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Researchers and Staff
May 26, 2009
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.
In This Issue
Funding News and Opportunities
Director's Message
Dear Colleagues:
More great news—we have received a stimulus grant! This grant will support a project by two of our Masonic Cancer Center members—Chris Pennell, Ph.D., and Kola Okuyemi, M.D.—aimed at providing jobs in cancer education and research, and benefiting minority and underserved communities in Minnesota.
Last week I wrote that the National Cancer Institute (NCI) renewed our designation as a comprehensive cancer center. Today I’m proud to note that this stimulus grant has been awarded as an extension of our NCI support grant –the grant we receive from NCI as part of our comprehensive status. As far as I know, we are one of the the first at the University of Minnesota to receive a grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This special federal act has allotted supplemental funds to the National Institutes of Health to award one time grants for projects that are not otherwise funded and can be completed in two years.
Pennell and Okuyemi will serve as co-PIs on this grant. Their two-pronged approach proposes to create 32 new positions by hiring 10 undergraduate students and six science educators each summer in 2009 and 2010. The first approach led by Dr. Okuyemi will provide undergraduate students from minority and underserved communities in Minnesota with paid summer research experiences and career development mentoring in cancer health disparities. The second approach led by Dr. Pennell involves hiring high school and community college science educators to train them in the use of a novel computer-modeling platform that performs hypothesis-driven experiments related to cell and cancer biology.
Kudos to Chris and Kola on their initiative. They each identified needs, developed programs to address those needs, and worked together to achieve a means for helping to meet them. And kudos to Mary Sumpmann, who initially suggested Chris and Kola team up to apply for this education-specific supplement.
This is another "high-five moment" for all of us at the cancer center. Watch for more information about this stimulus grant, and others that I believe we stand a good chance of receiving.
Sincerely,
Douglas Yee, M.D.
Today's Seminar
Tuesday, May 26, 2009, 12-1 p.m., 450 MCRB
The tissue-specific function of BRCA1: the regulation of progesterone receptors and breast cancer stem cells
Eva Lee, Ph.D., Chancellor's Professor, Departments of Biological Chemistry & Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California-Irvine, School of Medicine
Host: Carol Lange, Ph.D.
A peek at the next seminar:
Tuesday, June 2, 2009, 12-1 p.m., 450 MCRB
Developing immunotherapies for pediatric cancers: progress and challenges
Crystal L. Mackall, M.D., Acting Chief, Pediatric Oncology, Branch Head, Immunology Section, National Cancer Institute
Host: Xianzheng Zhou, M.D., Ph.D.
For a complete schedule and to watch recorded seminars, visit the Web site.
News
New members
Colin R. Campbell, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Pharmacology
Program areas of focus: Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer, Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention, Prevention and Etiology
Clinical Focus: Familial cancer, hematologic malignancies
Area of scientific interest: Molecular mechanisms of repair of interstrand DNA cross-links and drug-induced DNA-protein cross-links; molecular etiology of cancer and associated DNA repair defects observed in cells from patients with Fanconi anemia.
Liqiang Chen, Ph.D.
Assistant Director, Center for Drug Design
Program areas of focus: Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention, Tumor Biology and Progression
Clinical Focus: Urologic/prostate cancer; breast cancer
Area of scientific interest: Pharmacological modulation of enzymes involved in the de novo biosynthesis, utilization and recycling of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide with specific interest in a family of enzymes names histone deacetylase, especially NAD-dependent Class III HDACs, as targets for the design of anti-cancer therapeutics.
Education and Events
Reception for Masonic Cancer Center Staff
Wednesday, May 27, 2009, 2 p.m., 450 MCRB
Join in extending good wishes to Robert Kovarik (Glasswashing), Linda Kruse (Clinical Trials Office), Laurie Latimer (Clinical Trials Office) and Donna Mattson (Dinnaken administrative support), on their retirement from the University of Minnesota.
Farewell Party for Ilze Matise
Sunday, June 7, 2009, 4-7 p.m., Lake Owasso County Park, Shelter # 1, 370 N Owasso Boulevard, Shoreview, MN (near intersection of 694 and Rice Street; shelter closest to the playground)
Potluck: Bring a dish to share if you plan to eat.
Ilze Matise, D.V.M., Ph.D., veterinary anatomic pathologist with the Masonic Cancer Center's Comparative Pathology Shared Resource, will be returning to her home country of Latvia at the end of June with her family. She will join the faculty at the College of Veterinary Medicine in Latvia where she will teach pathology and eventually provide pathology service. Feel free to stop by and wish Ilze and her family well.
University of Minnesota Developmental Biology Symposium
Tuesday, September 29, 2009, 8:45 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Coffman Memorial Union
The Developmental Biology Center is partnering with the Cancer Center to present: "Development and Cancer: Good Cells Gone Bad". The program will include a full slate of distinguished speakers. A poster session is planned for the afternoon and poster presentations are welcomed. A banquet is scheduled for Tuesday evening, September 29, 5:30 p.m. at the Weisman Art Museum on the Minneapolis campus. The banquet will feature a special after dinner speaker.
Visit the Developmental Biology Center Web site for the speakers names as they are confirmed, as well as registration information and other details.
Visit the Upcoming Events Web page for more event listings.
Visit the Professional Education Web page for more conference and special lecture listings.
Program Meetings
Women's Cancer Interest Group Seminar
Thursday, May 28, 2009, 10 a.m., 450 MCRB
Anti-cancer activity of desthiazolyl ritonavir
Monica Milani, Ph.D., Research Associate, Potter lab
For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.
Genetic Mechanisms of Cancer Program Meeting
Thursday, May 28, 2009, 4-5 p.m., 3-110 Moos Tower
Role of Pla2g2a in inflammatory GI cancer
Robert Cormier, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, UMD Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.
Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program Meeting
Thursday, May 28, 2009, 4:15 p.m., 450 MCRB
UDP-Glucuronosyl Transferase 2B10 Genotype and Metabolism of Nicotine in Smokers
Jeannette Zinggeler, Graduate student
Advisor: Sharon Murphy, PhD, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, & Biophysics
For a complete schedule, visit the Web site.
Funding News and Opportunities
Improving Cancer Care Grant
ASCO Cancer Foundation
Deadlines: Letter of Intent: September 1, 2009; Application: December 3, 2009
Funding: $450,000/yr for 3 years
The ASCO Cancer Foundation® Improving Cancer Care Grant, funded by Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, will provide extramural research funding to address important issues regarding access to healthcare, quality of care, and delivery of care, with general applicability to breast cancer. The goal of this program is to encourage multi-disciplinary research that will have a major impact on cancer care, with general applicability in the breast cancer arena. This grant opportunity is part of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure/ASCO Cancer Foundation Research Initiative.
For more information visit the ASCO Cancer Foundation.
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.