The 2024 AACI Leadership Diversity and Development Workshop will be held March 12-13 at Loews Chicago O'Hare Hotel in Rosemont, IL.
Registration for the workshop is now closed. Please contact AACI Director of Operations and Events Jaime Anderson or Events Manager Dawn Gobble with any questions about registration.
AACI Update | January 2024
Headlines
Call for Abstracts: 16th Annual AACI CRI Meeting
The AACI CRI Steering Committee is currently soliciting abstracts for the 16th Annual AACI CRI Meeting. This year’s meeting theme will focus on compassion and collaboration through clinical trials. The purpose of the abstracts is to inform meeting attendees about clinical trials office challenges and solutions implemented at AACI cancer centers.
LDDW Keynote: Dr. Edith Mitchell
For over 50 years, Edith P. Mitchell, MD, MACP, FCPP, FRCP (London), has blazed trails in diverse fields, from being the first female physician to achieve the rank of Brigadier General in the United States Air Force to leading diversity programs and serving as enterprise vice president for cancer disparities at Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health. Dr. Mitchell will deliver the opening keynote at 8:00 am central time on Monday, March 12, during the 2024 AACI Leadership Diversity and Development Workshop (LDDW).
Bipartisan Knock Out Cancer Act Aims to Transform Cancer Research Landscape
Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), co-chair of the House Cancer Caucus, and Debbie Dingell (D-MI), have jointly introduced the Knock Out Cancer Act (KO Cancer Act) in the 118th Congress. This bipartisan legislation seeks to revolutionize cancer research funding by allocating a 25 percent increase to the National Cancer Institute's budget for the fiscal years 2024 through 2028.
Pictured, left to right: Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick and Debbie Dingell
AACI Endorses CONNECT for Health Act
The Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act (H.R. 4189/S.2016) was initially introduced in 2016. Reintroduced in 2023, the comprehensive, bicameral, and widely supported bill aims to expand the telehealth services covered by Medicare and to maintain and bolster the progress made during the COVID-19 pandemic.
AACI Publishes 2023 Annual Report
Affectionately deemed “the city of bridges,” Pittsburgh is home to nearly 450 bridges, connecting the city’s diverse neighborhoods across three major rivers. Though AACI is headquartered in Pittsburgh,
that is not the only reason we chose “building bridges” as the theme of the 2023 annual report. It’s also an apt summary of AACI’s work throughout the year, in which the association served as a central hub linking cancer centers with government agencies, pharmaceutical and tech companies, cancer advocacy organizations, and—most importantly—each other.
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News from the Centers
El-Deiry Elected Chair of WIN Consortium
Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University
The Worldwide Innovative Network (WIN) Consortium in precision cancer medicine and Brown University have announced the election of Wafik El-Deiry, MD, PhD, FACP, director of the Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University, as chair of the WIN Consortium.
Uzzo Receives Mentorship Award
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Robert Uzzo, MD, MBA, FACS, president and CEO of Fox Chase Cancer Center, was recently recognized with the Society of Urologic Oncology’s Joseph A. Smith Jr. Mentorship Award.
Oncologist Receives Clinical Investigator Leadership Award
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
Sherise Rogers, MD, has received the inaugural Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials: Clinical Investigator Leadership Award from Conquer Cancer, the American Society of Clinical Oncology Foundation, funded by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation. The award is named for AACI President Robert A. Winn, MD, director of VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Hayes Receives Breast Cancer Research Award
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
Daniel F. Hayes, MD, received the Brinker Award for Clinical Research from Susan G. Komen. The award recognizes physician-scientists for their work to improve breast cancer patient outcomes. Dr. Hayes has created and conducted validations studies for tumor biomarker tests, which predict prognosis, chemotherapy response, recurrence, and treatment side effects.
Bhardwaj, Merad Named Academy of Immuno-Oncology Fellows
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Nina Bhardwaj, MD, PhD, and Miriam Merad, MD, PhD, were inducted as fellows of the Academy of Immuno-Oncology, Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC), at the SITC Annual Meeting in November. They were honored as scientists who have launched the field of cancer immunotherapy and who are advancing the field and the next generation of immuno-oncologists.
