Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Center of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard (MRCT Center), in partnership with the Center for Cancer Equity and Engagement, Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, present Equity by Design in Clinical Research: Cancer Trials.
The weekly webinar series will be held from 4:30 to 6:00 pm ET, March 8 through April 14. Click below for more details and registration information.
AACI Update | December 2021
Headlines
Nominations Open for 2022 Champion for Cures Award
AACI cancer center directors are invited to submit nominations for the 2022 Champion for Cures Award. AACI established the award in 2018 to recognize an individual or individuals who, through direct financial support of an AACI cancer center, demonstrate exceptional leadership in advancing cancer research and care and in inspiring others to do the same. The 2021 Champion for Cures Award was presented virtually at the AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting to Sidney and Caroline Kimmel (pictured).
House Passes HPV Cancer Legislation
On Wednesday, November 30, the United States House of Representatives passed the PREVENT HPV Cancers Act by voice vote. The bill, lead sponsored by Representatives Kathy Castor (D-FL) and Kim Schrier (D-WA), was introduced in early March in coordination with International HPV Awareness Day. AACI was an early supporter of the bill.
Patient Resource Navigator: A Market Differentiator
For more information, contact Amy Galey.
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center Now Hiring for Multiple Positions
The Clinical Research Services (CRS) department in the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center is expanding and is currently hiring for multiple Clinical Research, Regulatory, and Research Nurse positions at all levels. To be considered for the openings, submit your application to job no. R100044788.
News from the Centers
Pasquinelli Recognized for Lung Screening Program
University of Illinois Cancer Center
Nurse Practitioner Mary Pasquinelli, MS, APRN, of the UI Health Lung Screening Program, received a national leadership award from the Prevent Cancer Foundation for her work building and growing the highly effective program that benefits medically underserved communities and her research on lung cancer health disparities.
Reid Receives Early-Stage Investigator Award
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Sonya Reid, MD, MPH, is a recipient of an NRG Oncology Underserved Minority Scholars Award. She is one of three inaugural recipients of the award, which was established by NRG Oncology this year to address cancer equity by intensively training early-stage investigators about clinical trials through the National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP).
Fox Chase Receives Two Press Ganey Patient Experience Awards
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Fox Chase Cancer Center has been recognized for excellence in patient care with two Press Ganey Awards, the Pinnacle of Excellence Award and the Guardian of Excellence Award. Press Ganey works to support health care organizations by providing important assistance with health care challenges.
Roswell Park Named a Joy in Medicine Organization
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
In acknowledgment of strong advocacy for its staff members and the launch of a program to enhance their mental health and well-being, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has been named a 2021 Joy in Medicine Recognized Organization by the American Medical Association.
$17 Million Grant to Fund Disparities Research
Siteman Cancer Center
Washington University researchers at Siteman Cancer Center have received a $17 million Cancer Moonshot grant to address disparities in cancer research, treatment, and outcomes in underrepresented populations.
With $13 Million Grant Researchers Will Track Cancer Risk From Environmental Exposures
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
A new study from University of Michigan School of Public Health and Rogel Cancer Center will describe and quantify the impact of known and suspected environmental exposures on cancer risk. The program, called MI-CARES, or Michigan Cancer and Research on the Environment Study, is funded through a $13 million grant from the National Cancer Institute.
Clapp Leads Grant Renewal for Childhood Cancers
Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center
D. Wade Clapp, MD, is leading an $11.4 million grant from the National Cancer Institute in which he and others across the country will work on identifying new treatments for tumors that develop in children, adolescents, and adults with a common genetic condition.
Holland Receives NCI Outstanding Investigator Award
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center neuroscientist Eric Holland, MD, PhD, has received a National Cancer Institute Outstanding Investigator Award. The seven-year, $7 million grant will support Holland’s investigations into different classes of genetic mutations and how they can cause cancer.
$2 Million Gift Supports Lung, Pancreatic Cancer Research
Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center
Ruth “Rikki” Kutcher Goldstein has made a $2 million gift to support cancer research at Indiana University School of Medicine. The Rikki and Leonard Goldstein Chair in Cancer Research will be held by a lung or pancreatic cancer researcher at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Cancer Center, HBCU Receive $1.7 Million to Increase Health Equity, Research Pipeline Diversity
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center and Virginia State University have received a "team science” grant from the National Cancer Institute focused on reducing cancer disparities and providing hands-on research opportunities to students who are historically underrepresented in science. The total award amount is $1.7 million over the course of four years.
In Vino Vita Raises Over $1.5 Million for Research, Treatment and Prevention
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
In Vino Vita, Fox Chase Cancer Center’s signature fundraising event, was held on October 30 at the National Constitution Center, and raised over $1.5 million for cancer research, treatment, and prevention.
