Masonic Cancer Center of the University of Minnesota

Update is available on the Web at www.cancer.umn.edu/news/ccupdate/index.html.

Update is an official newsletter of the Masonic Cancer Center for faculty, members, staff, colleagues, and friends. The newsletter is e-mailed biweekly on Tuesdays. Please submit items for the next issue by Friday, December 4 to Gina Kennedy, kenne069@umn.edu.

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In This Issue

Cancer Center Seminar

News

Education and Events

Program Meetings

Funding News and Opportunities

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Cancer Center Seminar

Today's seminar:
Tuesday, November 24, 2009, 12-1 p.m., 450 Masonic Cancer Research Building (MCRB)
Network learning methods for cancer genomics
Rui (Ray) Kuang, Ph.D., Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Minnesota
Host: David Largaespada, Ph.D.

Next week's seminar:
Tuesday, December 1, 2009, 12-1 p.m., 450 MCRB
Pharmacogenomics of cytarabine in acute myeloid leukemia
Jatinder Lamba, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
Host: Brian Van Ness, Ph.D.

See the Cancer Center Seminar calendar to see future seminars and to watch recorded seminars.

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News

Members in the news

• Michael Verneris, M.D., was quoted in news reports by WCCO Radio, docguide.com, bizcommunity.com and news-medical.net about research he led with John Wagner, M.D., that found leukemia patients who receive two units of umbilical cord blood have a reduced risk of relapsing and the disease returning. See news release.
• Verneris also was interviewed on the WCCO Radio Middays program by host Susie Jones about chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in conjunction with a news report that basketball great Kareem Abdul Jabbar had been diagnosed with CML.
• Christopher Warlick, M.D., was a guest on Minnesota Public Radio's Midday program to talk with host Gary Eichten about prostate cancer screening guidelines and issues.
• Douglas Yee, M.D., and Tim Emory, M.D., were quoted in a Star Tribune article about mammography and the report issued last week by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force that recommended most women should begin regular mammography screening at age 50 instead of 40.

Lazovich, Rahn recognized at the Minnesota Cancer Alliance's Cancer Summit
In her opening remarks at the November 17 Cancer Summit as outgoing chair of the Minnesota Cancer Alliance, DeAnn Lazovich, Ph.D., presented a review of accomplishments by Alliance partners, including the furthering of colorectal cancer awareness and screening, which culminated in Minnesota legislation to support screening. The Cancer Summit marked the completion of Lazovich's two-year term as chair. Her successor, Cheri Rolnick, Ph.D., called Lazovich a "tireless advocate for Minnesota cancer issues" and noted that Lazovich will continue in a leadership role by working on the membership committee.

Cancer center member Wendy Rahn, Ph.D., received a Spirit of Collaboration Award for providing 2,500 copies of her Survivors' Training fitness DVD for breast cancer survivors. The DVD was distributed free of charge to metro area cancer care providers and non-profits. During the Summit, Rahn also participated with Kim Robien, Ph.D., in a panel discussion about "Life after Cancer Treatment" and developing a cancer survivor cancer plan.

Miller, Vercellotti honored by Fairview for excellence in patient care
At a recent University of Minnesota Medical Center Medical Staff Recognition Event, Jeffrey Miller, M.D., and Gregory Vercellotti, M.D., were honored by their colleagues for their commitment to extraordinary care for patients. Miller received the Clinical Scholar/Research Award and Vercellotti received the Clinical Care Award. Videos with patients telling their stories of healing relationships with Miller, Vercellotti, and neurologist Gareth J. Parry, M.D., who received the Clinical Innovation Award, were shown at the event. Visit the Academic Health Center Web site to watch the videos.

Let's Talk Turkey! Thanksgiving is National Family History Day
Genetic counselors at the University of Minnesota and Fairview Health Services have joined with the Minnesota Genetic Counselors Association to support the Surgeon General's "National Family History Day" this Thanksgiving. This public health campaign encourages all Americans to know their family health history. To learn more about family health history, genetic counseling services at the University, and the new William C. Bernstein MD Familial Cancer Registry, visit the Web site.

