VCU Massey Cancer Center will present the 1st Annual Catchment Area Data (CADA) Conference: Beyond Definition, December 7-9, in Richmond, VA. The conference is open to AACI members and all eligible staff, faculty, students, and post-doc trainees from cancer centers who provide education, resources, and support within their defined catchment area.
AACI Update | November 2023
Headlines
Mesecar Named Director of Purdue Institute for Cancer Research
Andrew Mesecar, PhD, distinguished professor of biochemistry and the Walther Professor in Cancer Structural Biology, has been named assistant vice president for research and director of the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research after serving since August 2022 as interim director. Dr. Mesecar was chosen for the position after a nationwide search and his new role became effective September 1.
Internationally-Recognized Thoracic Oncologist Named Executive Director of UMGCCC
Taofeek K. Owonikoko, MD, PhD, has been appointed executive director of the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC). Dr. Owonikoko will also take on several faculty appointments at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore. He will begin his tenure in January 2024, taking over from Kevin J. Cullen, MD, who is stepping down as director after 20 years.
Save the Date: AACI Leadership Diversity and Development Workshop
AACI will hold the 2024 Leadership Diversity and Development Workshop (LDDW), March 11-13, at Loews Chicago O'Hare Hotel in Rosemont, IL. LDDW began as a component of the Leadership Diversity and Development Initiative (LDDI), the presidential initiative of AACI Immediate Past President Caryn Lerman, PhD, director of USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.
AACI Joins Cancer Advocacy Organizations on Capitol Hill
AACI prioritizes engagement with key issues that impact our nation's cancer centers. Throughout October, AACI participated in meetings and advocacy events in Washington, DC, partnering with the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association, One Voice Against Cancer, and United for Medical Research.
Pictured, top to bottom: Representative Steve Womack and Senator Shelley Moore Capito. Photo credit: Ollie Mae Nicholl for UMR.
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News from the Centers
Merad Elected to National Academy of Medicine
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Miriam Merad, MD, PhD, an immunologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine in recognition of her pioneering contributions to the fields of immunology and cell biology.
Emory Immunology Prize Established in Honor of Max Cooper
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
The newly established $100,000 Emory Max Cooper Prize in Immunology celebrates the groundbreaking contributions of Max D. Cooper, MD, a member of the Cancer Immunology Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, whose research and discoveries have changed our understanding of the adaptive immune system, including its impact on cancer.
Ford Recognized as Top Diversity Leader
Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina
Marvella Ford, PhD, has been recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of 2023’s Top Diversity Leaders. Dr. Ford is associate director of Population Science and Community Outreach and Engagement for MUSC Hollings Cancer Center.
Jagannath Receives International Myeloma Society Award
The Tisch Cancer Institute at Mount Sinai
Sundar Jagannath, MD, has been honored with the Waldenström Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Myeloma Society in recognition of his contributions to research and clinical advances in multiple myeloma.
Astsaturov Inaugural Holder of Oncology Professorship
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Igor Astsaturov, MD, PhD, co-director of The Marvin and Concetta Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute at Fox Chase Cancer Center, has been appointed inaugural holder of the Paul F. Engstrom Professorship in Oncology.
Sawyer Awarded BioFlorida Entrepreneur of the Year
Moffitt Cancer Center
BioFlorida Inc., a statewide association linking more than 8,600 of Florida’s research organizations and establishments in the biopharma, MedTech, digital health and health systems, has named W. Gregory Sawyer, PhD, Moffitt Cancer Center’s chief bioengineering officer, its Entrepreneur of the Year.
Vanderbilt-Ingram Earns NCI Merit Award
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) has earned a Merit Extension Award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in recognition of more than a decade of sustained exceptional progress. The Merit Extension Award provides two additional years of funding from the NCI Cancer Center Support Grant, adding $15 million to the $36 million grant that the NCI awarded to VICC in 2020. Ben Ho Park, MD, PhD, is the center's director.
$38.7 Million Federal Grant Will Launch Program for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Health
Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center will be the national coordinating center for a new epidemiological cohort study among Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Fred Hutch was awarded a seven-year, $38.7 million National Institutes of Health grant to coordinate the effort to gather health information on these populations, which are underrepresented in biomedical research.
$20 Million Awarded to Put Science Behind Tobacco Product Regulation
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
The Ohio State University has been awarded a $20 million Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science grant from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The grant is a collaboration of experts from the colleges of medicine, public health, and law organized and implemented through the Center for Tobacco Research at OSUCCC James.
$19 Million Awarded to Research Tobacco Regulation in Appalachia, Inform FDA
UK Markey Cancer Center
The University of Kentucky will host a new research center, the Appalachian Tobacco Regulatory Science Team, focused on tobacco regulations and funded with a $19 million grant. As part of an interagency partnership, the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration award Tobacco Centers of Regulatory Science grants that support studies across topics like toxicity, addiction, health effects, and marketing.
