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AACI Update | December 2025
Headlines
In Memoriam: Dr. Edward Chu
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) Director Edward "Ed" Chu, MD, MMS, died on November 13 of glioblastoma. A dedicated member of the AACI Board of Directors, Dr. Chu was committed to providing compassionate care to patients and advancing research to improve treatments for colorectal and GI cancers. He served as a trusted advisor and mentor for numerous students, fellows, faculty colleagues, and leaders of NCI-Designated Cancer Centers. MECCC has established the Edward Chu Fund for Cancer Research in his memory.
Support the 2026 AACI CADEx Conference
AACI encourages its member cancer centers and corporate partners to participate in the 2026 Catchment Area Data Excellence (CADEx) Conference as a supporter. Conference packages and "à la carte" opportunities are available, at a range of support levels. The CADEx conference will be held March 9-11 in Atlanta, GA.
PCLI Webinar: Engaging Patient Advocates in Research and Clinical Trials
Pictured, clockwise from top left: Dr. Lee Wilke, Mary Pat Berry, Dr. Jane Perlmutter, and Patty Spears
AACI's Physician Clinical Leadership Initiative (PCLI) will host a webinar titled "Partners in Progress: Engaging Patient Advocates in Research and Clinical Trials" at 12:00 pm eastern time on Thursday, December 18. This webinar marks the launch of a new collaboration between AACI and Medlive, a trusted leader in expert-led digital medical education.
AACI Announces New PCLI Steering Committee Members
Pictured, clockwise from top left: Drs. Paula Fracasso, Jason Fleming, Naoko Takebe, and Jennifer Woyach
The AACI Physician Clinical Leadership Initiative (PCLI) Steering Committee is delighted to share that Paula Fracasso, MD, PhD, FACP, has been selected to serve as chair beginning January 1, 2026. We are also pleased to welcome three newly elected steering committee members: Jason Fleming, MD; Naoko Takebe, MD, PhD; and Jennifer Woyach, MD.
AACI Cellular Therapy Initiative Welcomes New Steering Committee Members
Pictured, top right: Dr. Natalie Grover; bottom, left to right: Dr. Siddhartha Ganguly, Tania Jain, Dr. Marcos de Lima, and Dr. Richard Maziarz
The AACI Cellular Therapy Initiative (CTI) Steering Committee is pleased to announced that Natalie Grover, MD, has been appointed as its next chair, and that four newly elected members will join the steering committee on January 1, 2026: Siddhartha Ganguly, MD, FACP; Tania Jain, MBBS; Marcos de Lima, MD; and Richard Maziarz, MD.
Save the Date: 2026 AACI/AACR Hill Day
Please save the date for AACI's joint annual Hill Day, hosted with the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). The 2026 AACI/AACR Hill Day will take place in Washington, DC, on Thursday, May 14. Participation in Hill Day is crucial to sharing our message with our legislators in Washington: that stable, predictable funds for the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute are critical for advancing cancer research and care at our nation’s cancer centers.
Take Action: Protect ACA Subsidies
Enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies are set to expire at the end of 2025. Without congressional action, millions of Americans could face steep increases in health insurance premiums or lose coverage altogether. AACI urges you to write to your legislators using our customizable letter template to encourage them to protect access to health care.
News from the Centers
Birrer Inducted Into American Academy of Sciences and Letters
UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
Michael J. Birrer, MD, PhD, director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Medical Sciences (UAMS), has been invested as a member of the American Academy of Sciences and Letters. Dr. Birrer was among more than 60 distinguished scholars inducted during a November 12 ceremony at the historic Decatur House in Washington, DC.
Lung Cancer Team Earns International Recognition
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center
The lung cancer team at Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) has been recognized by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer for delivering outstanding care. The Cancer Care Team Award selects a single institution in international geographic regions, with patients, family members, and caregivers nominating the teams. MECCC is the only center in North America honored with the award this year.
