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Online Registration - AACI 2004 Annual Meeting/CCAF Fall 2004 Meeting

Registration for the AACI 2004 Annual Meeting/CCAF Fall 2004 Meeting in Chicago is available on the AACI website. The combined meeting at The Peninsula Chicago is scheduled for Sunday, October 24 to Tuesday, October 26.  For more information, please contact Shannon Hatch at shannon@aaci-cancer.org or (412) 647-3844.

Please register on-line by October 1, 2004 to qualify for the regular registration rate (rates will increase after that date). October 1 is also the deadline to make hotel reservations at the conference rate of $230 per night. Please call the Peninsula Chicago at 1-866-288-8889 and request the room rate for the AACI/CCAF 2004 Meeting.

On behalf of the AACI and CCAF Program Committees, we look forward to seeing you in Chicago next month!

AACI Presents Awards for Scientific Achievement and Service

Distinguished Scientist Awardee Stuart L. Schreiber, PhD	Public Service Awardee Ellen V. Sigal, PhD	Special Recognition Awardee Edwin A. Mirand, PhD

AACI will honor three individuals with awards for scientific achievement and service at the 2004 Annual Meeting in Chicago October 25-26.

AACI will present the AACI Distinguished Scientist Award to Stuart L. Schreiber, PhD; the AACI Public Service Award to Ellen V. Sigal, PhD; and an AACI Special Recognition Award to Edwin A. Mirand, PhD.

“Each year, AACI honors a distinguished scientist for his or her outstanding contributions to cancer research,” said Frank McCormick, PhD, AACI Board member, annual meeting program chair, and director of the University of California San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center and Cancer Research Institute. “AACI is acknowledging Dr. Schreiber for his pioneering discoveries and contributions to cancer research.”  Dr. Schreiber is the Morris Loeb Professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University and an investigator a the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Dr. Sigal is the founder and chairperson of Friends of Cancer Research. “The public service award recognizes an individual who is dedicated to advancing cancer research and who supports programs that ease the burden of cancer on Americans,” said AACI’s executive director Barbara Duffy Stewart. “Ellen Sigal’s leadership in mobilizing public support for cancer research funding and her stewardship of major education programs on key cancer related policy issues has contributed significantly to our shared vision and hope for a future without cancer.”

“As secretary-treasurer of AACI for many years, Ed Mirand worked tirelessly to promote cancer centers and cancer programs,” said Harold L. Moses, MD, president of AACI. “Dr. Mirand’s work on behalf of the cancer centers is exemplified by his success in helping to mobilize cancer constituents across the U.S. to support the 1971 National Cancer Act.” Dr. Mirand is Emeritus Vice President for Educational Affairs, Roswell Park Cancer Institute. More >

AACI Elects Three Members to Board of Directors

AACI has elected three new members to its 12-member Board of Directors.  Their three-year terms will commence at the AACI 2004 Annual Meeting, October 24-26, in Chicago, Ill.

The directors-elect are Kenneth H. Cowan, MD, PhD, director, UNMC/Eppley Cancer Center, University of Nebraska, Omaha; Judith C. Gasson, PhD, director, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA, Los Angeles; and George J. Weiner, MD, director, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Iowa, Iowa City.

Dr. Cowan has directed the Eppley Cancer Center since 1999.  Before joining Eppley, Dr. Cowan served as chief of the Medical Breast Cancer Section at the National Cancer Institute (NCI).  He was appointed to the National Cancer Advisory Board of NCI in 2002.  Dr. Cowan’s laboratory research involves studies in drug resistance and the function of tumor suppressor genes in breast cancer cells.

Dr. Gasson has directed the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center since 1995. She is a professor of medicine and biological chemistry in the UCLA School of Medicine.  A molecular biologist, Dr. Gasson was instrumental in purifying for the first time a hormone-like substance, called GM-CSF, which increases the speed of bone marrow cell reproduction and shortens the time it takes cancer patients to recover after bone marrow transplants.

