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.
AACI Update | March 2025
Headlines
Theodorescu Appointed Director of the University of Arizona Cancer Center
Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, has been appointed director of the University of Arizona Cancer Center. Dr. Theodorescu is a leader in bladder cancer research. He has also served as director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer, in Los Angeles, and the University of Colorado Cancer Center.
Stand Up for Science Rallies Set for March 7 Nationwide
Stand Up for Science is supporting rallies in Washington, DC, and 31 other U.S. cities on Friday, March 7. The grassroots group aims to defend science as a public good and a pillar of social, political, and economic progress, calling on policymakers, institutions, and the scientific community to uphold the integrity of science and ensure it benefits all people. At least 40 AACI member cancer centers are located within an hour of a rally site and we encourage you to participate in a rally near you.
Register Today for the 17th Annual AACI CRI Meeting
Registration is open for the 17th Annual AACI Clinical Research Innovation (CRI) Meeting, June 23-25 at the Loews Chicago O'Hare Hotel in Rosemont, IL. A discounted early registration rate will be available through Monday, March 17. The programming for this year's CRI meeting, "Driving Solutions Together," will center on fostering inclusive practices and expanding community impact.
Join AACI and AACR in Washington for 2025 Hill Day
Registration is now open for AACI's joint Hill Day with the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), which will take place on Thursday, May 22, in Washington, DC.
Your participation in Hill Day is crucial to sharing our message with legislators: that stable, predictable funds for the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute are critical for advancing research and care at our nation’s cancer centers.
Register for Upcoming PCLI, CARDS Webinars
Registration is open for two upcoming AACI webinars. "From Outreach to Action: Embedding Community Perspectives in Cancer Research" is scheduled for Thursday, March 20, and "Statistical Approaches to Bridging Gaps in Catchment Area Data" will be held on Tuesday, March 25. As always, AACI webinars are free and open to all faculty and staff at our member cancer centers.
Nominations Open for 2025 AACI Awards
Pictured, clockwise from top: 2024 recipients of AACI's Champion for Cures, Distinguished Scientist, and Cancer Health Equity awards
Photos by Randy Belice
IgniteData Joins AACI Tech Gold
AACI welcomes IgniteData to its Tech Gold members. IgniteData exists to help researchers collect and study patient data fast, enabling vital treatments to reach patients sooner and deliver modern clinical trials. The company's market-leading data transfer technology, Archer, brings the benefits of fast, accurate EHR-to-EDC data transfer to both sites and sponsors.
See insights from IgniteData's recent roundtable discussion with AACI members.
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Webinar: MI Cancer Seek
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At Markey Cancer Center, we’re breaking down barriers to advance innovations in cancer research on a global scale. Read the full story at ukhealthcare.com/cancer.
News from the Centers
Blood Cancer Expert Honored With Research Award
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
The GVHD Alliance has honored Shernan Holtan, MD, chief of blood and marrow transplantation at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, as the recipient of the 2025 Lukas D. Wartman Award. This recognition acknowledges Dr. Holtan’s groundbreaking contributions to improving outcomes for patients battling graft-versus-host disease.
Postdoctoral Associate Selected as Forbeck Scholar
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Emma Guilbaud, PhD, a postdoctoral associate at Fox Chase Cancer Center, has been selected as a Forbeck Scholar by the William Guy Forbeck Research Foundation. This appointment recognizes early career cancer researchers for their achievements, research, and dedication to the field.
Ronai Earns Outstanding Investigator Award
Cedars-Sinai Cancer
Ze’ev Ronai, PhD, director of the Translational Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai, has received an Outstanding Investigator Award from the National Cancer Institute. The award comes with approximately $4.2 million over seven years to support research on how melanoma cells evade cancer therapies and the body’s immune system. This is the second time that Dr. Ronai has received the award.
Federal Funding Received to Integrate Clinical Research Into Primary Care Practices
Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma
With $1.2 million in initial funding, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences researchers will help the National Institutes of Health build a nationwide infrastructure that ultimately will improve access to clinical studies and help primary care clinicians more quickly implement new medical evidence into the everyday care they provide.
Federal Program Expands Treatment to Rural and Frontier Communities
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah has received a federal contract award that will broaden access to specialized cancer care for Utah’s rural and frontier patients. The five-year research project was awarded by the ARPA-H PARADIGM program. HCI will accomplish the program objectives by building upon its existing Huntsman at Home™ program.