Brain Tumor SPORE Grant Receives $12 Million Renewal From NCI
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
With a renewed Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant, the UC San Francisco Brain Tumor Center is receiving $12 million over five years to translate scientific findings into improved care for people with brain tumors. The award marks the fifth cycle of continuous support for the UCSF Brain Tumor SPORE program since the National Cancer Institute (NCI) first established brain tumor SPOREs in 2002.
Neuro-Oncologist Receives Nearly $12 Million for Immunotherapy Research
Stanford Cancer Institute
Stanford Cancer Institute member Reena Thomas, MD, PhD, was awarded nearly $12 million from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine for a Phase I clinical research trial to assess the safety of a CAR T-cell immunotherapy for glioblastoma multiforme.
$10.9 Million SPORE Grant Supports Pancreatic Cancer Research
Siteman Cancer Center
The National Cancer Institute has awarded Washington University researchers at Siteman Cancer Center a $10.9 million Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant. The five-year grant will fund the development of new therapies for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, the deadliest form of pancreatic cancer.
$10.9 Million to Establish UH Pacific Center for Genome Research
University of Hawai'i Cancer Center, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa
A $10.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will help establish the UH Pacific Center for Genome Research. It's part of a nationwide effort to advance diversity in genomics research through innovative, state-of-the-art studies to ultimately improve diagnosis and treatment for minority ethnic groups that have long experienced health disparities.
$10.4 Million Received to Develop Treatment Strategies to Overcome Drug Resistance in Lung Cancer
Moffitt Cancer Center
The Center of Excellence for Evolutionary Therapy at Moffitt Cancer Center has received a $10.4 million grant to study the eco-evolutionary dynamics responsible for non-small cell lung cancer growth and treatment resistance. The five-year Cancer Systems Biology Consortium Research Center grant will support two multitier research projects, two research support cores, and an innovative outreach core.
Two NCI Grants Will Support Studies of Acute Myeloid Leukemia
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
Two five-year grants totaling more than $6 million from the National Cancer Institute will help The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute researchers and colleagues at other institutions better understand acute myeloid leukemia genetics and the role of inflammation in regulating immune response to this disease.$4.6 Million Awarded to Advance Liquid Biopsy Test for Early Lung Cancer Detection
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
A team of investigators from the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the UCLA School of Dentistry received a five-year $4.6 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to develop and improve liquid biopsy technologies for the early detection of lung cancer.
Researchers Will Be PIs on a New Epidemiological Study of Asian Americans
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health
Fox Chase Cancer Center's Carolyn Fang, PhD, and Grace Ma, PhD, of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, will serve as two of the principal investigators (PIs) on the Asian American Community Cohort and Equity Study, part of a new seven-year, $4.4 million epidemiological cohort study of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. The study is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Team Receives Award From The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
A multidisciplinary team of investigators that will probe the connection between obesity and cancer has received a 2023 Endeavor Award from The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research. The three-year, $3 million award will support four closely linked projects exploring the fundamental mechanisms that drive the obesity-cancer connection, taking advantage of a collection of matched tumor and adipose tissue samples from patients.
New Clinical Trial Tests Innovative Ways to Preserve Muscle Mass During Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
The National Cancer Institute awarded investigators at Huntsman Cancer Institute a grant totaling more than $3 million to conduct a clinical trial to see if combining creatine monohydrate supplementation and resistance exercise training helps preserve muscle in people who have metastatic prostate cancer.
$2.4 Million Grant to Foster Next Generation of Translational Scientists
The University of Kansas Cancer Center
Translational research bridges the gap between basic research and its real-world application in clinical settings. The process involves interdisciplinary collaboration, substantial funding and often, years of effort. To grow and train future clinical and translational scientists, The University of Kansas Cancer Center has received a $2.4 million grant from the National Cancer Institute.
Researcher Receives $2.2 Million Grant for Metastatic Breast Cancer Study
Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center
Liz Yeh, PhD, of the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, received a five-year, $2.2 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to examine how certain immune cells support metastatic breast cancer development – and how to stop it.
Shaping the Future of Cancer Care Through Student Training Health Collaborative
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah and Utah Valley University announce a partnership called the "Huntsman Cancer Institute–Utah Valley University Health Collaborative," supported by a $1 million donation from HCI. The program marks a significant step towards revolutionizing health and science education.
Walker Foundation Pledges $1 Million for Radiation Oncology Center
UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
The Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation has pledged $1 million to the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. The funds will support the cancer institute’s new Radiation Oncology Center, which opened in July.