Small Elected ASCO President
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has elected Eric J. Small, MD, FASCO, to serve as its president for the term beginning in June 2025. Dr. Small is deputy director and chief scientific officer of the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Investigator Receives Award for Metastatic Breast Cancer Research
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Alana Welm, PhD, senior director of basic science at Huntsman Cancer Institute and professor of oncological sciences at the University of Utah, received the 2023 American Association for Cancer Research Outstanding Investigator Award for Breast Cancer Research.
Cukierman Named to Pancreatic Cancer Research Chair
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Edna "Eti" Cukierman, PhD, co-leader of the Cancer Signaling and Microenvironment Research Program and co-director of The Marvin and Concetta Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute at Fox Chase Cancer Center, has been appointed to the newly created Marvin & Concetta Greenberg Chair in Pancreatic Cancer Research.
OSU Scientists Elected to the National Academy of Inventors
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
The National Academy of Inventors has elected Krystof Bankiewicz, MD, PhD, and Michael Tweedle, PhD (pictured), to its 2023 class of Fellows. Dr. Tweedle is a member of the Translational Therapeutics Program at OSUCCC - James.
Scientists Receive $9.1 Million to Improve Early Detection Methods for Cancer
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Researchers from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have received two grants totaling $9.1 million from the National Cancer Institute to advance liquid biopsy technologies for the early detection of cancer.
Researchers Receive $7 Million to Improve Outcomes for High-Risk Blood Cancer Patients
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Samir Parekh, MD, is the recipient of a MMRF Myeloma Accelerator Challenge Program Grant from the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Dr. Parekh and Brian Brown, PhD, will lead a network of institutions that will analyze a large cohort of patient samples at the genomic and immune level to understand the critical events that drive high-risk multiple myeloma.
Culinary Stars Raise $6.2 Million for Cancer Research
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine’s Culinary Stars Shine for Cancer Research event raised $6.2 million to support cancer research at Baylor's Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center. The event featured offerings of Houston’s rich and vibrant cuisines prepared by chefs who have conquered “Top Chef” and won James Beard and Michelin awards.
Researchers Receive $3.4 Million Grant to Detect High-Risk Oral Pre-Cancers
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
With a new $3.4 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, a team of Rogel Cancer Center researchers will develop new tools to detect changes in precancerous lesions that are likely to become oral cancers.
New Cancer Research Consortium Melds Scientific Disciplines
Cedars-Sinai Cancer
Cedars-Sinai Cancer is part of an unconventional consortium dedicated to fighting cancer through the integration of diverse scientific disciplines. The effort, known as the Convergent Science Cancer Consortium, is funded through a $3.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense.
Summer Research Programs for Students, Teachers Expanded With New Grants Totaling $3 Million
Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center
More students than ever will be able to participate in meaningful cancer-focused research experiences through summer programs at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, thanks to two new five-year grants from the National Cancer Institute totaling more than $3.3 million.
$1.5 Million Grant Funds Mobile Mammography Unit
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
For many in rural North Central Florida, access to mammography services is limited. But now, with a $1.5-million grant from University of Florida President Ben Sasse’s strategic funding initiative, the UF Health Cancer Center will launch an initiative called Expanding Access to Breast Cancer Screening in North Central Florida. Jonathan D. Licht, MD, is director of the center.
Al Achkar is New Associate Center Director for Education
Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University
Karmanos Cancer Institute welcomes Morhaf Al Achkar, MD, PhD, MSCR, FAAFP, as the associate center director for education. Dr. Al Achkar brings over 10 years of professional experience to his new role, along with valuable personal experience as a seven-year stage IV lung cancer survivor.
Hawkins Appointed Deputy Director
Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina
William Hawkins, MD, joined MUSC Hollings Cancer Center on January 1, in the newly created role of deputy director, where he will focus on strengthening translational research, increasing clinical trials across South Carolina.