Chang to Lead Houston Methodist Academic Institute
Houston Methodist Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center
Jenny Chang, MD, MBBChir, MHCM, has been chosen to lead the Houston Methodist Academic Institute. Dr. Chang has led the Dr. Mary and Ron Neal Cancer Center since 2010. Nestor F. Esnaola, MD, MPH, MBA, FACS, will serve as interim director of the cancer center while a national search is conducted to replace Dr. Chang.
New Interim Leadership Announced
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center has announced a new interim director, Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH, and interim deputy director, José P. Zevallos, MD, MPH. The former interim director, Jeremy Rich, MD, MHS, MBA, has accepted a new role outside the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC.
Davis Named Surgical Oncology Lead
University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center
This news has been reposted under the correct source.
Jeremy L. Davis, MD, was named the new surgical oncology lead for the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center and chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology in the Department of Surgery at University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Co-Located Cell Types Help Drive Aggressive Brain Tumors
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
A type of aggressive, treatment-resistant brain tumor has a distinct population of immune cells that support its growth, according to new research led by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Study Shows End-of-Life Cancer Care Lacking for Medicare Patients
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Many Medicare patients with advanced cancer receive potentially aggressive treatment at the expense of supportive care, according to an analysis of Medicare records. The study examined the quality of end-of-life care among 33,744 Medicare decedents from diverse ethnic backgrounds, age 66 or older, who died from breast, prostate, pancreatic, or lung cancers.
New Trial Reveals Major Advance in Treatment of Aggressive Lymphoma
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
An international team of doctors led by Joshua Brody, MD, director of the Lymphoma Immunotherapy Program at The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai, has made a major breakthrough in treating a common and challenging form of cancer called diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
Research Shows Promising Outcomes for Prostate Cancer Patients Treated With Olaparib
Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center
At the 25th annual Meeting of the Society of Urologic Oncology, Daniel J. George, MD, presented a session on real-world treatment and clinical outcomes for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer treated with olaparib. Dr. George co-chairs the Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers at the Duke Cancer Institute.
Researchers Identify DNA Changes, Biological Pathways Associated With Inherited Cancer Risk
Stanford Cancer Institute
Stanford researchers have conducted the first large-scale screen of single nucleotide variants, homing in on fewer than 400 that are essential to initiate and drive cancer growth. These variants control several common biological pathways, including those governing whether and how well a cell can repair damage to its DNA, how it produces energy, and how it interacts with and moves through its microenvironment.
Urine Test for Prostate Cancer May Be Appropriate for Home Use
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Researchers at Vanderbilt and the University of Michigan have shown that a simple at-home urine test for prostate cancer screening is highly accurate. The results build on a prior Vanderbilt study of prostate cancer screening that required a digital rectal exam. Traditional prostate cancer screening with PSA (prostate-specific antigen) testing and biopsy has been shown to lead to unnecessary procedures and overdiagnosis of low-grade cancers.
Cancer Interception: the First HPV Antiviral Treatment Fights Pre-Cancers
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center
Like a football team disrupting the opponent’s play, researchers at UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center are designing a gel to prevent cancers caused by human papillomaviruses (HPVs). With no other antiviral treatments for HPV diseases available, the antiviral gel may help people who are unable to get the HPV vaccine. The gel repurposes an FDA-approved melanoma treatment and is currently in preclinical studies.
New Combination Treatment Strategy Dramatically Increases Cell Death in Leukemia
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
Scientists at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified an innovative combination of treatment strategies that work collaboratively to effectively kill acute myeloid leukemia (AML). New research findings suggest that a class of drugs known as MCL-1 (myeloid leukemia cell-1) inhibitors interact with a type of kinase inhibitor that targets the SRC gene to efficiently trigger cell death in AML cells.
Study Sets Benchmark for Treatment of Advanced Cervical Cancer
UK Markey Cancer Center
A new UK Markey Cancer Center study provides important insights for future clinical trials in treating advanced cervical cancer by establishing a five-month progression-free survival benchmark for evaluating new therapies.
