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 | March 2024
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Register for the 16th Annual AACI CRI Meeting
Registration is open for the 16th Annual AACI Clinical Research Innovation (CRI) Meeting, which will be held June 24-26 at the Loews Chicago O'Hare Hotel in Rosemont, IL. The programming for this year's CRI meeting, "Compassion and Collaboration Through Clinical Trials," aims to stimulate cancer center interactions and maximize resources by creating opportunities for peer-to-peer networking and collaboration.
PCLI Webinar: Not Your Typical Wellness Talk
AACI's Physician Clinical Leadership Initiative (PCLI) will host a free webinar, titled “Not Your Typical Wellness Talk,” at 3:00 pm eastern time on Thursday, March 28. Webinar panelists are Quan Ly, MD, FACS, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center; Sarah Richards, MD, FACP, University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine; and Steven Wengel, MD, University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Dr. Karen Winkfield to Deliver Leadership Diversity Keynote
A thought leader in the areas of workforce diversity and health equity, Karen Winkfield, MD, PhD, is the executive director of the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance, holds faculty positions at both Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University, and was appointed by President Joe Biden to the National Cancer Advisory Board in 2021. Dr. Winkfield will deliver the opening keynote at 8:00 am central time on Monday, March 12, during the 2024 AACI Leadership Diversity and Development Workshop.
Nominations Open for Cancer Research Ally Award, Hill Day Scholarships
Nominations are being accepted for the annual Cancer Research Ally Award, which will be presented to one Democrat and one Republican member of Congress at a reception before the 2024 AACI/AACR Hill Day. AACI is also accepting nominations for Hill Day scholarship recipients. The scholarships enable patient advocates to attend the event and share their perspectives during congressional meetings.
Ask Your Representatives to Support the Knock Out Cancer Act
Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), co-chair of the House Cancer Caucus, and Debbie Dingell (D-MI), jointly introduced the Knock Out (KO) Cancer Act for the 118th Congress in December 2023. 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. Write to your legislators today to urge them to support the KO Cancer Act.
News from the Centers
Cancer Research Institute Recognizes Bhardwaj
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Nina Bhardwaj, MD, PhD, is the recipient of a Cancer Research Institute (CRI)/Oliver R. Grace CLIP grant. Recognition of Dr. Bhardwaj as a Clinic and Laboratory Integration Program (CLIP) investigator distinguishes her as one of the CRI’s most promising scientists.
Cedars-Sinai Radiation Oncology Earns Top Accreditation
Cedars-Sinai Cancer
The Department of Radiation Oncology at Cedars-Sinai Cancer has earned accreditation from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Accreditation Program for Excellence.
UAMS Achieves $30 Million Fundraising Goal for NCI Designation
UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) met its $30 million fundraising goal for the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute’s campaign to achieve National Cancer Institute designation. The fundraising milestone was achieved with a $5 million gift from the Chris Fowler family. In total, 8,700 philanthropic gifts have been received from Arkansans and donors across the U.S. to support this campaign.
Behnke Family Commits $15 Million to Support Fred Hutch Campaign
Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Carl and Renée Behnke have donated $15 million to help launch a fundraising campaign and accelerate precision oncology research at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. In recognition of the gift, an 80-unit building that offers affordable short-term lodging to patients is being renamed the Behnke Family House.
Duke Collaboration Results in Multi-Million Dollar Award to Support Blood Cancer Research
Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center
Ken H. Young, MD, PhD, and colleagues at Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences have identified mutational cancer drivers and microenvironment factors for the progression of myeloma and lymphoma and to generate effective agents for cancer prevention and treatment. Their work led to a National Cancer Institute grant totaling $4.65 million.
$3.7 Million NIH Grant Will Boost Study of New Cancer Therapy
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
In a major advancement for cancer research at the University of Michigan, Mats Ljungman, PhD, has been awarded a $3.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. The funds will be used to build on Dr. Ljungman's innovative work in cancer therapy.
$1.3 Million Gift From Curing Kids Cancer Endows Cancer Professorship
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
Curing Kids Cancer has awarded a $1.3 million gift to Winship Cancer Institute with $1 million to create an endowed professorship and $300,000 for immediate research funding. Kelly Goldsmith, MD, has been named the inaugural Curing Kids Cancer Professor of Pediatric Oncology.