IU Cancer Center Receives Training Grant for Cancer Drug Discovery
Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center
The Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center was awarded a prestigious grant to train the next generation of cancer drug discovery and development researchers. The five-year National Cancer Institute award will establish the Pediatric and Adult Translational Cancer Drug Discovery and Development Training Program.
Kidney Cancer Physician-Scientist to Lead Precision Oncology Effort
Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina
MUSC Hollings Cancer Center has recruited Thai Ho, MD, PhD, to lead the development of the Precision Oncology Program and a precision oncology tumor board. Dr. Ho treats patients with genitourinary cancers and runs a lab focused on researching a mutation in the gene SETD2 that occurs in kidney cancer.
Breast Center Director Named
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
Xiang "Shawn" Zhang, PhD, has been named director of the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center at Baylor College of Medicine after serving as interim director since March 2022. Dr. Zhang is a professor of molecular and cellular biology and a McNair Scholar at Baylor.
Cancer Biology Researcher to Chair Dermatology Department
University of Virginia Cancer Center
The University of Virginia School of Medicine has named Lu Q. Le, MD, PhD, a cancer biology researcher, to chair its Department of Dermatology. He will begin January 29, 2024. Dr. Le joins UVA from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Reagan Named Director of BMT and Cellular Therapies Program
Wilmot Cancer Institute, UR Medicine
Patrick M. Reagan, MD, associate professor of medicine, has been named director of the Blood & Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapies program at Wilmot Cancer Institute. Since Wilmot’s BMT program started in 1989, it has performed more than 4,400 transplants.
Interim Associate Director for Cancer Workforce Equity Named
The University of Kansas Cancer Center
Simon Craddock Lee, PhD, MPH, chair and Sosland Family Professor in Preventive Medicine in the Department of Population Health, has been named interim associate director for Cancer Workforce Equity at The University of Kansas Cancer Center.
Breast Reconstructive Surgeons Work as a Team to Help Patients Reclaim What They Lost
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center
For Gladys Tsao-Wu, MD, and Jennifer Chan, MD, reconstruction is as much about helping patients recover emotionally as it is about physical restoration. After more than a decade working together in private practice, the duo has joined UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center to help breast cancer survivors reclaim what cancer took from them.
Gynecological Oncologist Joins GWU
GW Cancer Center
Jennifer Vaz, MD, has joined the GW University Cancer Center and the GW Medical Faculty Associates as a gynecological oncologist. She specializes in malignant and benign tumors of the pelvis, including ovarian, uterine, cervical, and vulvar/vaginal malignancies.
Tumor-Destroying Sound Waves Receive FDA Approval for Liver Treatment in Humans
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of sound waves to break down tumors—a technique called histotripsy—in humans for liver treatment. Pioneered at the University of Michigan, histotripsy offers a promising alternative to cancer treatments such as surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, which often have significant side effects.
Lung Cancer Cells Covertly Thrive in Brain Under Guise of Protection
Stanford Cancer Institute
Stanford Cancer Institute member Julien Sage, PhD, is the senior author on a study showing that lung cancer cells that metastasize to the brain survive by convincing brain cells called astrocytes that they are baby neurons in need of protection.
Rapid, Comprehensive Blood Test Licensed to Agilent
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
An advanced, high-speed blood cancer test developed at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has been licensed for commercial development by Agilent Technologies Inc. PanHeme, an assay used to support the clinical care of patients with blood cancers, can identify mutations in hundreds of genes in under 72 hours.
Researchers Discover New Role of RNA Modification in Lung Cancer Cell Growth
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
A team of UF Health Cancer Center researchers has discovered how modifications to a specific type of RNA play a crucial role in lung cancer. By modifying the RNA in laboratory cells, the researchers were able to inhibit the growth of lung cancer cells.
UIC Joins National Trial of Blood Test for Multi-Cancer Screening
University of Illinois Cancer Center
The University of Illinois Chicago will be the first site in the state to participate in a national study of a clinical test that screens for a shared cancer signal in a sample of patient blood. The University of Illinois Cancer Center and the UI Health Mile Square Health Center will enroll patients in the PATHFINDER 2 trial led by the biotechnology company GRAIL.
An Updated Look at Prostate Cancer Disparities
Cedars-Sinai Cancer
Cedars-Sinai Cancer investigators have found that Black men respond as well as white men to systemic therapies for advanced prostate cancer when access to quality health care is equal, regardless of socioeconomic status.
Genetics Help Explain Mortality Risk From Second Cancer Among Childhood Cancer Survivors
Comprehensive Cancer Center St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Using data from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study and the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort Study, scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have identified a genetic explanation for why a small proportion of survivors are more likely to develop second cancers and why they may be more severe or deadly.
Novel Molecule Disrupts Several Molecular Pathways That Lead to Cancer Growth
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have identified a small molecule named 5D4 that can suppress the growth of breast and ovarian cancers in animal models. 5D4 works by binding to TopBP1 protein in cancer cells, disrupting its interactions with several pathways that promote cancer growth.