Study Establishes Link Between Early Side Effects From Prostate Cancer Radiation and Long-Term Side Effects
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Men undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer who experience side effects early in treatment may face a higher risk of developing more serious long-term urinary and bowel health issues, according to a new study led by investigators from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Jumbled Proteins Paint a Bold Target on the Backs of Brain Tumors
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
Researchers at UC San Francisco have found that some cancers, like glioma, make unique, jumbled proteins that make them stand out. These newly recognized cancer-specific proteins, or antigens, could speed the development of immunotherapies that recognize and attack hard-to-treat tumors.
Team Proposes CDK2 Enzyme as New Target for Cancer Therapy
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
An enzyme called cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) regulates the cell cycle and may have the potential to drive therapeutic resistance to common breast cancer drugs – including a class of targeted treatments known as CDK4/6 inhibitors. A new study led by Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center scientists highlights the therapeutic impact of CDK2 inhibitors.
Long-Term Survival Following CAR T Cell Therapy to Treat Neuroblastoma
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
An 18-year survivor of neuroblastoma, a solid childhood tumor that develops in immature nerve cells, is believed to represent the longest reported remission to date in a patient treated with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy.
Plant Extract Inspires New Chemistry and New Early Lead Against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
Emory University chemists invented a reaction to streamline the total synthesis of a compound, phaeocaulisin A, extracted from a plant used in traditional Chinese medicine. In laboratory dish experiments conducted with biologists at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, researchers showed the compound’s efficacy against HER2-positive breast cancer cells and triple-negative breast cancer cells. An analogue of the compound boosted this efficacy.
Repair Drive: Precision Gene Therapy for Liver Disorders
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
Precisely fixing disease-causing gene mutations in the liver is especially difficult. To address this challenge, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Rice University have developed a new method of gene therapy called Repair Drive. This technology greatly increases the number of correctly repaired cells in the liver, while eliminating cells with incorrect edits.
Researchers Discover Why Some Colon Cancers Resist Treatment
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Researchers at The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai have uncovered a major reason why some colorectal cancers resist treatment. Their study reveals that cancer cells can revert to a fetal-like state, helping them survive and grow despite treatment. This phenomenon, termed "oncofetal reprogramming," enables some tumor cells to diversify their molecular characteristics and behavior, allowing them to evade chemotherapy.
Scientists Identify Epigenetic Key That May Open Door to Colon Cancer
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
A gene called high mobility group A1 (HMGA1) may be the key that opens the door to the development of colon cancer, according to research led by investigators from Johns Hopkins University's Kimmel Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Department of Pathology, and the Johns Hopkins Institute for Cell Engineering.
Short-Course Radiation Therapy Effective for Endometrial Cancer Patients
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
In a randomized clinical trial, researchers from Huntsman Cancer Institute have found that short-course, higher dose vaginal brachytherapy for endometrial cancer had similar effectiveness to more frequent, lower dose sessions.
Algorithm-Based Approach Improves Access to Palliative Care
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
A new study demonstrates that embedding an algorithm-driven referral system into electronic health records significantly increases palliative care utilization for patients with advanced cancer. The Be-A-PAL trial, a pragmatic randomized controlled study, tested an automated default referral system for outpatient palliative care across 15 clinics in the Tennessee Oncology network.
New Blood Test Helps Predict Survival of Advanced Prostate Cancer Patients
Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center
A new blood test can help predict the survival of patients with advanced prostate cancer, according to research published by Duke Cancer Institute members and done in collaboration with researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
Research Team Develops New Compound With Cancer-Fighting Properties
UK Markey Cancer Center
University of Kentucky researchers have developed a new class of gold-based compounds that show promise in fighting various types of cancer. Their study showed that the compounds could kill cancer cells by disrupting their energy production.
Researchers Review Guidelines for Therapies Given to Melanoma Patients Before and After Initial Treatment
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers, with colleagues from Moffitt Cancer Center, recently published an updated review of guidelines governing the use of neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy for patients with melanoma.
Speculum Exams Unnecessary for HPV Screening
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
In two studies, University of Michigan researchers are the first to demonstrate in the U.S. that self-sampling is just as effective as speculum-based testing for human papillomavirus (HPV) detection.
Study Characterizes Risks and Benefits of Lung Cancer Screening
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
By characterizing the demographics and comorbidities of patients screened for lung cancer in three states, a new study led by the UF Health Cancer Center lays the groundwork for a personalized approach to screening for the deadliest cancer.
Can Scientists Throw a Wrench Into Cancer Growth Gears?
