In partnership with the American Cancer Society and the Cancer Center DEI Network, AACI will hold the 2024 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Summit on October 19-20 in conjunction with the 2024 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting. Attendees may choose to register for the DEI Summit only, or for both the DEI Summit and the annual meeting.
AACI Update | August 2024
Headlines
Zheng Named Executive Director of Mays Cancer Center
Lei Zheng, MD, PhD, has been appointed executive director of the Mays Cancer Center and vice president for oncology for the health science center, effective September 1. A world-renowned pancreatic cancer medical oncologist and researcher, Dr. Zheng will also be named the Mays Family Foundation Distinguished University Presidential Chair of Oncology and appointed as a professor with tenure in the Department of Medicine in the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine.
Burkard to Lead Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center
Nearly three years after longtime University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center Director George Weiner, MD, announced plans to step down, the health care enterprise has announced the appointment of Mark Burkard, MD, PhD, to the role, effective October 1. Dr. Burkard currently serves as chair in metastatic breast cancer and professor in the Division of Hematology, Medical Oncology and Palliative Care at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Department of Internal Medicine.
Annual Meeting Spotlight: Combating Health Misinformation
In an era of increasing health misinformation, it is more important than ever to craft messages that help academic and medical institutions secure—and in some cases, regain—public trust. "Establishing Academic Integrity and Public Trust in the Misinformation Era" will be held at 1:45 pm central time Monday, October 21, during the 2024 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting in Chicago.
Support Opportunities Available for Annual Meeting, DEI Summit
AACI members are invited to support the 2024 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting by purchasing an ad in the digital meeting program. Support opportunities are also available for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Summit. Both events will be held in Chicago this fall.
AACI Endorses 340B PATIENTS Act
AACI has endorsed HR 7635, the Pharmaceutical Access to Invest in Essential, Needed Treatments & Support Act (340B PATIENTS Act). Introduced in March 2024 by Representative Doris Matsui (D-CA), the legislation aims to protect and strengthen the 340B program via codification of the ability to use contract pharmacies to dispense 340B discounted drugs. This would ensure that 340B patients are able to get their prescriptions at any local pharmacy and that safety-net providers can continue to provide medical and social services in their communities with 340B discount savings.
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News from the Centers
Bhatt Recognized by American Society of Hematology
Stanford Cancer Institute
Ami Bhatt, MD, PhD, was awarded the 2024 William Dameshek Award from the American Society of Hematology for pioneering the development and application of genomic approaches to studying the microbiome.
Fehniger Appointed to Lymphoma Research Foundation Advisory Board
Siteman Cancer Center
Todd Fehniger, MD, PhD, a Washington University physician-scientist at Siteman Cancer Center, has been named to the scientific advisory board of the Lymphoma Research Foundation.
Goyal Named ASTRO Fellow
GW Cancer Center
Sharad Goyal, MD, MS, is among 48 American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) members to receive the 2024 ASTRO Fellow (FASTRO) designation. Dr. Goyal's areas of research include improved treatment modalities and the identification of biomarkers in breast cancers.
Neurosurgeon-Scientist Elected to Academia Sinica
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Linda Liau, MD, PhD, MPH, chair of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, has been elected as an Academician of Academia Sinica—Taiwan's equivalent of the National Academy of Sciences—by the 35th Convocation of Academicians.
UNM Radiation Oncology Team Accredited by ASTRO APEx
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center
The UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center has been recognized by the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Accreditation Program for Excellence (APEx). Zoneddy Dayao, MD, is the cancer center's deputy director for clinical operations.
Robinson, Schwarz Recognized by ASTRO
Siteman Cancer Center
Washington University physicians Clifford G. Robinson, MD, and Julie K. Schwarz, MD, PhD, at Siteman Cancer Center have been named fellows of the American Society for Radiation Oncology. Additionally, Dr. Robinson has been elected to the ASTRO Board of Directors.
$4 Million Awarded to Advance Immunotherapy Treatment for Pancreatic Cancer
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Investigators from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center were awarded a $4 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to help advance immune-based therapies to improve treatments and outcomes for people diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Timothy Donahue, MD; Zev Wainberg, MD, MSc; and Caius Radu, MD, are leading the effort.