McGuirk Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
The University of Kansas Cancer Center
Joseph McGuirk, DO, division director of hematologic malignancies and cellular therapeutics at The University of Kansas Cancer Center, was awarded Kansas City University’s Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award. A nationally recognized leader in hematologic malignancies and cellular therapeutics, Dr. McGuirk chaired AACI's CAR T Initiative, now known as the Cellular Therapy Initiative.
Breast Center Earns National Accreditation From the American College of Surgeons
Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute
The Breast Center at the Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute has achieved accreditation by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers administered by the America College of Surgeons. This recognition reflects the academic health system’s commitment to providing the highest standards of breast care through a comprehensive, patient-centered approach.
Dasgupta Named Distinguished Professor for Pediatric Cancer
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
Biplab Dasgupta, PhD, MBA, has been named the inaugural Killian Owen Distinguished Professor for Pediatric Cancer. One of Emory's highest honors, distinguished professorships recognize exceptional faculty achievement and provide an enduring investment in the institution's academic and research community.
Two UPMC Members Elected to the National Academy of Medicine
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center incoming director, John Byrd, MD, and faculty member, Terence Dermody, MD, were elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). They join 19 other University of Pittsburgh faculty members who have been elected to the academy and are two of three University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine NAM members elected in 2025.
National Accreditation Earned for Rectal Cancer Care
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center announces the recent accreditation of its rectal cancer program by the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer. This distinction signifies that Roswell Park meets the highest national standards in the surgical care of people with rectal cancer and is recognized as an American College of Surgeons Surgical Quality Partner.
Over Three Dozen UCLA Faculty Ranked Among Most Influential Researchers Worldwide
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Thirty-nine UCLA faculty members, including cancer researchers, have been named among the world’s most influential scholars in the sciences and social sciences – a distinction reserved for only 1 out of every 1,000 researchers. The annual Highly Cited Researchers list, compiled by international data and analytics firm Clarivate, identifies scholars whose work has been cited most often in papers published by other researchers in their fields over the past 11 years.
NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center Designation Achieved
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
The Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center was recently designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as a Comprehensive Cancer Center, affirming Mount Sinai’s depth of cancer research and scientific discovery, clinical excellence, and commitment to ensuring access to care. Ramon Parsons, MD, PhD, is director of the Mount Sinai Tisch Cancer Center.
More Than $15 Million Awarded by CPRIT
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
Researchers at the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine have been awarded more than $15 million in grants by the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to support innovative cancer research, treatments and prevention measures. CPRIT awarded nearly $154 million in grants to institutions across Texas, including nine grants to Baylor, to advance the fight against cancer.
Winship Co-Leads New Grant to Address Ancestry-Related Differences in Lymphoma Outcomes
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
The National Cancer Institute has awarded a five-year, $12.1 million Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant to support a new multi-institutional effort aimed at improving outcomes for patients with lymphoma. The Lymphoma Outcomes SPORE will focus on understanding how patient ancestry, lymphoma biology and survival are connected.
$9.86 Million for Retrovirus-Focused Research
Siteman Cancer Center
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Lee Ratner, MD, PhD, a WashU Medicine researcher at Siteman Cancer Center, a five-year, $9.86 million grant to investigate cancers caused by human retroviruses. This NIH Research Program Project Grant includes collaborators at The Ohio State University.
Castro Receives $4.5 Million NIH Grant to Further Brain Tumor Research
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
With a new seven-year, $4.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Maria Castro, PhD, is poised to push forward game-changing research with potential to improve outcomes for adults and children with a deadly subtype of brain cancer. Dr. Castro is studying a subtype in which a gene called IDH1 is mutated – representing about half of gliomas.
Researcher Leads $2.2 Million Project Addressing Youth Health in Arkansas
UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
Ann Chou, PhD, MPH, is leading a $2.2 million community-based study that addresses access to preventive health services for Arkansas youth. The study launched in September and will continue through August 2028.