Interim CCSG Guidelines Approved by NCAB

On September 14, the National Cancer Advisory Board voted to approve Interim Polices and Guidelines Relating to the Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG). These Interim Guidelines can be found on the NCI website at http://www3.cancer.gov/cancercenters/guide9_04.pdf and will be implemented for CCSG submissions beginning February 1, 2005. The Guidelines will become final upon sign-off by the Office of Extramural Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Washington Update

The US House of Representatives approved legislation on September 9 that would provide NIH with a FY 2005 appropriation of $28.44 billion, an increase of approximately 2.3% over last year’s amount. This legislation appropriates $4.87 billion to NCI, which is 2.4% more than FY 2004’s numbers. If this legislation is adopted, these would be the smallest increases for NIH and NCI in nearly 20 years.

Earlier this month, AACI President, Harold L. Moses, MD, AACI Executive Director, Barbara Duffy Stewart, MPH, and colleagues from the National Coalition for Cancer Research met with Members of Congress and staff to discuss a number of issues impacting the cancer community including FY 2005 appropriations, NIH reauthorization, stem cell research, health information technologies, Medicare oral anticancer drug coverage and Medicare cancer care reimbursement. 

Following discussions at the May Public Issues Committee meeting, AACI is in the preliminary planning stages of organizing a cancer center panel session for Members of Congress and staff to be held on Capitol Hill early next year. Plans include collaboration with Friends of Cancer Research, the House Cancer Caucus and the Senate Cancer Coalition.

News from the Centers

The Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine has named Dr. Kent Osborne acting director. Dr. Osborne is director of the Breast Center and the Tina and Dudley Sharp Chair in Oncology at Baylor.  Dr. Osborne replaces Dr. Michael Lieberman, who is director of a new research institute at The Methodist Hospital, Houston. More >

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has Awarded $10 Million to Fox Chase Cancer Center for the first phase of a long-term expansion plan.  The expansion will start with a five-story Cancer Research Pavilion. More >

Two international leaders in breast cancer research and treatment, husband and wife, have joined Fox Chase. Dr. Craig Jordan has been named vice president and scientific director for the medical science division and holds the new Alfred G. Knudson Jr., MD, PhD, Chair in Cancer Research.  Dr. Monica Morrow is chairman of surgical oncology at Fox Chase and holds the G. Willing "Wing" Pepper Chair in Cancer Research.

Tina Devery has been appointed the new associate director for administration at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Iowa.  Ms. Devery comes to Holden from Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Mo. More >

The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute plans to build a $47 million clinical cancer center in downtown Detroit and acquire the Detroit Medical Center’s Cancer Hospital assets. The new partnership will further cement the research and clinical affiliations of both organizations with Wayne State University and its School of Medicine. More >

Dr. Q. Ping Dou, leader of the Prevention Program at Karmanos Cancer Institute has received a $492,000 federal grant to fund groundbreaking research on a new family of non-toxic anti-cancer drugs.  Dr. Dou will use the award from the U.S. Department of Defense Breast Cancer Program to study a group of synthetic, antibiotic-derived drugs that are not toxic to human beings. More >

The Gynecologic Cancer Center for the Study of Racial Disparities has received a $2.1 million federal grant. The specialized center is a collaboration between the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and Walter Reed Army Medical Center that focuses on cancer prevention strategies and the development of new treatments for gynecologic cancers. More >

Researchers in the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center have devised a new way to understand how the immune system responds to interferon alfa (IFN-a), a common treatment for malignant melanoma that sometimes involves debilitating side effects.  Dr. William Carson, director of clinical research at OSU’s cancer center (OSUCCC) is senior author of the study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. More >

Performing breast reconstruction surgery at the time of mastectomy does not delay post-operative chemotherapy for women with breast cancer, according to a study by Dr. Richard Bold and fellow researchers at the University of California Davis Cancer Center. More >

Dr. Thomas J. Kipps has been appointed as the holder of the Evelyn and Edwin Tasch Chair in Cancer Research in the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. Dr. Kipps is deputy director for research at the Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center.  More >

The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) has received a five-year, $10 million Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) from the National Cancer Institute to examine innovative treatment strategies designed to improve survival outcomes for patients with head and neck cancer. This is the second SPORE awarded to UPCI - the first was awarded to the cancer institute's Lung Cancer Program in 2001 - and is one of only four SPORE grants in head and neck cancer awarded nationally. More >

The University of Virginia Cancer Center has appointed Dr. Geoffrey R. Weiss, deputy director, and chief of the Division of Hematology-Oncology. Dr. Weiss comes to Virginia from the San Antonio Cancer Institute.  His recent research has focused on early phase clinical trials of novel cancer therapies for solid tumors, with a particular emphasis on the use of cytokines.

