/year for research support
The primary purpose of the NIH Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Awards (K08) program is to prepare qualified individuals for careers that have a significant impact on the health-related research needs of the Nation. This program represents the continuation of a long-standing NIH program that provides support and "protected time" to individuals with a clinical doctoral degree for an intensive, supervised research career development experience in the fields of biomedical and behavioral research, including translational research. Prospective candidates are encouraged to contact the relevant Institute or Center (IC) staff for IC-specific programmatic and budgetary information: Table of Institute and Center Contacts.
Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)
(PA-09-043)
National Cancer Institute
Application Receipt Date(s): Multiple dates, see announcement.
Funding: Up to $100,000/year for salary & fringe; up to $30,000/year for research support
The purpose of the NIH Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) is to support the career development of investigators who have made a commitment to focus their research endeavors on patient-oriented research. Clinically trained professionals or individuals with a clinical degree who are interested in further career development in biomedical research that is not patient-oriented should refer to the Mentored Clinical Scientist Career Development (K08) Award [PA-09-042]. Prospective candidates are encouraged to contact the relevant Institute or Center (IC) staff for IC-specific programmatic and budgetary information: Table of Institute and Center Contacts.
Non-NIH:
James S. McDonnell Foundation Research Award (Complex Systems and Brain Cancer Research)
James S. McDonnell Foundation
Application Receipt Date(s): March 17, 2009
Funding Available: $450,000 total costs over 3 - 6 years
21st Century Research Awards are designed to support research projects with a high probability of generating new knowledge and insights. Projects submitted for funding consideration should be at an early, even preliminary stage of development, and should be intended to break new ground or to challenge commonly-held assumptions. Projects submitted should be sufficiently novel, cross-disciplinary, or heterodox so that they have a strong likelihood of influencing the development of new ways of thinking about important problems. All projects must qualify for one of the 21st Century Science Initiative's two program areas (studying complex systems and brain cancer research) awarding 21st Century Initiative Research Awards.
Brain Tumor Research Awards Program
The Goldhirsh Foundation
Deadline: Initial proposal-January 13, 2009, 12 Noon EST; Full application: early March 2008
Funding: $200,000/yr for three years; also $100,000 for one-year pilot studies
The Goldhirsh Foundationprovides investment in brain tumor research to accelerate progress toward more effective treatment for malignant diffuse glioma tumors. Applications are encouraged from investigators working in the continuum between basic research and clinical application, integrating and translating knowledge in various disciplines into meaningful progress for patients.
Visit the Funding News & Opportunities Web page to see listings previously published in Update. Also, a list of organizations that provide funding for cancer research is provided on our Research Funding Resources page.