$1.5 Million NCI Grant to Train Next Generation of Cancer Innovators
UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has received a $1.5 million, multiyear grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to create a new graduate-level certificate program focused on the commercialization of cancer-related technologies.
Researchers Awarded Federal Grant to Explore Topical Immunoprevention for Skin Cancer
The University of Arizona Cancer Center
Two researchers from the University of Arizona Cancer Center and the College of Medicine—Tucson received $917,000 as part of a two-phase grant to investigate novel immune-based approaches to prevent keratinocytic skin cancers. An additional $2 million in funding is available contingent upon the successful completion of milestones.
Tissue Bank Expands Support for Breast Cancer Research Team
Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center
The Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center’s unique healthy breast tissue repository, the Susan G. Komen Tissue Bank, has been awarded a two-year, $750,000 grant from Susan G. Komen®. The Komen Tissue Bank is a resource within the cancer center's Vera Bradley Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research.
Grant to Expand Access to Breast Cancer Prevention Trials
The University of Kansas Cancer Center
Lauren Nye, MD, clinical director of the High Risk Breast Clinic at The University of Kansas Cancer Center, has received an R50 Clinical Scientist Award from the National Cancer Institute. This grant supports Dr. Nye’s efforts to modernize breast cancer prevention research and improve access to clinical trials for those who are at risk.
George Named Interim Director
UF Health Cancer Institute
Thomas George, MD, FACP, FASCO, an accomplished gastrointestinal medical oncologist and nationally known expert in clinical research, has been named interim director of UF Health Cancer Institute, effective Nov. 17. He succeeds Jonathan Licht, MD, the institute’s director for the past decade, who is leaving UF for another position. Dr. George recently served as chair of AACI's Clinical Research Innovation Steering Committee.
Schulick Transitioning From Cancer Center Director
University of Colorado Cancer Center
Richard Schulick, MD, MBA, FACS, director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, announced in October that he will join the University of Rochester Medical Center in April as inaugural chief clinical officer, senior vice president for health system strategy, and vice dean for clinical affairs. Dr. Schulick joined the University of Colorado in 2012 as chair of the Department of Surgery and was named cancer center director in 2018.
Sulman Named Interim Executive Director
Duke Cancer Institute
Erik Sulman, MD, PhD, will serve as the interim executive director of the Duke Cancer Institute (DCI), effective Jan. 5, 2026. Dr. Sulman succeeds Michael B. Kastan, MD, PhD, who served for more than a decade as DCI's inaugural executive director.
Three New Senior Leadership Roles Added
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
The University of Michigan Rogel Cancer has named two new deputy directors and a new associate director to provide strategic leadership in cancer care, research, and training. They are: Michael Deininger, MD, PhD, deputy director for team and transdisciplinary research; Lesly Dossett, MD, MPH, deputy director for clinical innovation and engagement; and Samuel Kaffenberger, MD, associate director for clinical operations.
Hu Joins Sarcoma Program as Associate Director
Cedars-Sinai Cancer
The Sarcoma Program at Cedars-Sinai Cancer has added to its growing roster of specialists with the recruitment of associate director James Hu, MD. As associate director of the Sarcoma Program, Dr. Hu provides care for patients at Cedars-Sinai and its affiliate, Huntington Health Cancer Center, and leads research and teaching initiatives.
Schmitz, Zevallos Announced as Deputy Directors
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH, and José P. Zevallos, MD, MPH, have been named deputy directors of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, effective November 1, 2025. Drs. Schmitz and Zevallos served as interim director and deputy director, respectively, since January of this year.
Researchers Uncover Key Immune Differences in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center
A National Cancer Institute-funded study led by Lucio Miele, MD, PhD, director of LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center, sheds new light on triple-negative breast cancer. In collaboration with colleagues at LSU Health New Orleans, City of Hope Cancer Center, and the University of California, San Diego, Dr. Miele and his team examined tumors from more than 250 Black and white women across Louisiana.