Buckley Appointed Co-Leader of Cell Response and Regulation Program
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah has appointed Shannon Buckley, PhD, as co-leader of the Cell Response and Regulation Program. The program concentrates on cellular mechanisms of cancer biology and how healthy cells transform into cancer.
Director Named for Biorepository and Tissue Analysis Shared Resource
Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina
Angela J. Yoon, DDS, has been appointed director of the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center Biorepository and Tissue Analysis Shared Resource, overseeing a growing collection of cancer-associated biospecimens that allow researchers to translate biological discoveries into prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.
New Leader for Breast Cancer Program, Translational Research Integration
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Aditya Bardia, MD, has joined the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center where he will assume several leadership roles including director of translational research integration and co-director of the Breast Cancer Disease Site Group for the cancer center.
Ely Joins Thoracic Oncology Program
GW Cancer Center
Sora Ely, MD, has joined the GW Cancer Center and the GW Medical Faculty Associates as a thoracic surgeon. She treats benign and malignant pathologies of the chest and foregut.
Note: This story originally appeared in the December AACI Update with an incorrect link.
Scar Tissue Holds Hints About Pancreatic Cancer Outcome
Stanford Cancer Institute
Michael Longaker, MD, is the senior author on a study finding that scar tissue that forms around a growing pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma can indicate how long a patient is likely to live.
Pancreatic Cancer Discovery Opens the Door for New Clinical Trial
Wilmot Cancer Institute, UR Medicine
Researchers have made a breakthrough by learning about the genetic changes that occur during tumor migration – and have also found a drug that can obstruct the process. The next step is a groundbreaking clinical trial, planned for early in 2024, to test the drug on pancreatic cancer that has spread to the liver.
New Strategy for Protecting Bones From Cancer Treatment
Duke Cancer Institute
Duke University School of Medicine and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have developed a new strategy to protect bones during cancer treatment using a unique drug delivery system with tiny carriers. Researchers shielded bone-forming cells in mice after radiation by targeting a specific protein with a recently approved medication.
Research Into Targeted Treatments, Better Prediction Models in Breast Cancer Funded
Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Five Fred Hutchinson/University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Cancer Consortium researchers have received additional funding from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation to continue ongoing studies. The physician-scientists funded for another year include Nancy E. Davidson, MD; Chris Li, MD, PhD; Anne McTiernan, MD, PhD; Nora Disis, MD; and Mary-Claire King, PhD.
Colorectal Cancer Mapping Reveals a Path to Improved Immunotherapy
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
By mapping the cellular and molecular geography of colorectal cancer, Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers collaboratively have discovered why most colorectal tumors escape detection and destruction by the body’s immune system.
Country of Birth a Factor in Stomach Cancer
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami
Researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center have found that country of birth—not just geographic region—is a key risk factor for gastric intestinal metaplasia, a precursor of stomach cancer.
Nivolumab Associated With Higher Progression-Free Survival in Pediatric Advanced-Stage Hodgkin Lymphoma
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Replacing brentuximab vedotin with nivolumab in first-line treatment combined with the chemotherapy regimen AVD improved progression-free survival in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed, advanced-stage classic Hodgkin lymphoma, report the authors of a Phase III clinical trial sponsored by SWOG Cancer Research Network.
AI Helps Experts Distinguish Between Two Rare Blood Cancers
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
New evidence shows that artificial intelligence (AI) could help identify two rare blood cancers known as prefibrotic primary myelofibrosis and essential thrombocythemia. Distinguishing between these two blood cancers is difficult but critical to help guide treatment and enroll patients to clinical trials.
Researchers Find Link Between Folic Acid and Blood Cell Production
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah discovered that the level of blood and immune cells in mouse model offspring would fluctuate based on the amount of folic acid consumed by their mothers during pregnancy.