Rodriguez Selected for Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Program
UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
The Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, along with its partners National Medical Fellowships and the American Association for Cancer Research, selected University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences neurosurgeon Analiz Rodriguez, MD, PhD, to participate in its Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development Program.
Ginsburg Named Chief Medical and Scientific Officer for NIH Research Program
Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center
Duke Cancer Institute member and director of the Duke Center for Applied Genomics and Precision Medicine Geoffrey Ginsburg, MD, PhD, will leave Duke to assume the role of Chief Medical and Scientific Officer for the National Institutes of Health "All of Us" Research Program, effective January 2022.
Zsiros to Lead Gynecologic Oncology Program
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Following a national search, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has promoted Emese Zsiros, MD, PhD, FACOG, to lead its Department of Gynecologic Oncology. On staff at Roswell Park since 2014, Dr. Zsiros will also hold the Shashikant B. Lele, MD, Endowed Chair in Gynecologic Oncology.
Bhayani Named Director of Urologic Surgery
Siteman Cancer Center
Sam Bhayani, MD, a Washington University urologic oncologist and researcher at Siteman Cancer Center, has been named head of the Division of Urologic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. A leader in robotic surgery, Dr. Bhayani helped to develop innovative surgical techniques for removing prostate and kidney cancers.
Childhood Brain Tumor Expert Named Chief of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital has appointed Oren J. Becher, MD, as the chief of the Jack Martin Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology. A physician-scientist, Dr. Becher is an expert in brain tumors in children, particularly diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.
Brewster Named Associate Director of DEI
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center has appointed Wendy Brewster, MD, PhD, as associate director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The newly created position underscores the cancer center’s commitment to developing a more inclusive workplace.
Moss Named Director of VA Breast and GynOnc Cancers Program
Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center
Duke Cancer Institute member Hayley Moss, MD, MBA, has joined the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' National Oncology Program Office as director of the Breast and Gynecologic Cancer System of Excellence, a new initiative that aims to advance and expand women veterans' access to tele-oncology and potentially lifesaving clinical trials and treatments.
Oppong Tapped as Deputy Director of Center for Cancer Health Equity
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
Bridget Oppong, MD, has been appointed deputy director of the Center for Cancer Health Equity at OSUCCC – James. Dr. Oppong’s research focuses on health disparities that lead to poorer outcomes and higher mortality rates among patients with breast cancer.
Huynh Joins Dermatology Team
UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute
Thy Huynh, MD, has joined the University of Mississippi Medical Center as an assistant professor of dermatology and pediatrics. She will be a member of the Cancer Center and Research Institute Interdisciplinary Skin Cancer Team and will conduct research in this field.
Rural-Urban Differences in Cancer Screening Among Women
The University of Kansas Cancer Center
Women living in rural areas are less likely to follow the recommended screenings for colorectal cancer. However, they are just as likely as women living in urban areas to receive mammograms, researchers have found. Nearly 3,000 women participated in the cross-sectional study. Babalola Faseru, MBChB, MPH, is principal investigator.
UVA Reveals How Gene Mutation Boosts Cancer Risk
University of Virginia Cancer Center
Hao Jiang, PhD, and his collaborators have revealed why a mutation in the UTX gene disrupts cells’ ability to suppress tumors. The gene product, they found, forms tiny droplets in cells that help prevent tumor formation. But the mutation throws a wrench in that important process, leaving affected people vulnerable.
Computer Modeling Used to Predict Patient Tumor Responses to Radiation Therapy
Moffitt Cancer Center
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center are trying to improve the personalization of radiation therapy through computer modeling. In a new study, they model how interactions between cancer cells and immune cells, and their subsequent responses to radiation, impact the tumor.
'Junk DNA' is a Double-Edged Sword: the Good Side Has Anti-Cancer Potential
Wilmot Cancer Institute, UR Medicine
The “junk DNA” that litters the genome may be useful in developing future cancer treatments, according to a new report. The discovery was led by Wilmot Cancer Institute investigators and University of Rochester biologists Vera Gorbunova, PhD, and Andrei Seluanov, PhD.
Tool Can Reveal Cancer Subtypes by Cell Communities Where They Are Found
Stanford Cancer Institute
Researchers at the Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine have devised a tool to examine how cells behave and interact in various environments of the body. They’ve used it to better understand how cancer develops and can be treated.
For Mesothelioma, Immunotherapy-Chemo With Genomic Analysis Leads to Improved Survival
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
Combining the immunotherapy agent durvalumab with the chemotherapy agents pemetrexed and cisplatin or carboplatin may provide a new treatment option for inoperable pleural mesothelioma, according to a Phase II clinical trial led by the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy.
