AACI Update | May 2021
Headlines
Knudsen to Step Down as AACI President
AACI President Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, PhD, is resigning from Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center (SKCC) at Jefferson Health in Philadelphia. She will step down as AACI president and begin her new role as chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society (ACS) on Tuesday, June 1. Dr. Knudsen will be the first woman CEO to lead the 107-year-old organization and the American Cancer Society Cancer Advocacy Network (ACS CAN).
Holcombe Named Director of UVMCC
Randall F. Holcombe, MD, MBA, has been appointed director of The University of Vermont Cancer Center (UVMCC) and chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology in the Department of Medicine. He joins UVMCC from the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated University of Hawai'i Cancer Center, where he has served as director since 2016. Dr. Holcombe will begin his tenure on August 1. He succeeds Richard Galbraith, MD, PhD, and Chris Holmes, MD, PhD, who became interim co-directors of UVMCC in 2020.
Reps. Higgins, Bilirakis to Receive Cancer Research Ally Award
Representatives Brian Higgins (D-NY) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) will be honored with the Cancer Research Ally Award at the 2021 AACI/AACR Hill Day, which will be held virtually on June 9. Both congressmen will deliver remarks as part of the event’s lunchtime programming.
CRI Keynote Spotlight: Mary 'Dicey' Jackson Scroggins
Mary "Dicey" Jackson Scroggins, MA, will deliver the keynote presentation on Wednesday, July 14 during the 13th Annual AACI CRI Meeting. Scroggins, a 24-year ovarian cancer survivor and recent acute myeloid leukemia (AML) survivor, research advocate, and health activist, is driven by a commitment to global health equity.
Call for Nominations: AACI Cancer Health Equity Award
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2021 AACI Cancer Health Equity Award. The award was created to recognize an individual or group who demonstrates exceptional leadership in promoting health equity, mitigating cancer disparities, and advocating for diversity and inclusion at their cancer center. The nomination period will close on Friday, May 28.
Reminder: Promote Your Cancer Center With a CRI Meeting Program Ad
AACI invites you to promote your cancer center by purchasing an ad in the 13th Annual AACI CRI Meeting program. The digital program book offers an excellent opportunity to showcase your center while supporting the CRI meeting. Your cancer center’s program ad may highlight a conference or a new initiative, or celebrate the success of the center’s clinical trials office. Cancer centers may also include links to their website and any upcoming events.
News from the Centers
Beckerle Elected to National Academy of Sciences
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
The National Academy of Sciences has elected Mary Beckerle, PhD, Huntsman Cancer Institute CEO and distinguished professor of biology and oncological sciences at the University of Utah, as a member. Dr. Beckerle is among 120 newly elected members of the academy.
Maquat Awarded 2021 Wolf Prize in Medicine
Wilmot Cancer Institute, UR Medicine
Lynne E. Maquat, PhD, the founding director of the Center for RNA Biology at the University of Rochester, has been honored with the 2021 Wolf Prize in Medicine. She shares the award with Joan Steitz, PhD, at Yale School of Medicine, and Adrian Krainer, PhD, at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Gordon Receives Kober Medal
Siteman Cancer Center
Jeffrey I. Gordon, MD, has been awarded the George M. Kober Medal from the Association of American Physicians in recognition of his contributions to the field of gut microbiome research. Dr. Gordon, a research member of Siteman Cancer Center, is considered to be the father of the field.
Sharifi Honored With AACR Achievement Award
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center congratulates the Cleveland Clinic's Nima Sharifi, MD, on his selection as the 2021 recipient of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Waun Ki Hong Award for Outstanding Achievement in Translational and Clinical Cancer Research.
Balderson Leads National Physician Assistants Organization
Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center
Duke Cancer Institute physician assistant Scott Balderson, PA-C, has begun his term as president of the national Association of Physician Assistants in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery. The association has more than 700 members and supports advocacy, medical education, and professional recertification.
Chi Receives Kastan Award
Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center
The American Association for Cancer Research has named Jen-Tsan Ashley Chi, MD, PhD, as co-winner of the Molecular Cancer Research Michael B. Kastan Award for Research Excellence on behalf of his all-Duke research team for their paper, "A TAZ-ANGPTL4-NOX2 Axis Regulates Ferroptotic Cell Death and Chemoresistance in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer."
White Elected as a Fellow to the AACR Academy
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey deputy director, Eileen White, PhD, has been elected to the 2021 class of Fellows of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Academy.
$10 Million Gift to Support Research Initiatives, New Director
The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center
A $10 million grant from the AbbVie Foundation will support scientific and educational activities at the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center under the leadership of newly appointed director, Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD.