Maintaining Levels of Two Key Proteins Could Be Key to Protecting the Liver From Cancerous Cells
Cedars-Sinai Cancer
Cedars-Sinai investigators have discovered how the liver defends itself against cancer. Their study suggests targets for therapies to protect the liver both from cancers that originate there and cancers that spread to the liver from other parts of the body.
Real World Data Show Impact of Immunotherapy in Populations Underrepresented in Clinical Trials
Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center
New research finds patients treated with first-line immunotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer showed similar results in terms of survival, progression-free survival, and treatment duration, regardless of race or ethnicity, even with differences in income and insurance.
Liquid Biopsy Predicts Immunotherapy Response in Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
Using a liquid biopsy to study genetic material from tumors shed into the bloodstream together with immune cells could help clinicians predict which patients with advanced lung cancers are responding to immunotherapies and which patients may develop immune-related side effects, according to research by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute in Pittsburgh.
Studies Uncover Effects of Pre-Conception Smoking and Racial Disparities in Pediatric Leukemias
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
In a recently published study, a UCSF research team investigated the impact of pre- and post-natal exposures to tobacco smoke on the survival rate of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). They found that paternal preconception smoking decreased 5-year survival in children with AML.
Administered Earlier, Cilta-Cel CAR T Produces Deep, Durable Responses in Multiple Myeloma Patients
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
A single infusion of the CAR T cell therapy ciltacabtagene autoleucel produced deep, durable responses in multiple myeloma patients whose disease had progressed less than a year after autologous stem cell transplant or who experienced relapse after receiving up to three lines of initial therapy, as seen in the latest follow-up data for two cohorts of participants in the Phase II clinical trial CARTITUDE-2.
Hodgkin Lymphoma Prognosis, Biology Tracked With Circulating Tumor DNA
Stanford Cancer Institute
Ash Alizadeh, MD, PhD, and Maximilian Diehn, MD, PhD, are senior authors on a study finding that circulating tumor DNA can identify which Hodgkin lymphoma patients are responding well to treatment and which are likely to have a disease recurrence. It also revealed that Hodgkin lymphoma can be divided into two groups with different genetic changes and prognoses.
Clinical Trial Shows Efficacy for Atezolizumab Combined with Carboplatin
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Vanderbilt researchers led a clinical trial combining atezolizumab, an immunotherapy, in combination with chemotherapy in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer to both evaluate the efficacy of the treatment combination and to understand biomarkers of response to immunotherapy.
UNM Starts $61 Million Expansion
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center
The UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center, led by Yolanda Sanchez, PhD, has broken ground on a $61 million clinic building addition. The expansion will make room for advanced radiation treatment machines, theranostic treatment rooms, interventional radiology procedures, and cellular therapies. Dr. Sanchez is a member of AACI's Board of Directors.
Unique Summer Trainee Program Launched
Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University
The Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University, the American Cancer Society (ACS), and Morehouse School of Medicine have joined to support an extended cancer research internship experience at Brown. The summer program originated via an ACS-Fostering Innovation Award granted to Wafik S. El-Deiry, MD, PhD, FACP, director of the cancer center.
Novel Community Engagement, Research Effort in Head and Neck Cancer Launches
Duke Cancer Institute
The Duke University School of Medicine Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences recently launched Project CHECKERS (Community Head and NEck Cancer Knowledge, Engagement, Research and Screening), a Duke Cancer Institute-funded pilot project to bring head and neck cancer resources and education to the community.
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Meeting Announcements
2024 AACI Leadership Diversity and Development Workshop
March 12, 2024
2024 AACI/AACR Hill Day
May 16, 2024
Register today for the 2024 AACI/AACR Hill Day, Thursday, May 16, in Washington, DC. Registration closes at 5:00 pm eastern time on Tuesday, May 7.
16th Annual AACI CRI Meeting
June 24, 2024
The 16th Annual AACI CRI Meeting will be held June 24-26 at Loews Chicago O'Hare Hotel in Rosemont, IL.
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.
17th Annual AACI CRI Meeting
June 23, 2025
Register today 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.