Novel Liver Cancer Vaccine Achieves Response in Rare Disease Affecting Children and Young Adults
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
An experimental cancer vaccine developed at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy has shown early promise in a Phase I clinical trial for a rare form of liver cancer that primarily affects children and young adults. The trial, led by investigators at Johns Hopkins and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, was supported by the National Cancer Institute and the Fibrolamellar Cancer Foundation.
Study Identifies Key Genes Linked to Aggressive Prostate Cancer in Men of African Descent
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
New prostate cancer research from an international team led by the Center for Genetic Epidemiology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC has yielded discoveries that could improve screening and treatment for patients of African ancestry. The scientists identified variants of five genes linked in this population to aggressive disease or to cancer that metastasizes to other organs.
DNA Copy-Number Changes Help Melanoma Develop Resistance to Immunotherapy, Study Finds
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
A study led by UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center investigators reveals how melanoma evolves to resist immunotherapy and identifies a potential strategy to prevent or reverse that resistance. The team found that relapsing melanoma tumors often acquire genomic DNA copy-number variants, which delete or amplify sections of DNA.
Extensive LA-Area Blazes Altered Blood Proteins in Firefighters, Raising Health Concerns
The University of Arizona Cancer Center
Researchers at the University of Arizona found that firefighters who battled the massive urban fires in the Los Angeles area in January 2025 developed physiological changes that may increase their risk of diseases, including cancer.
Secret to a Long Life? In Bowhead Whales, a Protein Repairs Damaged DNA
Wilmot Cancer Institute, UR Medicine
Bowhead whales—the only warm-blooded mammal that outlives humans—can survive for 200 years and seldom get age-related diseases like cancer. University of Rochester researchers discovered a new clue to the whales’ longevity: an abundant protein called CIRBP that helps repair DNA. Wilmot Cancer Institute members Vera Gorbunova, PhD, and Andrei Seluanov, PhD, led the collaborative research project with other institutions.
Surgery After Immunotherapy Boosts Survival for Liver Cancer Patients
Cedars-Sinai Cancer
A new Cedars-Sinai Cancer study shows that patients with advanced liver cancer who receive immunotherapy to shrink their tumors have improved outcomes after liver transplant or tumor removal. The study found that these patients had overall survival rates that were 85 percent higher than patients who received immunotherapy alone.
Targeted Drug Could Benefit Pediatric and Young Adult Patients With Invasive Soft Tissue Cancer
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
A collaborative research team, led by scientists at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center and Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, has identified a targeted drug that could effectively treat an aggressive soft tissue cancer that occurs most often in pediatric and young adult patients.
Researchers Find Ancestry Impacts Effectiveness of Prostate Cancer Drugs
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Using the first-ever prostate cancer cell line from an Afro-Caribbean patient, investigators at Fox Chase Cancer Center and other members of the African Caribbean Cancer Consortium uncovered significant differences in how cancer drugs work across ancestries. These differences may help explain why, despite advances in treatment, Black men die from prostate cancer at twice the rate of white men.
Advancing Radiotheranostics Through Prostate, Neuroendocrine Cancer Research
Duke Cancer Institute
Radiotheranostics is a rapidly evolving field that combines targeted imaging and therapy using radiolabeled molecules. At Duke Cancer Institute, researchers are exploring new opportunities for this therapeutic approach in prostate and neuroendocrine cancer care through strategic clinical trials and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Precision Aging Network Data Release Will Open New Pathways for Healthy Aging Research
The University of Arizona Cancer Center
The University of Arizona-led Precision Aging Network, a national, collaborative effort to transform the field of cognitive decline, genomics, and healthy aging research, has released its first comprehensive dataset on normal cognitive aging. The network is funded by a $60 million grant from the National Institute on Aging, a division of the National Institutes of Health.