According to a Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital study, black men in the United States are more likely than white men to be diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and have a two-fold greater risk of dying from it, they are significantly less likely to be screened for prostate cancer. In a study involving more than 67,000 men age 65 years and older, the researchers found that blacks were 35 percent less likely than whites to undergo prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing. The findings are published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. More >

A part of the system that causes cells to self-destruct when they are damaged or unneeded has been harnessed to kill leukemia cells in mice, say scientists at Dana Farber.  The study findings were published in the September 3 issue of Science. More >  

The Legislature and Governor of the State of North Carolina have authorized $180 million to build a freestanding cancer hospital and office complex for the UNC Health Care system and its UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. "This construction will vastly expand and modernize our cancer care and treatment facilities, providing a first rate venue for clinical research to match Lineberger Center laboratory and headquarters building and a new expansion for the UNC School of Public Health," said Shelley Earp, M.D., center director. The architectural and functional planning of the new North Carolina Cancer Hospital will be led by Richard Goldberg, M.D., UNC Lineberger associate director for Clinical Research and chief of the oncology service line for UNC Health Care. The new construction is expected to be completed in 2009. More>

The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced plans in July to create a new oncology office, called the Office of Oncology Drug Products (ODP), to be housed in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER).

The new office will be a consolidation of three existing areas within CDER responsible for the review of drugs and therapeutic biologics used to diagnose, treat, and prevent cancer. The office will also include drugs and certain therapeutic biologics used in medical imaging, many of which are used to detect, treat, or monitor cancer.

FDA is conducting a broad national search to recruit a director for the Office of Oncology Drug Products. Please find the recruitment ad below. Interested candidates are asked to submit curriculum vitae with cover letter by November 15, 2004.

Director, Office of Oncology Drug Products
Supervisory Medical Officer
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Food and Drug Administration

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seeking a highly skilled and dedicated individual to serve as Supervisory Medical Officer and Director of the newly established Office of Oncology Drug Products in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research’s (CDER) Office of New Drugs (OND) in Rockville, Maryland. OND’s public health mission ois to protect and enhance the health of the public through the review and evaluation of scientific data submitted by pharmaceutical manufacturers in support of New Drug Applications (NDAs), and Investigational New Drug (IND) products, and Biological Licensing Applications (BLAs).

The Director, Office of Oncology Drug Products, will have overall responsibility for regulatory oversight of product development for cancer treatment and prevention, including drugs and biological products, as well as their evaluation for r marketing approval.  The Director will also have oversight of hematologic agents, radiation protection agents, medical imaging and radiographic products used in the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of cancer and other diseases.  In addition, the incumbent will oversee a cross-cutting FDA Oncology Program, including an Agency-wide Oncology Coordinating Committee to ensure proactive and coordinated policies and approaches to the development of products to treat and prevent cancer.  A critical aspect of the Director’s responsibility will be to develop and maintain professional liaison with other government agencies regarding policies related to cancer (e.g., National Cancer Institute) and other professional and consumer stakeholders.

This position offers the opportunity to provide scientific and regulatory guidance at all phases of oncology drug development, from clinical trial design to evaluation of clinical trials data submitted for product approval.  The Oncology Director will provide leadership and guidance through a subordinate staff of Division Directors.  The position involves working with the pharmaceutical industry, individual investigators, other government agencies and academia.

The position also offers opportunities to work on a variety of initiatives including development of risk management programs and guidance documents for oncology drug development.

Applicants must have a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy degree from an accredited medical school in the United States or Canada.  Graduates of foreign medical schools must be certifies by the Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). Please submit a copy of permanent ECFMG certification. Candidates for Civil Service or U.S. Commissioned Corps must be U.S. citizens.

The most desirable applicants will have experience and expertise in clinical oncology, drug or biological product development, clinical trial design, conduct, and analysis.  They will also have experience in the management of professional in a highly complex environment and strong interpersonal skills with an emphasis on building consensus.  Postgraduate medical training in medical oncology/hematology and clinical practice experience in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer is highly desirable.

For more information, contact the Office of New Drugs/Program Management Team via email at: Employment@cder.fda.gov.