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
For decades, scientists have tried to stop cancer by disabling the mutated proteins that are found in tumors. But many cancers overcome this and continue to grow. Now, UCSF scientists think they have figured out how to throw a wrench into the fabrication of a key protein, MYC, that drives the growth of 70 percent of all cancers. Unlike some other targets of cancer therapies, MYC can be dangerous simply due to its abundance.
Research Sheds New Light on a Key Ovarian Cancer Biomarker
The University of Kansas Cancer Center
A team of scientists at The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s Cancer Biology research program are exploring ways to improve the CA125 blood test, one of the primary tools for detecting ovarian cancer, as well as developing new methods for identifying ovarian cancer biomarkers.
Targeting Protein Restores Aging Blood Cells, Researchers Find
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
UF Health Cancer Center researchers have discovered a way to prevent chronic inflammation in blood and tissues, called "inflammaging," by systemically targeting a protein. The findings in mice could pave the way for therapies aimed at preserving an aging blood system, with implications for cancer treatments and aging-related diseases, including anemias, infections, and blood cancers.
Innovative CT Scan Technique Could Improve Prognosis and Treatments for Head and Neck Cancers
University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center
A team of researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center have analyzed the pre-treatment CT scans of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma to locate radiomic biomarkers that can be used to predict the aggressiveness of the disease and its response to treatment.
Trastuzumab Emtansine Improves Long-Term Survival in HER2 Breast Cancer
UPMC Hillman Cancer Center
In patients with high-risk HER2-positive breast cancer, postsurgery, or adjuvant, treatment with trastuzumab emtansine reduced the long-term risk of death or invasive disease by 46 percent and improved survival compared to trastuzumab alone, according to the final results of the phase 3 KATHERINE clinical trial led by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.
WHO, St. Jude Partner on International Delivery of Childhood Cancer Medicines
Comprehensive Cancer Center St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Through the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines, the World Health Organization (WHO) and St. Jude have begun distributing critically-needed childhood cancer medicines in two of six pilot countries. Medicines are currently being delivered to Mongolia and Uzbekistan, with shipments planned for Ecuador, Jordan, Nepal, and Zambia.
Massey Partners With Hollings to Empower Next Generation of Cancer Center Leaders
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
In January, VCU Massey welcomed the inaugural cohort for the Executive Leadership Academy for Cancer Centers, an 18-month intensive leadership academy in partnership with Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina. The robust curriculum empowers scientists who are interested in becoming future leaders of National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Centers.
Now Streaming: Season 9 of the Advocates in Action Podcast
Patient Advocate Foundation
Season 9 of the Patient Advocate Foundation's (PAF) acclaimed podcast, Advocates in Action, is now streaming. Please listen to the first episode, featuring PAF's Gwen Darien in conversation with Freddie White-Johnson, Robert A. Winn, MD, and Reginald Tucker-Seeley, ScD, as they share the common and unique barriers to care in the regions they serve, along with the solutions they champion.
Tobacco Settlement Delivers Lung Cancer Screenings to More Oklahomans
Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma
OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center has launched a mobile lung cancer screening bus, in collaboration with the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust and others, to bring critical early detection capabilities directly to communities across Oklahoma.
Stanford Infuses First Patient With Innovative Solid Tumor Therapy
Stanford Cancer Institute
Stanford has treated its first patient with Tecelra, an engineered T cell receptor (TCR) therapy that uses a patient’s own immune cells to target the cancer. Tecelra is the first FDA-approved, engineered TCR therapy and the first drug to receive FDA approval specifically for synovial sarcoma. Tecelra is also the second cell therapy approved for solid tumors.
Legacy of Theranostics Innovation Transforms Cancer Care
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
UCLA Health is celebrating one year of treating patients with advanced prostate, thyroid, and neuroendocrine cancers at its Outpatient Theranostics Center, one of the largest clinics of its kind in the United States. The 3,000-square-foot facility continues the health system’s decade-long involvement the field of theranostics, which uses advanced imaging and radiopharmaceuticals to target tumors with precision.
Cancer Center Jobs
Director, Early Phase Clinical Trials & Precision Therapeutics
UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
Read moreExecutive Service Line Administrator
Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa
Read moreOpen Rank Faculty Position in Head and Neck Surgery Research
Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center
Read moreMeeting Announcements
2025 AACI Leadership Diversity and Development Workshop
March 11, 2025
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.