$6 Million Awarded to Decrease Disparities in Cancer Clinical Trials
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai researchers have received a grant award to lead a collaborative team of New York institutions in an initiative that addresses disparities in the participation of Black, indigenous, and people of color in cancer clinical trials. Stand Up To Cancer® awarded $6 million to a multi-institutional team that will be led by Nina Bickell, MD, MPH.
$3 Million Grant Awarded to Apply AI to Lung Cancer Immunotherapy
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
Researchers from Case Western Reserve University, New York University, and University Hospitals have been awarded a five-year, $3 million National Cancer Institute grant to develop and apply artificial intelligence (AI) tools for predicting which lung cancer patients will respond to immunotherapy.
Advances in Brain Cancer Research Lead to $3 Million Award
Cancer Center at Illinois
Several Cancer Center at Illinois members are joining forces with scientists from the Mayo Clinic and Georgetown University on an expansive project targeting improved treatment for glioblastoma. The team, led by Brendan Harley, PhD, recently received a $3 million grant from the National Cancer Institute for their research.
Maihle Wins DOD Award
UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute
A $2.7 million U.S. Department of Defense Ovarian Cancer Academy Leadership Award has been awarded to Nita Maihle, PhD. She shares the award with Douglas Levine, MD, a gynecologic oncologist at New York University.
Roswell Park, Wilmot Partner on First Large Study of Immunotherapy in Black Cancer Patients
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Funded by a two-year, $2.08 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, a new collaboration between two western New York cancer research leaders will help oncologists learn whether Black and white cancer patients respond differently to a game-changing immunotherapy treatment.
Seed Grant Leads to $1.25 Million NIH Grant for Breast Cancer Research
Cancer Center at Illinois
In 2019, Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL) member Prasanth Kumar V. Kannanganattu, PhD, received a $250,000 CCIL Seed Grant to support his research on the characterization of oncogenic noncoding RNAs in breast cancer progression and metastasis. The project has now been further funded by a $1.25 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Grant.
Award to Jump-Start Young Scientists Seeking to Cure Cancer
Cedars-Sinai Cancer
Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer, and Peter Kuhn, PhD, director of the Convergent Science Institute in Cancer at the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, have received the inaugural Virtual Cancer Center Director Award to establish the Convergent Science Virtual Cancer Center. The center will guide emerging scholars from diverse science backgrounds and institutions to accelerate their research and careers.
Associate Director for Cancer Equity Announced
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
Chanita Hughes-Halbert, PhD, will join USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center as associate director for cancer equity, a newly created position. Her appointment begins July 1 and she joins USC from the Medical University of South Carolina.
Juckett Named CTO-CGI Medical Director
Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota
Mark Juckett, MD, was appointed medical director of the Masonic Cancer Center Clinical Trials Office for the Cellular, Gene and Immunotherapy Initiative (CTO-CGI), succeeding Shernan Holtan, MD, who initiated the role. Dr. Juckett was recruited from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Zheng Named Associate Director for Population Sciences Research
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Wei Zheng, MD, PhD, MPH, has been named associate director for Population Sciences Research at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. He replaces William Blot, PhD, who retired from the leadership position on April 1.
Kelly Named Associate Director for Cancer Research Training and Education
UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
Thomas J. Kelly Jr., PhD, has been named associate director for cancer research training and education at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). Dr. Kelly is an associate professor of pathology in the UAMS College of Medicine Department of Pathology and will become a full professor in July.
New Chief of Hematology/Oncology Named
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Taofeek K. Owonikoko, MD, PhD, will join the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and Department of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh as chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology. He also will serve as associate director for translational research and co-leader of the Cancer Therapeutics Program at Hillman.
Lu Named EDT Co-Program Leader
Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center
Xiongbin Lu, PhD, has been named co-program leader of the Experimental and Developmental Therapeutics (EDT) research program. He has made important discoveries promoting translational development of human cancer research, including breast cancer targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
Mohan Joins Moffitt as New Vice President of Digital
Moffitt Cancer Center
Santosh Mohan, MMCi, CPHIMS, FHIMSS, has joined Moffitt Cancer Center as the new vice president of digital. This newly created position will be instrumental in Moffitt’s success as the cancer center accelerates its digital capabilities to advance cancer care, treatment, and research.
Physician-Researcher Tapped to Lead Cancer Genetics and Genomics Department
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has appointed Agnes Witkiewicz, MD, as director of cancer genetics and genomics. She will also hold the John & Santa Palisano Endowed Chair of Cancer Genetics.