Multi-Omics Reveals Treatment Option for Breast Cancer Subtype
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
In a multidisciplinary collaboration, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have identified a subtype of triple-negative breast cancer that appears to be able to escape detection by the immune system and evade immunotherapy.
New Drug Triggers Disseminated Cancer Cell Dormancy
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center
In 2015, Julio Aguirre-Ghiso, PhD, and his team identified the receptor NR2F1, present in the nuclei of tumor cells, as a master regulator of tumor cell dormancy. Now, in a new study, he and his colleagues have discovered a compound that activates this nuclear receptor and have shown it can cause tumor-cell dormancy in cancer cell lines and in a patient-derived mouse model of metastatic cancer.
FDA Approves Clinical Trial of Drug to Treat Eye Cancer
WVU Cancer Institute
Mark McLaughlin, PhD—a researcher with the WVU Cancer Institute and Modulation Therapeutics Inc.—and his colleagues are developing a cancer treatment that zeroes in on the diseased cells with more precision. Based on extensive preclinical research, they have received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to begin human trials of a new drug to treat eye cancer.
Molecular Tumor Board Improves Patient Outcomes
UK Markey Cancer Center
A recent study shows that patients with non-small cell lung cancer reviewed by the UK Markey Cancer Center’s Molecular Tumor Board experience improved outcomes, even if they reside in rural Appalachian Kentucky.
Risk Of Age-Related Diseases May Be Higher in Younger B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Survivors Than in Older Counterparts
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Younger B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivors (B-HNL) had a higher relative risk of developing age-related diseases than older B-NHL survivors five years or more after cancer diagnosis, according to recently published results.
Genomic Alterations in Advanced Cancers Reveal Interactions With Therapy
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
A study led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine can help scientists make reasonable predictions of what genomic changes may happen in advanced cancer depending on the therapy received, how these changes may affect cancer progression and the possibility of preventing or minimizing outcomes with treatments.
Oncolytic Virus Clinical Trial Opened for Patients With Advanced Breast Cancer
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
City of Hope has opened of a first-in-human clinical trial evaluating the use of a cancer-killing oncolytic virus to treat patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. The study is designed to determine the safety and optimal biological dose that may induce an immune response in triple-negative breast cancer tumors.
Fat-Secreted Molecule Lowers Response to Common Cancer Treatment
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
Leptin, a molecule produced by fat cells, appears to cancel out the effects of the estrogen-blocking therapy tamoxifen, a drug commonly used to treat and prevent breast cancers, suggests a new study led by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.
Synthetic Immunotherapy Seeks, Destroys Tumors in Mice With Aggressive Cancers
Stanford Cancer Institute
Stanford researchers have developed a synthetic, tumor-targeting molecule that promotes immune activation and tumor regression in laboratory mice after it’s injected into their bloodstreams.
Genetic Mutation Could Play Role in Improving Leukemia Treatment
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
In the battle against one type of leukemia, a genetic mutation could hold the key to more effective, lower-dose treatments. The new, early findings by University of Florida Health researchers and their colleagues are especially relevant for older or frail patients who may not be able to tolerate high-dose chemotherapy.
Giving Immunotherapy Before Targeted Therapy Improves Survival in Advanced Melanoma
Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center
More people with advanced melanoma survive for two years or more when they receive a combination of two immunotherapy drugs given before a combination of two targeted therapies, if needed, compared to people who start treatment with targeted therapies. The finding comes from a clinical trial that was stopped early because definitive results became apparent sooner than expected.
How Alike Are Cancer Cells From a Single Patient?
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
To correlate gene expression signatures with cancer progression and chemotherapy resistance, a team of scientists led by Rong Lu, PhD, from USC and Akil A. Merchant, MD, from Cedars-Sinai have introduced a new genetic technology in a recently published study.
Receptor Structure Reveals New Targets for Cancer Treatments
Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine
For years much about anaplastic lymphoma kinase—its role in the body, which molecules interact with it, what it looks like—has remained unknown, limiting efforts to target it for treatment. Now, two studies led by Yale Cancer Center reveal the structure of this molecule, opening new paths for cancer treatment development.
Researchers Uncover Insights Into How Moles Change Into Melanoma
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
In a new study, researchers from Huntsman Cancer Institute and the University of California San Francisco explain how common moles and melanomas form and why moles can change into melanoma. The study shows melanocytes that turn into melanoma do not need to have additional mutations but are actually affected by environmental signaling, when cells receive signals from the environment in the skin around them that give them direction.