Study Suggests Type 1 Diabetes May Significantly Raise Bladder Cancer Risk
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
People with type 1 diabetes (previously called juvenile diabetes) are 4.29 times more likely to develop bladder cancer, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. The new analysis is the first to control for the effects of tobacco smoking, a factor that likely obscured the heightened risk in earlier studies.
Shedding Light on DICER1 Cancer Predisposition in Rhabdomyosarcoma
Comprehensive Cancer Center St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
When children are diagnosed with cancer, one of the first questions families ask is: Why? For some, the answer lies in a genetic clue – a mutation in a gene called DICER1, known to raise cancer risk. However, for decades, that clue was just a hint. Now, research St. Jude finally reveals how the mutation helps cancer take hold – a tumor-promoting mechanism driven by a set of immune cells that sling their DNA like spiderwebs.
Some p53 Mutations Could Help Fight Cancer
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
Gene p53 is mutated in about half of human cancers, yet it has remained unclear whether specific p53 mutations could be used to guide cancer treatment strategies. Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered that certain p53 mutants hijack DNA replication machinery causing it to fire excessively, destabilizing the genome. The study reveals that these mutant forms of p53 could be exploited to help fight cancer.
Early Immunotherapy Shows Promising Results in Advanced Basal Cell Carcinoma
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
A new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center found that patients with advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC) may benefit from receiving immunotherapy earlier in the course of treatment.
Foam Seen as Starting Point on Path to Bedside Gene Therapy
Fred Hutch Cancer Center
The special properties of methylcellulose foam could make it a vehicle for bedside genetic engineering, according to a proof-of-principle study from bioengineers at Fred Hutch Cancer Center. A preclinical bone marrow model was used to show that the foam, combined with an already-approved method to extract and concentrate bone marrow stem cells, can efficiently deliver targeted gene therapy vectors prior to reinjection of the cells into the bone marrow.
p53 Drives Lung Cancer Regression Through a TSC2/TFEB-Dependent Senescence Program
Stanford Cancer Institute
Laura Attardi, PhD, Nam Bui, MD, Christopher Chen, MD, and colleagues found that p53 drives potent tumor regression in lung adenocarcinoma by direct Tsc2 transactivation, leading to mTORC1 inhibition and TFEB nuclear accumulation, which in turn triggers lysosomal gene expression programs, autophagy, and cellular senescence. Their analyses illuminate targetable nodes for p53 combination therapies.
Researchers Link Cancer Immunotherapy Failure to Protein Quality-Control Collapse
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
Scientists from The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute have reported key findings about the underlying mechanisms of immune system stress response to protein misfolding, launching a new approach to cancer immunotherapy treatment targeting the protein production cycle.
Late-Stage Lung Cancer Diagnoses Plummet to a New Low in the Bronx
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) announces that for the first time in decades, more people in its community are being diagnosed with stage I, versus stage IV, lung cancer. MECCC clinicians are now finding cancers when they are most treatable and curable thanks to enhanced screening, novel care, access to clinical trials, and community education.
Center to Develop AI-Based Imaging Tools
Siteman Cancer Center
A new center is bringing together physicians and researchers from across WashU Medicine, including Siteman Cancer Center, to develop AI-based imaging tools to improve the diagnosis and precision treatment of cancer and other conditions.
Stanford Tool Matches Patients to Clinical Trials
Stanford Cancer Institute
The Stanford Cancer Institute Clinical Trials Office developed an electronic medical record-integrated tool to help clinicians easily locate cancer clinical trials for patients. Results show it yields faster referrals, more screening requests, and a cultural shift toward making clinical trials a standard part of care.
Cancer Center Jobs
Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Medical Oncologist
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
Read moreDirector of Cancer Clinical Research Audits and Compliance
Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina
Read moreMeeting Announcements
2026 AACI Catchment Area Data Excellence (CADEx) Conference
March 9, 2026