$2.6 Million Grant Received to Study Biomechanics of Lung Tumors
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Michelle Mendoza, PhD, and Jeffrey Weiss, PhD, are the recipients of a $2.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to research how tension in lung tissue affects the growth and distribution of tumors. The study examines how cells respond to mechanical signals in the progression of early benign lesions to lung adenocarcinoma.
Grant Funds Research for Therapies to Prevent Stomach Cancer
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Years of research by Vanderbilt University Medical Center to determine how precancerous cells in the stomach transition to gastric cancer and to develop preventive strategies have received federal funding to test two potential treatments. The four-year, $2.5 million Department of Defense Translational Team Science Award will launch a clinical trial in the U.S. with one of the therapies and compare it with another therapy from an ongoing trial in Japan.
Researchers Receive LLS Society Equity in Access Research Grants
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
Carma Bylund, PhD, and Stephanie Staras, PhD, have received a $2.5-million grant from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) to focus on the implementation of community oncology strategies to promote clinical trial enrollment. Raymond Mailhot, MD, and Erin Mobley, PhD, received a $741,832 grant to examine differences in the receipt and quality of Hodgkin lymphoma treatment and survivorship care by insurance type.
$2.4 Million Grant to Support Exploration of Disparities in Clinical Trial Enrollment
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Three Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers have received a grant totaling nearly $2.4 million from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to study racial and ethnic equity in clinical trials.
$1.3 Million Grant Supports High School-Focused Tech and Data Science Exposure Program
UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has been awarded a $1.3 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for its Arkansas Technology and Data Science in Health and Medicine program. The five-year grant will support an outreach exposure program focused on technology and data science in health and medicine for high school students, teachers, and the community.
Bowcock Receives Melanoma Research Grant
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Anne Bowcock, PhD, is principal investigator on a newly-awarded Melanoma Research Alliance Team Science Grant aimed at developing new, effective treatments specifically for people with the high-risk form of uveal melanoma.
NCI Grant Supports Study of Key Drivers of Lung Cancer Metastasis
UK Markey Cancer Center
A UK Markey Cancer Center researcher has received a three-year, $747,000 grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to study how lung cancer metastasizes. The work focuses on lung adenocarcinoma, a subtype of non-small cell lung cancer and the most common form of lung cancer.
Ronai Steps Down as Cancer Center Director
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
Ze’ev Ronai, PhD, is stepping down as director of Sanford Burnham Prebys, effective August 1. Cosimo Commisso, PhD, deputy director, will serve as interim head while a national search is conducted for a new director. Dr. Ronai is moving to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles where he will focus on translational research.
Expanded Leadership Roles Enhance DEI, Health Equity
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
The University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center has created two new associate director positions to further advance cancer health equity and inclusive excellence for the center’s research workforce and leadership teams. Erika Newman, MD, will serve as associate director for cancer health equity, and Simpa Salami, MD, MPH, will be associate director for research workforce and leadership development.
Sung Named Director of Center for Survivorship and Patient-Oriented Research
The University of Kansas Cancer Center
Anthony Sung, MD, has been named director of the Center for Survivorship and Patient-Oriented Research at The University of Kansas Cancer Center. Before joining KU Cancer Center, Dr. Sung was associate director of the Duke Microbiome Center and senior fellow at the Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development.
Karbstein Appointed Co-Leader of Cell Biology Research Program
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Katrin Karbstein, PhD, has been appointed co-leader of the cancer cell biology program in the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. She will develop and implement program aims, participate in strategic decision-making in the cancer center, direct pilot project funding, and assist in the recruiting activities for the 42-member program with over $11.7 million in annual peer-reviewed funding.
Barber to Lead Center for Innate Immunity and Inflammation
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute has announced the recruitment of Glen Barber, PhD, to lead the Center for Innate Immunity and Inflammation within the Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology.
Five New Leaders Appointed to Key Areas of Patient Care, Support
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Roswell Park has elevated five new leaders: Lovejeet "LJ" Awal, MSN, FNP, RN, promoted to chief of Advanced Practice Nursing; Maegan Chmura, MSN, RN, promoted to executive director of Inpatient Nursing and Nursing Operations; Claudia Diamonte, BSN, RN, promoted to executive director of Hematology-Oncology Nursing Services; Roxanne Dudish, MS, RN, appointed executive director of Transitions of Care; and Susan LaValley, PhD, named executive director of Patient Education.