Treatment Enhances Anti-Leukemia Effect of Bone Marrow Transplant, Reduces Recurrence
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
Researchers at the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center have identified a drug that, when given along with a bone marrow transplant, drops the risk of leukemia recurring by 20 percent among the high-risk patients.
Arm, Shoulder Disability and Pain After Breast Cancer Surgery Reduced By Exercise
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
The debilitating arm and shoulder disability and pain that some women who have had breast cancer surgery experience as a side effect of their surgery can be reduced by following a physiotherapy-led exercise program after their operation, according to a new study.
Less Chemotherapy, Personalized Care: Study Reinforces Advances in Geriatric Oncology
Wilmot Cancer Institute, UR Medicine
Doctors can safely lower the dose of cancer treatment such as chemotherapy without impacting survival for adults older than 70 who are at high risk for toxic side effects. The results are from a potentially practice-changing new study led by a Wilmot Cancer Institute scientist at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
Research Shows Why Immune Checkpoint Blockade Impedes But Does Not Stop Glioblastoma Progression
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Like locking the door but opening windows, an immune checkpoint therapy temporarily slows glioblastoma progression but fails to establish an effective anti-tumor microenvironment and appears to increase molecular interactions inhibiting long-term immune response, according to studies led by a UCLA research team.
Founding Director Leaves Inspirational Legacy
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
Walter Lawrence, Jr., MD, who died in November at age 96, was respected and beloved for his expertise as a surgical oncologist. He ran a surgical hospital during the Korean War, oversaw the first Division of Surgical Oncology at VCU, and served as the inaugural director of VCU Massey Cancer Center for more than a decade.
World Health Organization Taps Sylvester in Global Fight Against Cervical Cancer
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami
Recognizing Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center’s enduring commitment to addressing the inequities that perpetuate cervical cancer in South Florida and beyond, the World Health Organization (WHO) has designated the University of Miami institution as the first WHO Collaborating Centre for Cervical Cancer Elimination.
New Program Will Address Rural Cancer Health Disparities
UK Markey Cancer Center
A new training program at the University of Kentucky will help develop the next generation of scientists. Funded by a grant from the National Cancer Institute, Addressing Rural cancer Inequities through Scientific Excellence (ARISE) is focused on preparing postdoctoral researchers to address cancer-related health disparities.
Cancer Center Without Walls Launching Youth Tobacco Prevention Program
University of Virginia Cancer Center
The University of Virginia Cancer Center and Cancer Center Without Walls Southwest Virginia Community Advisory Board has launched a program to cut tobacco use among both teens and adults in partnership with UVA Wise students and Virginia Cooperative Extension.
Rutgers Launches State's First Home Infusion Program
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and RWJBarnabas Health have partnered with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey to launch a collaborative pilot program which provides home infusion cancer treatments for eligible patients.
Cancer Center Jobs
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Meeting Announcements
Equity by Design in Clinical Research: Cancer Trials
March 8, 2022
14th Annual AACI CRI Meeting
July 12, 2022
The AACI Clinical Research Innovation (CRI) program serves as a network for research leaders to develop and share best practices for the efficient operation of clinical trials offices (CTO) at AACI cancer centers. The programming of the 14th Annual AACI CRI Meeting, “Partnering in Progress,” aligns with CRI's strategic goal of stimulating cancer center interactions to maximize resources by creating opportunities for peer-to-peer networking and collaboration.
The health and safety of meeting attendees is of paramount importance. AACI continues to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and related public health guidelines. We are currently planning for an in-person event and will implement protective measures in accordance with current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the City of Chicago. A virtual option is available to those unable to attend in person.
Please visit the meeting website for more information on COVID-19 masking, vaccination, and testing policies:
Health and Safety Measures
FAQ
AACI reserves the right to revise vaccination, masking, and testing policies based on evolving public health recommendations, and will notify attendees of any changes as soon as possible.
2022 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting
October 2, 2022
AACI cancer centers form North America's cancer research infrastructure and are hubs of critical discoveries, treatment advances and improvements in patient care. AACI and the Cancer Center Administrators Forum (CCAF) jointly formulated the program for the 2022 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting.
This three-day event convenes AACI cancer center members with national cancer research and advocacy groups, industry, and government health agencies to develop solutions to common challenges. No other program presents information on cancer research and patient care issues as they pertain to the leaders of the nation's cancer centers and provides those leaders with a forum to discuss common issues with their peers.
Continuing Medical Education (CME) is jointly provided by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and AACI. Your participation in this national meeting helps us chart a course for AACI's work on behalf of its cancer center network. We look forward to hosting you and your colleagues for this always innovative and high-quality educational experience.