Bruce Spiegelman, PhD, Director of the Center for Energy Metabolism and Chronic Disease at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Professor of Cell Biology and Medicine at Harvard Medical School, has received Belgium's 2015 Health Prize of the InBev-Baillet Latour Fund to recognize his contributions to understanding the mechanisms of metabolic disorders. The international scientific prize was presented by Queen Mathilde of Belgium at a ceremony in Brussels in April.
Spiegelman's work has shown that fat tissue secretes hormones PPAR [gamma], a master regulator of fat cell development, and two other regulatory proteins, PGC-1[alpha] and PRDM16. Recently he identified a new type of fat cell, the "beige" adipocyte, which has important metabolic functions.
The Health Prize is awarded by the InBev-Baillet Latour Fund, which "aims to reward projects of high human value that hold hope and promise for the well-being of society." The prize includes a cash award of 250,000 euros, approximately $270,000 USD.
Stephen S. Grubbs, MD, has been named Senior Director of the American Society of Clinical Oncology's new Clinical Affairs Department. The new department will provide services, education, and resources to support oncology practices in all settings, focusing on promoting high-quality, high-value cancer care. Grubbs began the new role on a part-time basis in June and will transition fully this month. Until transitioning fully into the role with ASCO, Grubbs has served as a community oncologist and managing partner at Medical Oncology Hematology Consultants, PA, in Newark, Delaware.
"We are delighted that Dr. Grubbs will be joining ASCO to lead our Clinical Affairs Department," ASCO CEO Allen S. Lichter, MD, said in a news release. "Dr. Grubbs understands and has fully experienced the rewards and challenges of providing care in his community. He has the knowledge and vision needed to assure that this department will provide on-the-ground support to oncology practices across the country."
Grubbs has been a member of ASCO since 1985; he serves on the ASCO Board of Directors as the Community Oncologist representative and is a member of the Finance and Ethics Committees. Grubbs has also previously served on the Society's Government Relations Committee, Cancer Research Committee, and as a Genitourinary Literature Reviewer for ASCO University. Currently Grubbs is also Principal Investigator of the Delaware Christina Care National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program; and he is on the advisory council of the Delaware Cancer Consortium.
Jack Gauldie, PhD, DSc, FRSC, has been appointed Vice President of Research at the Research Institute of St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, the academic training hospital associated with McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. In the new role Gauldie will oversee research activities within St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and also lead the research administration team. Gauldie had previously served as Distinguished Professor in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster.
Gauldie's research has focused on exploring the body's immune responses to disease, his primary area of focus being molecular manipulation for the treatment of diseases including cancer, arthritis, and chronic lung diseases. He also currently serves as Chair of the Advisory Board of the Ontario Research Fund; and he has previously served on the Advisory Board of the Canadian Institutes for Health Research.
Neal Shore, MD, has been appointed President-Elect of the Large Urology Group Practice at Atlantic Urology Clinics, LLC, an affiliate of 21st Century Oncology. He is currently National Urology Research Director for 21st Century Oncology, which has involved serving as Co-Director for five courses through the American Urological Association's Office of Education.
"I am honored to be appointed to this prestigious position within LUGPA [Large Urology Group Practice Association] and look forward to furthering the organization's goal ensuring that quality urological care is available for all patients," Shore said in a news release.
Shore also currently serves on the Board for the Society of Urologic Oncology and Carolina Urologic Research Center, among other boards and associations.
Lu Q. Le, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology and co-leader of the adult Comprehensive Neurofibromatosis Clinic at Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, has been elected as a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation. His research focuses on cancer biology, in particular on how early genetic and microenvironmental events interact to regulate tumor development. His team has identified the cells of origin for different types of nerve tumors and delineated key pathways utilized for malignant transformation of these neoplasms.
Researchers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute have received a three-year, $1.2 million Breast Cancer Research Program Breakthrough Award from the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program for research into the immunotherapy of metastatic breast cancer with entolimod, a toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) agonist. The Breakthrough Award is intended to support promising research that has the potential to lead to or make breakthroughs in breast cancer therapy.
"We expect that the Breakthrough Award will support several avenues of research, including characterization of the immune response elicited by administrations of entolimod in a pre-clinical model of metastatic breast cancer and in patients with metastatic breast cancer being enrolled in an ongoing clinical study in the Russian Federation. We also plan to explore entolimod's ability to improve the therapeutic efficacy of a tumor-specific dendritic cell vaccine in animal models," the grant's principal investigator, Andrei Gudkov, PhD, DSci, Senior Vice President of Basic Science at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Chief Scientific Officer of Cleveland BioLabs, said in a news release.