$1.1 Million Grant Supports Research in Breast Cancer Survivorship Among Black Women
Rutgers Cancer Institute
Bo (Bonnie) Qin, PhD, has received $1.1 million from the American Cancer Society to support her research on the impact of lifestyle patterns, social determinants of health, and inflammatory mechanisms on breast cancer survivorship among Black women.
Nursing Researchers Receive Grant to Increase Clinical Trial Enrollment of Underrepresented Kidney Cancer Patients
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
A team of nursing researchers from Fox Chase Cancer Center and Temple Health has received a $564,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to fund research into increasing clinical trial enrollment of underrepresented kidney cancer patients by making it easier for them to participate in such trials.
Macleod Named Associate Director for Basic Sciences
The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center
Kay Macleod, PhD, has been appointed as the associate director for basic sciences for the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center. The role was previously held for many years by Geoffrey Greene, PhD. Dr. Macleod is also a program co-leader of the center's Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Research Program.
Bloom Named System Director of Cardio-Oncology
Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health
Michelle Bloom, MD, has joined NYU Langone Health as system director of the Cardio-Oncology Program, which provides specialized care to protect patients’ heart health throughout cancer treatment and survivorship. Previously, Dr. Bloom served as co-director of the Cardio-Oncology Program at Stony Brook University Hospital.
New Senior Director of Cancer Training and Career Enhancement Appointed
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Huntsman Cancer Institute recently welcomed Katharine S. Ullman, PhD, into a new position of leadership. Dr. Ullman is celebrated for her advocacy in training and mentoring and dedication to learning.
Rutgers Unveils Leadership Enhancements
Rutgers Cancer Institute
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey has modified its leadership structure, elevating two associate director functions to deputy director positions. Andrew M. Evens, DO, MBA, MSc, is deputy director for clinical services; Linda Tanzer is deputy director for administration and planning and chief financial and administrative officer; and Eileen White, PhD, will continue in the roles of deputy director and chief scientific officer.
Health Equity Expert Appointed Deputy Director
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Monica L. Baskin, PhD, has been appointed deputy director of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center where she will expand her efforts aimed at reducing health disparities, advancing the science of community outreach and engagement, and promoting representation in the workforce and clinical trials.
New Chief of Neuro-Oncology and Co-Director of Brain and Spine Tumor Center Named
Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone Health
Alexandra Miller, MD, PhD, has been named chief of the Neuro-Oncology Program and a co-director of the Brain and Spine Tumor Center at NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center. She joins NYU Langone from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Wells Named Assistant Director for Community Outreach and Engagement
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
Jessica Wells, PhD, FAAN, has been named assistant director for community outreach and engagement at Winship Cancer Institute. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and president-elect of the board of the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health.
Draetta to Serve as Principal Investigator of CCSG at MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Giulio Draetta, MD, PhD, will serve as principal investigator (PI) of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center's Cancer Center Support Grant. Historically, MD Anderson’s president served as PI; however, this change addresses the demands of an increasingly complex organization and will optimize the institution’s programming and support for the grant.
Research Reveals Extent of Undiagnosed Cancer Cases Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
UK Markey Cancer Center
More than 134,000 cancer cases went undiagnosed in the U.S. during the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new UK Markey Cancer Center study. The report provides the first estimates of missed cancer diagnoses in 2020 using nationwide surveillance data.
Scientists Use Cancer's Strength to Fight Against It
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
Scientists at UC San Francisco and Northwestern Medicine, who are studying mutations in malignant T cells that cause lymphoma, have zeroed in on one that imparted exceptional potency to engineered T cells, which was able to kill solid tumors derived from skin, lung, and stomach tissues in mice.
Novel Drug Combination Shows Promise for Advanced HER2-Negative Breast Cancer
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
A novel three-drug combination achieved notable responses in patients with advanced HER2-negative breast cancer, according to new research directed by investigators from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. The treatment included a histone deacetylase inhibitor with two types of checkpoint inhibitors.
Blood Cancer Discovery Identifies High-Risk Patients, Could Improve Outcomes
University of Virginia Cancer Center
University of Virginia Cancer Center researchers have developed a new way to identify high-risk patients with acute myeloid leukemia, which could one day lead to more tailored treatments and improved patient outcomes for patients with the blood cancer.
First-of-Its-Kind Compound Opens New Avenue in Immunotherapy Treatment for Cancers
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
A team of UF Health Cancer Center researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind compound that could open a new avenue for using immunotherapy to treat various types of cancer.