Sacks Named Division Director in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Siteman Cancer Center
Justin M. Sacks, MD, has been named director of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Dr. Sacks will treat patients at Siteman Cancer Center.
Faculty Leader Named for Cancer Therapy Discovery and Development
University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center
Nataliya Uboha, MD, PhD, has been selected to lead the Cancer Therapy Discovery and Development program at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center.
Markham Appointed as Chief of Hematology and Oncology
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
Merry Jennifer Markham, MD, FACP, FASCO, has been appointed as chief of the division of hematology and oncology in the UF College of Medicine. Dr. Markham has served as the associate director for medical affairs for the UF Health Cancer Center since 2017.
Senior Director of Clinical Research Innovation Appointed
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Neeraj Agarwal, MD, a physician-scientist at Huntsman Cancer Institute, has been appointed senior director of clinical research innovation, overseeing critical components of Huntsman's clinical research infrastructure.
Study Analyzes Clinical, Economic Impact of Hemorrhagic Cystitis in Stem Cell Transplant Patients
The University of Kansas Cancer Center
A study led by The University of Kansas Cancer Center, with AlloVir, Certara, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, compares the economic burden, health resource utilization, and clinical outcomes among allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients with virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis to those without virus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis. Joseph McGuirk, DO, is lead author.
Study: Jump in Cancer Diagnoses at 65 Implies Patients Wait for Medicare
Stanford Cancer Institute
A new study has found a substantial rise nationwide in new diagnoses at age 65 for lung, breast, colon, and prostate cancer, suggesting that many wait for Medicare to kick in before they seek care.
Having a Single Personal Doctor May Sometimes Lead to Unnecessary Tests
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
A new University of Florida study finds that male patients who have a single general physician were more likely to receive a prostate cancer screening test during a period when the test was not recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
Drug Derived From Kentucky-Grown Plant Shows Promise for Ovarian Cancer Treatment
UK Markey Cancer Center
A new study from UK Markey Cancer Center researchers shows that Artemisia annua, a plant that has been traditionally used for its anti-malaria components, shows promise in treating ovarian cancer.
New CRISPR Technology Offers Unrivaled Control of Epigenetic Inheritance
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
In a new paper, researchers at UC San Francisco and the Whitehead Institute describe a CRISPR-based tool called "CRISPRoff," which allows scientists to switch off almost any gene in human cells without making a single edit to the genetic code.
Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer and High Mutational Burden Benefit From Pembrolizumab
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
The immunotherapy agent pembrolizumab can provide clinical benefit to some patients with metastatic breast cancer whose tumors were found to have a high number of mutations, and whose cancer continued to progress with standard treatments.
Protein Identified That Could Serve as Therapeutic Target in Lung Cancer
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
Scientists at VCU Massey Cancer Center have identified a protein that operates in tandem with a specific genetic mutation to spur lung cancer growth and could serve as a therapeutic target to treat the disease.
Bone Microenvironment Fosters Breast Cancer Metastatic Behavior
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
Two studies led by Baylor College of Medicine shed new light on the unanswered question of why estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer sometimes grows back in the bone and spreads to other tissues despite effective endocrine therapies directed at ER.
New Research Suggests Breast Cancer Treatment in Patients Over Age 70 Can Be Safely Reduced
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
A study by researchers at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine suggests the rate of cancer recurrence or survival may be no different in treated versus untreated elderly patients diagnosed in the early stages of breast cancer.
Study Revises Understanding of Cancer Metabolism
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Tumors consume glucose at high rates, but a team of Vanderbilt researchers has discovered that cancer cells themselves are not the culprit, upending models of cancer metabolism that have been developed and refined over the last 100 years.
Discovery Could Revive Failed Treatments for Solid Tumors
University of Virginia Cancer Center
New research from the UVA Cancer Center’s Jogender Tushir-Singh, PhD, could rescue once-promising immunotherapies for treating solid cancer tumors, such as ovarian, colon, and triple-negative breast cancer, that ultimately failed in human clinical trials.
Information Theory Recruited to Help Scientists Find Cancer Genes
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
Using a field of mathematics designed mainly to study how digital and other forms of information are measured, stored, and shared, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine and Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say they have uncovered a likely key genetic culprit in the development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
New CAR T Approach Minimizes Resistance, Helps Avoid Relapse in Non-Hodgkin's B-Cell Lymphoma
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Early results from a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy trial led by researchers at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found using a bilateral attack instead of the conventional single-target approach helps minimize treatment resistance, resulting in long-lasting remission for people with non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma that has returned or not responded to treatment.
Genetic Diversity Within Tumors Suggests Continuous Evolution
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Analyzing tumors from more than 2,600 patients and 38 cancer types, researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the international Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes Consortium have characterized the extensive genetic diversity across cancer and within individual tumors.