Kudos

• Jasjit S. Ahluwalia, M.D., M.P.H., will receive the Joseph W. Cullen Memorial Award at the annual American Society of Preventative Oncology (ASPO) meeting in March 2010. The award is to recognize distinguished achievement in continued national tobacco control efforts, through research, through the development of prevention and cessation programs with wide-reaching public health impact, or through public policy and advocacy initiatives. It is also to recognize and honor individuals whose leadership is exemplified by a commitment to fostering collaboration among the wide network of basic and behavioral scientists, health care professionals, and public health advocates involved in the fight against tobacco and tobacco-related disease.
• Danuta Malejka-Giganti, Ph.D., received the highest distinction of Doctor Honoris Causa at the Karol Marcinkowski University of Medical Sciences in Poznan, Poland. She received the honor at a ceremony there on October 22, 2009. Malejka-Giganti was praised for her research in environmental carcinogenesis and chemoprevention of chemically induced cancers, and also for maintaining lively and productive contacts with her alma mater in Poznan for 50 years, facilitating post-doctoral studies for numerous Polish scientists in the U.S. In the 90-year history of the faculty of pharmacy in Poznan, Malejka-Giganti is the first woman to receive the honorary doctorate following nine previous awardees.
• Jeffrey Miller, M.D., was a main speaker at the Third International Cell Therapy Conference in Seoul, South Korea on November 12. He talked about his research and treatment with natural killer cells.
• Cheryl Zimmerman, Ph.D., has been named a 2009 Fellow by the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. One of her research interests is the pulmonary metabolism of tobacco-specific nitrosamines and their role in transforming healthy cells into cancer cells.
• Masonic Cancer Center physician-researchers named ‘Best Doctors.' Many Masonic Cancer Center physician-researchers are included on a list of "Best Doctors in America" for 2009-2010. Boston-based Best Doctors, Inc., conducts continuous peer-to-peer surveys of the medical profession to develop the Best Doctors database of 50,000 expert physicians. Only five percent of the doctors in the country are selected to become Best Doctors. A few of the doctors on the list were announced in last week's Update. Now a complete list of cancer center members on the list is available on the Web site.

Masonic Cancer Center researchers to present posters at annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium
The 32nd Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, to be held December 9-13, encompasses the full spectrum of breast cancer research and facilitates the rapid transition of new knowledge into improved care for breast cancer patients.

• Ann Bode, Ph.D., The Hormel Institute, "Lapatinib suppresses RTK-mediated signaling through multiple signaling pathways"
• Douglas Yee, M.D., cancer center director, "IGF-induced gene profiles are dependent on IRS expression and convey prognostic value in human breast cancer" and "A type-l insulin-like growth factor receptor kinase inhibitor (PQIP) enhances the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin in human cancer cell lines"
• Yee and Xihong Zhang, Yee lab, "Potential benefit of an agonistic anti IGFIR antibody (scFV-Fc) as an effective breast cancer therapy."

Dinnaken Office Food & Fund Drive supports Second Harvest Heartland
The cancer center's Dinnaken office staff is running a Food & Fund Drive through December 31, 2009. Each $1 the staff raises will allow Second Harvest Heartland to deliver $9 worth of healthy food to a growing number of working families, children, and seniors in need in our community.

There are two easy ways to help the staff members reach their goal of $500 in donations and 200 pounds of donated food:

• Donate online at www.2harvest.org/goto/DinnakenSMURFS.
• Drop non-perishable food items in the Food & Fund Drive donation box outside of the cancer center's administrative offices, 754 Masonic Cancer Research Building.

Contact Aaron Schilz (schil226@umn.edu, 612-624-0650) for more information.

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Education and Events

Melanoma ISC team meeting
Tuesday, November 24, 2009, 8-8:30 a.m., C456 Mayo
Please note: Melanoma ISC team meetings are now being held on the fourth Tuesday of the month.

Acute Leukemia Research Seminar
Tuesday, November 24, 2009, 2:30-3:30 p.m., 450 MCRB
Targeting H3 K4 methyltransferase MLL
Yali Dou, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Departments of Pathology and Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan Medical School
Host: John Kersey, M.D.

Cancer Biology Journal Club
Wednesday, November 25, 2009: No meeting because of holiday.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 12-1 p.m., KE114 LHI
Jon Larson is the presenter.

Ice Cream Social
Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 2-2:30 p.m., 4th  floor MCRB atrium
Join Masonic Cancer Center members and staff for ice cream. $1 a serving.