Nanodrug May Be a Paradigm Shift for Cancer
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
A multidisciplinary Vanderbilt research team has discovered a new way to kill a tumor by disrupting its acidic "microenvironment" without harming normal tissue. The target of this unorthodox approach is hydroxyapatite, a naturally occurring mineral that is a major component of bone and teeth, but which also is produced by some tumors.
CRISPR-Cas13d Platform Could Lead to Upgrades in Cell Therapies for Cancer
Stanford Cancer Institute
A study led by Stanford researchers found that an RNA-targeting CRISPR platform could tune immune cell metabolism without permanent genetic changes, potentially unveiling a relatively low-risk way to upgrade existing cell therapies for cancer.
Stem Cell Researchers Pioneer New Technology to Test Chemotherapies and Other Cancer Drugs for Heart Toxicity
Cedars-Sinai Cancer
To help protect the hearts of cancer patients, Cedars-Sinai investigators have created a three-dimensional "heart-on-a-chip" to evaluate chemotherapy and other cancer drug safety. In a new study, they show that the heart-on-a-chip, created using stem cells, accurately predicts the effects of drugs on human heart cells.
Study Defines Mechanisms Underlying Promising Precision Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
A study led by scientists at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center details evidence on the therapeutic efficacy of a compound that targets a key genetic feature of pancreatic cancer. The work illustrates potential clinical applications for the novel anticancer agent MRTX1133 and outlines its effect on both the tumor and the surrounding environment.
Comprehensive Care Improves Outcomes in Adult Lymphoblastic Leukemia
The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center
A team of UChicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers have examined the contribution of biological, social, and economic factors on outcomes among adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Their findings suggest that improved access to multidisciplinary medical care, coupled with essential supportive care services offered at centers experienced in ALL care, may alleviate socioeconomic disparities in ALL outcomes.
Novel Liquid Biopsy of Lymph Fluid Could Guide Precision Treatment for Head and Neck Cancer
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
Lymphatic fluid from surgical drains, which is usually tossed in the trash, is a treasure in the hands of University of Pittsburgh and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis researchers who found that this liquid could inform more precise treatments for patients with head and neck cancer caused by human papillomavirus.
Oldest Patient to Achieve Remission for Leukemia and HIV Successfully Treated
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
Newly published research demonstrates that older adults with blood cancers who receive reduced intensity chemotherapy before a stem cell transplant with donor cells that are resistant to HIV may be cured of HIV infection.
Researchers Discover Why One Type of Chemotherapy Works Best in Bladder Cancer
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Tisch Cancer Institute researchers discovered that a certain type of chemotherapy improves the immune system’s ability to fight off bladder cancer, particularly when combined with immunotherapy, according to a new study.
Study Shows Expanded Cancer Gene Testing Feasible, Beneficial for Patients
UK Markey Cancer Center
A new UK Markey Cancer Center study demonstrates a feasible way to expand germline genetic testing for patients with cancer. In the study, Markey's molecular tumor board reviewed germline research test results from a group of patients with various cancers. Findings were then communicated to patients' oncologists, along with recommendations for genetic counseling and confirmatory testing.
Decoding the Genes Behind Dolastatin 10 Paves Way for New Cancer Therapeutics
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
University of Florida College of Pharmacy researchers have pinpointed the genetic blueprints behind dolastatin 10, a marine natural product that has led to six FDA-approved cancer drugs since 2011. The discovery could unlock the potential for new cancer therapeutics.
Is Lung Cancer Treatment Working? This Chip Can Tell From a Blood Draw
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
Using a chip to process blood samples, doctors can monitor the amount of cancer cells in a patient’s blood to determine how well a treatment is working by the fourth week, according to a new study by University of Michigan researchers.
Simple Blood Protein Tests Predict Which Lymphoma Patients Are Most Likely to Have Poor CAR T Outcomes
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
In newly published work, a team of collaborators from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and Moffitt Cancer Center report the first strategy for identifying before treatment which patients are at risk for poor outcomes from CAR T-cell therapy – pointing to opportunities to improve the safety and efficacy of this new and fast-growing class of cancer immunotherapies.
Tumor Biology May Underlie Racial Differences in Certain Breast Cancer Outcomes
Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center
Regardless of socioeconomic factors and tumor variables, Black women with triple negative breast cancer have a significantly poorer response to chemotherapy than white women, researchers at Duke Cancer Institute report.
Age-Related Changes in Fibroblast Cells Promote Pancreatic Cancer Growth, Spread
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
Older people may be at greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer and have poorer prognoses because of age-related changes in cells in the pancreas called fibroblasts, according to research by Johns Hopkins investigators.