Submit curriculum vitae by November 15, 2004 with cover letter indicating you are applying to Source Code #0012-OND to:

U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
Office of New Drugs
ATTN: Program Management Team
5515 Security Lane
Rockwall 2, Room 1039, HFD-022
Rockville, MD 20852

Associate Director of Administration
Hollings Cancer Center
Medical University of South Carolina

The Medical University of South Carolina, College of Medicine and the Hollings Cancer Center are recruiting for an Associate Director of Administration.  The successful applicant will work collaboratively with the faculty and staff of the Medical University of South Carolina to ensure the continued development of the Hollings Cancer Center.  The Associate Director of Administration will provide executive level assistance to the Director with the design and implementation of goals and objectives that will result in establishing the Cancer Center as an NCI-designated center recognized regionally and nationally and as a renowned cancer research center of excellence and referral.  The Associate Director of Administration will be responsible for and participate in the planning and policy development involved in coordinating the Cancer Center’s research and clinical programs.  This includes the management and supervision of the programs and staff throughout the Cancer Center as assigned by the Director.  The Associate Director will be involved in the marketing, public relations, fundraising initiatives associated with the programs of the Center, and will work closely with other University department administrators whose faculty are intimately involved in providing the multi-disciplinary cancer care and research.   Additionally, the Associate Director will serve as a representative of the Cancer Center on various committees and boards as necessary, as well as for external physician groups and the community.  The Associate Director for Administration reports to the Cancer Center Director and has oversight responsibility for the Cancer Center’s assigned space, equipment, budgets, and information systems associated with Hollings Cancer Center and its research mission.

Interested candidates should send a copy of their resume and the names of three references to:

Andrew S. Kraft, MD
Director, Hollings Cancer Center
William H. Folk Chair in Experimental Oncology
86 Jonathan Lucas Street
P.O. Box 250955
Charleston, SC  29425
Fax to 843-792-3200 or e-mail to fulghumk@musc.edu

Associate Director for Administration
OU Cancer Center
University of Oklahoma

The associate director for administration is the senior administrative and fiscal officer for the OU Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma, and is a key member of the senior leadership team.  The Center is a multidisciplinary organization with a membership of 150+ faculty and other academic staff from all seven OU schools (Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Dentistry, Public Health, Allied Health Professions and the Graduate School).  Responsibilities of this position include financial management; human resources management; management information systems development; organizational planning; space and facilities management; program planning and development; capital improvements; research, education and training.  Position develops, recommends and implements administrative and fiscal policies and procedures for the Center in compliance with all University, NIH, federal and state guidelines, and represents the Center's interests to a wide range of extramural constituents.  As a member of many of the Center's executive committees, participates in senior-level policy formulation discussions, specific projects, and short-, intermediate- and long-range strategic planning for the overall management of the Center's programs.  Other duties as required or assigned.

Required: An earned doctoral degree in cancer related field.  Demonstrated research expertise and scholarly publications.  Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible experience in university, healthcare or equivalent administration positions.  Significant experience in grant writing and future grant writing is a prerequisite.  Excellent written and verbal communication, interpersonal, organizational, and finance skills.  Proven leadership skills and ability to work independently as well as function successfully as a team member.

Please send curriculum vitae and the names of four references to:
Howard Ozer MD, PhD
Chairperson, Search Committee
OU Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma
P.O. Box 26901, WP2080
Oklahoma City, OK 73190

CCSG Administrator
University of Texas/M.D. Anderson Cancer Center 

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) is seeking a talented individual to provide administrative coordination for its comprehensive Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG).  MDACC holds the largest number of National Cancer Institute (NCI) grants and the largest amount of NCI funding among academic institutions.  The CCSG grant supports 19 programs and 19 shared resources.  The CCSG Administrator will coordinate, analyze, and support all aspects of the CCSG.  Other duties include developing databases, preparing budgets, initiating grant renewals, writing grants, and coordinating all financial and reporting activities.  Applicants must have a minimum of a Master’s degree in biology, chemistry, business, or health administration. The successful candidate must have five years experience in preparing grants, developing budgets, and managing resources. 

Interested candidates please contact:
Robert Bast at rbast@mdanderson.org or 713-792-7743
or DeLynn Shetter at dshetter@mdanderson.org or 713-792-7891