Metastatic Breast Cancer Researcher Welcomed
Louisiana Cancer Research Center
Tiffany Seagroves, MBA, PhD, PMP, has joined Tulane University School of Medicine as a professor in the John W. Deming Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology. In conjunction with Tulane’s partnership in the Louisiana Cancer Research Center (LCRC), Dr. Seagroves will be assuming the role of co-lead of the LCRC’s Cancer Biology Research Program.
Study Results Reported on Treatment for Incurable Cervical Cancer
UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
The results have been published of an international clinical trial led by Michael Birrer, MD, PhD, director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), on the use of a novel bispecific antibody for women with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer.
Study Shows Elevated Cancer Risk for Women With Endometriosis
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
A study from researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U), the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the U, and Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, found that women with severe endometriosis are 10 times more likely to get ovarian cancer, compared to women who do not have the disease.
Trial of Cell-Based Therapy for High-Risk Lymphoma Leads to FDA Breakthrough Designation
Stanford Cancer Institute
In an early Stanford Medicine study, CAR T-cell therapy helps some with intractable lymphoma, but those who relapse have few options. Modifying the therapy’s molecular target improved response.
When it Comes to Cancer Trials, What is the (End)point?
Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Hematologist-oncologist Rahul Banerjee, MD, a multiple myeloma expert, highlighted how monitoring measurable residual disease, or MRD, will help clinicians more effectively monitor disease progression.
Study Identifies Disparities in Access to Proton Beam Therapy
UK Markey Cancer Center
A new UK Markey Cancer Center study reveals that many people with cancer in the U.S. do not have equal access to facilities that offer proton beam therapy. The research is a collaboration between Markey, Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Jefferson.
Sylvester Science Contributes to Guidelines for Anal Cancer
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released the first federal guidelines for anal cancer screening in people with HIV. The guidelines are based on results from a landmark study conducted partly at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and Jackson Memorial Hospital.
New Drug to Control Pain Related to Cancer Treatment Gets FDA Clearance
Stony Brook Cancer Center
Six years ago, Stony Brook University licensed a promising technology to Artelo Biosciences that identified Fatty Acid Binding Proteins (FABPs) as drug targets of the body’s endocannabinoid system for a potentially promising way to treat pain, inflammation, and cancer. Now, the first of these compounds has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for human clinical trials.
Children Genetically Prone to Cancer Benefit From Early Standardized Surveillance
Comprehensive Cancer Center St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists have shown that beginning surveillance soon after recognizing a patient’s genetic predisposition to cancer often leads to discovering one or more early-stage asymptomatic tumors.
DNA Replication Finding Could Have Implications for Cancer
University of Virginia Cancer Center
Researchers at UVA Cancer Center and the University of Alabama at Birmingham have conducted a comprehensive analysis of the results produced by five different techniques used to study the origins of DNA replication and found the results were inconsistent and could not be reconciled.
Unexpected Role of OTX2 Drives Aggressive Medulloblastoma
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, the University of Manitoba, and collaborating institutions have revealed an unexpected way in which the protein OTX2 drives the progression of medulloblastoma. The findings suggest that targeting OTX2 or its effects can have therapeutic relevance.
UV Radiation Damage Leads to Ribosome Roadblocks, Causing Early Skin Cell Death
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
In a recent study, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine suggest the cell’s messenger RNA along with a critical protein called ZAK, spur the cell’s initial response to UV radiation damage and play a critical role in whether the cell lives or dies. While UV radiation has long been known to damage DNA, it also damages mRNA, and the latest findings indicate that mRNAs act as first responders in telling the cells how to manage the stress.
Blood Test Can Detect Early-Stage Lung Cancer
The University of Kansas Cancer Center
The University of Kansas researchers have developed a new method for detecting lung cancer early: a blood test, also known as a "liquid biopsy," that detects protease enzyme activity, indicating the presence of lung cancer. Their biosensor technology is cheaper (for both patients and health systems) than a CT scan, and it detects the cancer 90 percent of the time, for both small and non-small cell lung cancer, even in patients with early stage 1 disease.