A Phase I open-label, dose-escalation trial of the drug in patients with advanced cancers was completed last year at RPCI. Those findings were presented at this year's American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (Abstract 3063). A second Phase I study of entolimod in patients with advanced cancer is currently enrolling patients in the Russian Federation to expand upon clinical observations made at the higher dose levels in the RPCI study and to gather further statistics on immune response to administrations of entolimod.
Cancer Centers of Excellence Awards were presented to four Florida cancer centers from Florida State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health JohnArmstrong, MD, FACS:
* H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute;
* Mayo Clinic Florida;
* University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center; and
* University of Florida Health Cancer Center, which includes the University of Florida Health Shands Hospital, University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute, and UF Health Cancer Center-Orlando Health.
The program is intended to promote excellence in cancer care, encourage the recruitment of top cancer care professionals, and recognize state institutions as a preferred destination for patient-centered cancer care. The designation is based on measured success in delivery quality care to patients. This is the first time the Florida Department of Health has bestowed the Cancer Center of Excellence award. Moffitt is one of four institutions receiving the designation.
APEX Awards to Lola Butcher & Sarah DiGiulio!
Congratulations to Lola Butcher and Sarah DiGiulio who were both recognized with Awards for Publication Excellence in this year's competition.
* Lola Butcher, a contributing writer and OT's Practice Matters blogger, won in the Writing Series category for her four-part "Unintended Consequences: How Government Policies Have Increased the Cost of Cancer Care," series published last fall (http://bit.ly/OT-LolaButcher-UnintendedConsequences), which showed how federal policies intended to reduce cancer care costs have actually increased them. The articles were part of her year-long Reporting Fellowship on Health Care Performance sponsored by the Association of Health Care Journalists and supported by The Commonwealth Fund.
* OT Associate Editor Sarah DiGiulio won in the Social Media-Blog Content category, for her "3 Questions on..." blog/column of "answers straight from the experts on the latest news and topics in oncology" (http://bit.ly/OT-3Questions).
APEX notes that approximately 2,000 entries were submitted this year, its 27th Annual Competition for Communications Professionals, with publication awards given in various categories based on excellence in editorial content, graphic design, and the ability to achieve overall communications excellence.
Share Your News!
Send information and photos for this column to mailto:[email protected]
New ONS 2015-2016 Board of Directors
The following new board members were inducted onto the Oncology Nursing Society Board of Directors at the 2015 Annual Congress in April:
* Susan M. Schneider, PhD, RN, AOCN, FAAN, Associate Professor and Lead Faculty Oncology Specialty at the Duke University School of Nursing, became President-elect (she will serve a one-year term as President-elect, followed by a two-year term as President);
* Kay Harse, RN, MS, AOCN, Manager of the Cancer Care Network at the University of California, Davis Health System in Sacramento, became Treasurer;
* Jeanie Rosiak, DNP, RN, ANP-BC, AOCNP, CBCN, Nurse Practitioner for Aurora University of Wisconsin Medical Group in Milwaukee, became a Director-at-Large; and
* Joni L. Watson, MBA, MSN, RN, OCN, Director at the Baylor Scott & White Cancer Center, Hillcrest Medical Center in Waco, Texas, became a Director-at-Large. Watson is also a member of OT's Nursing Hem/Onc Spotlight Editorial Advisory Board.
And continuing on the Board of Directors are:
* Margaret Barton-Burke, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Mary Ann Lee Professor of Oncology Nursing at the University of Missouri and Research Scientist at Siteman Cancer Institute in St. Louis, who continues into the second year of her two-year term as ONS President;
* Marlon Garzo Saria, MSN, RN, AOCNS, FAAN, an advanced practice nurse researcher at the University of California, San Diego, who is Secretary;
* Donald "Chip" Bailey Jr., PhD, RN, FAAN, Associate Professor at the Duke University School of Nursing, who is a Director-at-Large;
* Anne M. Ireland, MSN, RN, AOCN, CENP, Clinical Director of the Solid Tumor Malignancy Program at City of Hope National Medical Center and a member of OT's Nursing Hem/Onc Spotlight Editorial Advisory Board, who is a Director-at-Large;
* Susie Newton, RN, MS, AOCN, AOCNS, Senior Director of Health Management Solutions at Quintiles in Dayton, Ohio, who is a Director-at-Large; and
* Collen O'Leary, MSN, RN, AOCNS, Clinical Nurse Specialist at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, who is a Director-at-Large.