Inosine Induces Stemness Features in CAR T Cells and Enhances Potency
Stanford Cancer Institute
A Stanford-led study found that inosine supplementation in the CAR T-cell manufacturing process induced profound metabolic reprogramming, diminishing glycolysis, increasing mitochondrial and glycolytic capacity, glutaminolysis and polyamine synthesis; and reprogrammed the epigenome toward greater stemness.
Study Points to Possible New Therapy for Advanced Kidney Cancer
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
A kidney cancer clinical trial combined the experimental drug guadecitabine with the drug durvalumab, which works to stimulate the immune system. In phase Ib of the trial, scientists found this drug combination to be safe with tolerable side effects among six patients.
Two Common Biomarkers Predict Heart Risk in Asymptomatic Childhood Cancer Survivors
Comprehensive Cancer Center St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Data from the St. Jude lifetime cohort study revealed that two common biomarkers of cardiac function and damage could better predict cardiomyopathy within five years than routine clinical evaluations in high-risk, asymptomatic childhood cancer survivors. Early detection through screening using these two biomarkers may lead to earlier treatment to prevent and protect against further heart damage.
Fatty Acids Rewire Energy Supply Chain in Stomach Cancer Development
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
A new study shows that oncogenic metabolic rewiring is an essential adaptation for the high energy demand of abnormal, dysplastic cells. In a mouse model, researchers introduced the KRAS oncogene in gastric chief cells to drive a sequential carcinogenic cascade of gastric cancer and identified the metabolic reprogramming that leads to dysplastic progression by turning on altered fatty acid metabolism.
Novel Bispecific Design Improves CAR T-cell Immunotherapy for Childhood Leukemia
Comprehensive Cancer Center St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists improved chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T–cell immunotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), demonstrating better efficacy in the lab. To overcome common problems with CAR T cells, the researchers created an additional means for the therapy to find and eliminate cancer cells, using a small peptide.
UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute to Seek National Designation
UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute
Rodney Rocconi, MD, director of the UMMC Cancer Center and Research Institute (CCRI), has been tasked with enhancing CCRI's mission of combating cancer through UMMC’s three-part mission of clinical care, research, and education. His first order of business: to begin the journey towards National Cancer Institute designation.
Winn Career Development Award Applications Open
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
The Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Award Program (Winn Awards) is designed to increase diversity in clinical trials and transform the clinical research landscape. Applications for one of the Winn Awards' signature programs, the Winn Career Development Award, are being accepted through Monday, May 13.
New Radiation Therapy Targets Tumors More Precisely
Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa
UI Health Care is the first medical center in North America—and the second in the world—to cross over into the next phase of MR-Linac technology, offering even more precise real-time targeting of soft tissue tumors with radiation therapy.
Early Detection Project Launches to Arrest Cancer Before It Spreads
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
UC San Francisco is embarking on a bold initiative to catch cancer in its earliest forms and prevent it from progressing. Led by Margaret Tempero, MD, the new Cancer Early Detection and Interception initiative aims to detect and halt cancer before it takes root and spreads.
Spurring Action Against Cervical Cancer
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center
During the last days of January, which was Cervical Cancer Awareness month, Prajakta Adsul, MBBS, PhD, MPH, headed for Washington, DC, to participate in the inaugural White House Cervical Cancer Forum hosted by the Office of Science and Technology Policy, through the Biden Moonshot Initiative.
New Digital Tool Aims to Improve Treatment Plans for Pediatric Cancer Patients
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Jonathan Constance, PhD, associate member in the Cell Response and Regulation Program at Huntsman Cancer Institute, is seeking to better understand how medications can be used more safely and effectively in different patient populations, especially pediatric cancer patients.
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Meeting Announcements
2024 AACI Leadership Diversity and Development Workshop
March 12, 2024
PCLI Webinar | Not Your Typical Wellness Talk
March 28, 2024
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
AACI's Physician Clinical Leadership Initiative (PCLI) will host "Not Your Typical Wellness Talk" on Thursday, March 28 at 3:00 pm eastern time. Presenters are Quan Ly, MD, FACS, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Centers; Sarah Richards, MD, FACP, University of Nebraska Medical Center and Nebraska Medicine; and Steven Wengel, MD, University of Nebraska Medical Center. This free webinar is open to all AACI members.
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
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.