AI-Based Tool Promises Improved Treatment for Patients With DCIS of the Breast
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
A recently published study reveals a new AI-based computational pathology tool designed to better manage treatment for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The tool identifies which patients with DCIS are at higher risk of disease progression and would benefit most from radiation therapy.
Linvoseltamab Shows High Efficacy in Late-Stage RRMM
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Joshua Richter, MD, Sundar Jagannath, MBBS, and colleagues report on a Phase I/II first-in-human trial of linvoseltamab, a B-cell maturation antigen x CD3 bispecific antibody in relpased/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Linvoseltamab demonstrated high efficacy in patients with late-stage RRMM, including patients with high disease burden and high-risk features.
New Co-STAR Receptor Shows Promise Treating Cancers in Laboratory Study
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
Using genetic engineering techniques, investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Ludwig Center, the Lustgarten Laboratory and Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, have designed a novel type of cell, called Co-STAR (Co-stimulatory Synthetic T-cell receptor and Antigen Receptor), to recognize and fight cancer.
PFA Ependymoma Brain Tumors Display Unique 3D Genome Features
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
Researchers have identified unique 3-dimensional features called TULIPs in the genome of posterior fossa group A (PFA) ependymoma. The findings, by a team of researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, McGill University, and collaborating institutions, could lead to the development of new treatments.
Cancer Research Conference for Science Teachers Expands Impact
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
Nearly 135 middle and high school educators from six states across the Southeast participated in the UF Health Cancer Center’s fifth annual Cancer Research Conference for Science Teachers.
Emerging EAB Experience Program
The University of Vermont Cancer Center
The UVM Cancer Center is recruiting emerging leaders to join its external advisory board (EAB) for the 2024 review cycle. This opportunity is designed for future leaders from groups underrepresented in biomedical science and in cancer center leadership positions across the country. The deadline to apply is September 1, 2024.
Many Breast Cancer Survivors Don't Receive Genetic Testing, Despite Being Eligible
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
As cancer treatment and survivorship care relies more on understanding the genetic make up of an individual’s tumor, a study from the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center finds that many breast cancer survivors who meet criteria for genetic counseling and testing are not receiving it.
Program Helps Kids Understand Cancer Diagnosis of Loved One, Reduces Fear of Visiting Hospital
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center is among just a handful of hospitals in the country to offer certified child life specialists to support families experiencing a cancer diagnosis and prepare kids for what they will experience when visiting their loved one in an adult hospital setting.
Affiliation Provides Easier Access to Clinical Trials
UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center
Enloe Health and UC Davis Health are bringing cancer research and clinical trials to more patients in Northern California. As the newest affiliate of the UC Davis Health Cancer Care Network, Enloe Health can now open innovative clinical trials with the full support of UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center.
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Meeting Announcements
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Summit
October 19, 2024
2024 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting
October 20, 2024
The 2024 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting will be held October 20-22 at Loews Chicago Downtown Hotel in Chicago, IL. A virtual registration option is also available to those who cannot attend in person.
2025 AACI Catchment Area Data Excellence (CADEx) Conference
January 29, 2025
The 2025 AACI Catchment Area Data Excellence (CADEx) Conference will be held January 29-31, at the Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa in Coronado, CA.
2025 AACI Leadership Diversity and Development Workshop
March 11, 2025
Save the date for the 2025 AACI Leadership Diversity and Development Workshop, March 11-12, at the Loews Chicago O'Hare Hotel in Rosemont, IL. More details and registration information are forthcoming.
2025 AACI/AACR Hill Day
May 22, 2025
Save the date for the 2025 AACI/AACR Hill Day, Thursday, May 22, in Washington, DC. More details and registration information are forthcoming.
17th Annual AACI CRI Meeting
June 23, 2025
Save the date for the 17th Annual AACI CRI Meeting, June 23-25, 2025, at Loews Chicago O'Hare Hotel in Rosemont, IL.
2025 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting
October 19, 2025
Save the date for the 2025 AACI/CCAF Annual Meeting, October 19-21, at Salamander Washington DC.