Tobacco Use Research Center (TURC) Scientific Update
Thursday, December 3, 8:30-9:30 a.m., Room 105, 717 Delaware St. SE
Documenting child exposure to ETS: A novel approach to motivate families to adopt home smoking restrictions
Janet Thomas, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota
Questions, call 612-624-5309

International Visiting Professor Presentation: Olalekan Ayo-Yusuf
Friday, December 4, 2009, 11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Room 105, 717 Delaware St. SE
Translating treatment policy and research to practice: a case of South Africa
Olalekan Ayo-Yusuf, B.D.S., M.Sc., M.P.H., Ph.D., associate professor, University of Pretoria, South Africa. 
Join the Program in Health Disparities Research and the Office of International Programs for a special presentation by Olalekan Ayo-Yusuf, who has been at the forefront of researching the composition and health effects of smokeless tobacco used in South Africa. Sandwiches and beverages will be served to the first 40 attendees.

Department of Pharmacology Seminar
Friday, December 4, 2009, 12 p.m., 2-101 Nils Hasselmo Hall
The uncertain role of nicotine in tobacco dependence
Paul Clarke, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University
Co-sponsored by the PharmacoNeuroImmunology Training Program

Visit the Upcoming Events Web page for more event listings.
Visit the Professional Education Web page for more conference and special lecture listings.

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Program Meetings

BMT Conference
Monday, November 30, 2009, 1:15-2:15 p.m., Room 450, MCRB
Part 2 of a run-through of presentations for the American Society of Hematology annual meeting December 5-8 in New Orleans:

• Jeff Miller, "Selection of Donors with Favorable KIR B Genotypes for Unrelated Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Results in Superior Relapse Protection and Better Relapse-Free Survival for Patients with AML"
• Mukta Arora, "Association Between Genetic Variants in the Base Excision Repair Pathway and Outcomes After Hematopoietic Cell Transplant"
• Sekwon Jang, "Financial Conflicts of Interest Are Common and Frequently Influence Conclusions of Economic Analyses Presented at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting"
• Pablo Ramirez, "Delayed Platelet Recovery After Allogeneic Peripheral Blood, Marrow and Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Transplantation: Risk Factors and Clinical Outcomes"

  Monday, December 7: BMT Conference is cancelled because of the ASH annual meeting.

Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship Research Seminar
Monday, December 7, 2009, 12-1 p.m., Room 1250 Mayo
Survivorship from the survivor's perspective
Bob Ezrilov, Lung Cancer Survivor
Michelle, O'Brien, R.N., C.N.S., M.S.N., A.O.C.N.S., Thoracic Patient Navigator, Minnesota Oncology Hematology, P.A.

Women's Cancer Research Seminar
December 8, 2009, 9-10 a.m., 450 MCRB
Targeting IGF/insulin system in breast cancer
Hua Zhang, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Associate, Yee lab

Visit the Professional Education Web page for complete program meeting schedules.

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Funding News and Opportunities

Important News and Notices

Grants.gov Questions?
SPA has several ways to help you find the answer to your Grants.gov questions.  First try the Grants.gov helpline at 612.624.8989 or grants.gov@umn.edu. This helpline option is staffed by knowledgeable professionals who are glad to assist you with your questions. Another source of information is your Grant Administrator.

NIH Funding Opportunities

Sallie Rosen Kaplan Fellowship for Women Scientists in Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute
National Cancer Institute
Application Receipt Date(s): December 11, 2009 (Letters of Reference due January 4, 2010)
Funding: Postdoc stipend plus augmentation and insurance coverage.  See announcement for additional information.

Development, Application, and Evaluation of Prediction Models for Cancer Risk and Prognosis
PA-10-025 - R01
PA-10-026 - R21
National Cancer Institute
Next cycle due date(s): February 5, 2009 for R01s, February 16, 2009 for R21s
Funding: Standard limits apply

Obesity Policy Research: Evaluation and Measures
PA-10-027 - R01
PA-10-028 - R03
PA-10-029 - R21
National Cancer Institute (& others)
Next cycle due date(s): February 5, 2009 for R01s, February 16, 2009 for R03s & R21s
Funding: Standard limits apply

National Centers for Biomedical Computing (U54)
(RFA-RM-09-002)
National Cancer Institute (& others)
Application Receipt Date(s): January 08, 2010 
Funding: $2.33M per year in direct costs for up to five years

Effectiveness Research on Smoking Cessation in Hospitalized Patients (U01) 
(RFA-HL-10-020)
National Cancer Institute (& others)
Application Receipt Date(s): January 19, 2010 
Funding: Up to $600,000 in direct costs per year may be requested for a maximum of $2.4 million direct costs over 4 years

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.

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