Liquid Biopsy Test Developed for Lymph Node Metastasis in Early-Stage T1 Colorectal Cancer
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
Scientists at City of Hope have developed a novel, noninvasive liquid biopsy test for detecting lymph node metastasis in individuals with high-risk T1 colorectal carcinoma.
Project Explores Text Messages for Smoking Cessation
Wilmot Cancer Institute, UR Medicine
A Wilmot Cancer Institute team is launching a two-year research project to develop different types of text messages for smoking cessation, and then study them in clinical trials to find out what works best.
Black Prostate Cancer Patients Face Higher Risk of Cardiovascular Disease-Related Mortality Than White Patients
Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health
Cardiovascular disease-related mortality among prostate cancer patients is significantly higher among Black patients compared with white patients, according to research from the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health.
New Method Developed for Identifying Mutational Signatures in Cancer
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center used machine learning techniques to detect mutational signatures in cancer patients. Their algorithm outperformed the current standard of analysis and revealed new mutational signatures associated with obesity.
End-of-Life Care Remains Aggressive for People With Ovarian Cancer
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
People with ovarian cancer frequently receive aggressive end-of-life care despite industry guidelines that emphasize quality of life for those with advanced disease, according to a recent study.
Investigators Identify STING Gene Methylation Allows Melanoma to Evade the Immune System
Moffitt Cancer Center
In a new article, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers demonstrate how an important defect in STING gene expression in melanoma cells contributes to their evasion from immune cell detection and destruction.
Pancreatic Cancer Cells Hijack Muscle Protein to Beef Up Their Metabolism
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
Cancer starts with mutations in a cell’s DNA, but new UC San Francisco research shows that the endurance of a tumor relies on its ability to rapidly evolve and adapt to challenges brought about by the environment in which it grows.
Stem Cell Transplants Prevent Relapses of Most Common Childhood Cancer
University of Virginia Cancer Center
Children and young adults who receive CAR T-cell therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia suffer remarkably fewer relapses and are far more likely to survive when the treatment is paired with a subsequent stem cell transplant, a new study finds.
Genomic Data Commons Provides Unprecedented Cancer Data Resource
The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center
The National Cancer Institute’s Genomic Data Commons, launched in 2016 by then-Vice President Joseph Biden and hosted at the University of Chicago, has become one of the largest cancer genomics resources, with more than 3.3 petabytes of data from more than 65 projects and over 84,000 anonymized patient cases.
New Strategy Found for Fighting Brain Cancer
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
VCU Massey Cancer Center researcher Suyun Huang, PhD, recently discovered how cholesterol becomes dysregulated in brain cancer cells and showed that the gene responsible for it could be a target for future drugs.
Study Reveals a Unique Mode of Cell Migration on Soft Viscoelastic Surfaces
Stanford Cancer Institute
To advance studies of cell migration, Stanford researchers have worked to develop and test new types of material that closely imitate the real tissue that surrounds cells.
Study Suggests Common Drug Could Be Used to Prevent Certain Skin Cancers
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
New data published by researchers at OSUCCC – James suggests that an oral drug currently used to treat neuromuscular diseases could also help prevent squamous cell skin cancer.
Arizona Clinical Trials Network Launched
The University of Arizona Cancer Center
Arizona residents, including underserved and underrepresented populations, will have better access to cutting-edge cancer therapies as the University of Arizona Cancer Center offers its clinical trials at locations across the state. The network is a collaboration among communities, hospitals, and physicians that will enable the university’s clinical research to reach more patients.
Sameer Patel Co-Authors New Textbook on Cosmetic Breast Surgery
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Sameer Patel, MD, FACS, chief of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in the Department of Surgical Oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center and the Temple University Health System, has co-authored a new textbook, Cosmetic Breast Surgery.
New Initiative to Increase Patient Engagement
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Fox Chase Cancer Center has begun utilizing a new program called MyCareCompass that is designed to support patients with necessary information about their care by sending that information directly to them.
Study Seeks to Understand Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccination in Cancer Patients, Survivors
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
A study at OSUCCC - James will evaluate how COVID-19 impacts the immune system of cancer patients. The study will look at whether the COVID-19 vaccine is less effective in cancer patients receiving certain therapies, and how long immunity lasts.
UAMS Surpasses 100,000 Digital Health Visits in Pandemic
UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences conducted more than 100,000 digital health visits following the COVID-19 outbreak, seeing its highest numbers of virtual consultations at the height of the pandemic and during a February winter storm, performing more than 4,500 digital health visits per week.