Research Reveals What Potentially Causes a Leukemia to Become More Aggressive
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
Scientists with City of Hope and the Translational Genomics Research Institute, part of City of Hope, may have discovered one of the causes for a type of leukemia to develop into a more aggressive form, according to a recent paper. Researchers analyzed the RNA of chronic myeloid leukemia cells and found that miR-142, an RNA molecule that regulates cell metabolism, was missing.
Black, Hispanic Women More Likely Than White Women to Get Routine Mammograms
UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
Black and Hispanic women are more likely than white women to receive routine breast cancer screenings, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Office of Community Health & Research. Previous studies have documented that Black and Hispanic women have been less likely than white women to receive routine mammograms. However, UAMS researchers found that this gap has closed over time.
Drug-Filled Nanocapsule Helps Make Immunotherapy More Effective in Mice
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
UCLA researchers have developed a new treatment method using a tiny nanocapsule to help boost the immune response, making it easier for the immune system to fight and kill solid tumors. Investigators found the approach increased the number and activity of immune cells that attack the cancer, making cancer immunotherapies work better.
New Resource Developed to Aid Cancer Surveillance at Cancer Centers
UK Markey Cancer Center
With the creation of Cancer InFocus, UK Markey Cancer Center’s Community Impact Office introduced a new tool monitoring the geographic burden of cancer. Launched in 2022, this resource combines powerful data collection software with an interactive online application to accelerate gaining insight from data in the fight against cancer.
Researchers Report Protein Mutation Creates Super T Cells With Potential to Fight Off Cancer and Infections
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University
Using laboratory-grown cells from humans and genetically engineered mice, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have evidence that modifying a specific protein in immune white blood cells known as CD8+ T cells can make the cells more robust, potentially opening the door for better use of people’s own immune system T cells to fight cancer.
UF Health Expands Research Programs to Enhance Discoveries
University of Florida Health Cancer Center
As part of its continued development as a National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center, the University of Florida Health Cancer Center has expanded its research programs, including leveraging technology such as robot-assisted drug discovery to complement pharmacogenomics research at UF.
For Some Prostate Cancer Patients, PSMA PET May Be Better for Initial Staging of Disease
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
A new paper reports findings of a multi-center retrospective study that compares bone scan with PSMA PET for initial staging of prostate cancer, noting overstaging for metastasis—when local disease is a more accurate diagnosis—may subject patients to treatments that increase therapy-related morbidity.
Reminder: Register Today for PCLI Survivorship Webinar
Association of American Cancer Institutes
The AACI Physician Clinical Leadership Initiative (PCLI) will host "A Practical Approach to Building a Survivorship Program" at 1:00 pm eastern time on Tuesday, November 14. Panelists will review the core aspects of a survivorship program and considerations for sustainability.
Pictured, clockwise from top right: Webinar panelists Dr. Julie Vose, Dr. Laura Tenner, and Rachael Schmidt
Register for CADA Conference by December 3
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center
VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center will present the 1st Annual Catchment Area Data (CADA) Conference: Beyond Definition, December 7-9, in Richmond, VA. The conference is open to AACI members and all eligible staff, faculty, students, and post-doc trainees from cancer centers who provide education, resources, and support within their defined catchment area. Registration closes Sunday, December 3.
Free Online Tool Helps Prostate Cancer Patients Save on Out-of-Pocket Drug Costs
University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
A free online tool could save some prostate cancer patients more than $9,000 in out-of-pocket drug costs. Researchers from the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center found that the Medicare Part D Plan Finder, funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, can identify significant savings for patients taking abiraterone or enzalutamide for advanced prostate cancer.
Program Evolves Into New Department of Indigenous Cancer Health
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
A program launched at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center three years ago to advance health equity and access by strengthening connections between cancer researchers and Indigenous communities has grown into a broad-based team of Indigenous experts with an expanded scope and purpose.
Comprehensive Head and Neck Tumor Center Established
Siteman Cancer Center
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Barnes-Jewish Hospital have established a comprehensive Head & Neck Tumor Center at Siteman Cancer Center. Among the first of its kind in the country, the center emphasizes individualized, patient-centered care with complementary research programs.
Coalition Unites Three Cancer Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Jefferson
The Philadelphia Communities Conquering Cancer (PC3) coalition consists of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health; Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania; and Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple Health. A conference held this summer brought together key stakeholders to create a city-wide research roadmap for the three cancer centers to tackle cancer disparities in Philadelphia.
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Meeting Announcements
1st Annual Catchment Area Data Conference: Beyond Definition
December 7, 2023
2024 AACI Leadership Diversity and Development Workshop
March 12, 2024
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.
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.