City of Hope has been awarded $12.2 million by the National Cancer Institute to support the California Teachers Study (CTS). The grant, which will be awarded over the next five years, will fund secure, cloud-based data management, and technology to conduct the large-scale cancer epidemiology research. CTS is a prospective breast cancer research study of 133,479 current and former public school teachers or administrators, which is run by a consortium of investigators from City of Hope, California Department of Health Services; the Cancer Prevention Institute of California; the University of California, Irvine; and the University of Southern California.
"A cloud-based approach will improve the quality of our data, expand the types of questions we're able to ask and answer, and elevate this study to more of a true partnership between us and our generous participants," the study's lead investigator James Lacey Jr., PhD, Associate Professor in the Division of Cancer Etiology at Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, said in a statement.
The study will introduce three new methods to manage the infrastructure of the large, longitudinal study:
* Secure cloud computing will give all CTS investigators on-demand access to all study data collected over the last 20 years;
* New Web-based and mobile-enabled questionnaires will expand data collection and improve reliability; and
* User-friendly, Web-based participant portals will give participants direct and secure access to the information they have provide to the CTS.
The grant also funds the addition of The Health Cyberinfrastructure Division of the San Diego Supercomputer Center at University of California, San Diego, to assist in the consolidation of all CTS data, and will design, build, and implement a dedicated cloud-based data management platform within its Sherlock Cloud infrastructure.
Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD, has been named Deputy Director of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. He will also serve as Assistant Dean for Cancer Research in the Emory School of Medicine. Ramalingam currently serves as Professor in Emory's Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, and Winship's Director of Medical Oncology and Lung Cancer Program. Ramalingam also currently co-leads Winship's Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Program.
"His range of experiences and breadth of understanding of the cancer research landscape are exceptional- spanning target and drug discovery, exciting new developments in immunotherapy and value-oriented health services research. With his keen intellect, humble demeanor, collaborative nature, and a deep commitment to serve I have no doubt that he will have a powerful impact on the future of cancer research at Emory and beyond," Christian P. Larsen, MD, DPhil, Dean of the Emory University School of Medicine and CEO of The Emory Clinic, said in a statement.
Ramalingam also chairs the Thoracic Malignancies Committee and serves as deputy chair for the Therapeutics Program within ECOG ACRIN. His research investigates ways to individualize therapies in patients with small cell and non-small cell lung cancer. He has authored more than 200 scientific publications and is the section editor for "Chest diseases" for the journal Cancer. He is also on the editorial boards of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Annals of Oncology, and Clinical Lung Cancer. He has been at Winship and on the faculty of Emory School of Medicine since 2007.
David J. McConkey, PhD, has been appointed Director of the Johns Hopkins Greenberg Bladder Cancer Institute, a collaboration established in 2014 among experts from the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, the James Buchanan Brady urological Institute, and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine's Departments of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Surgery, and Pathology.
"We are thrilled to bring David on board," William Nelson, MD, PhD, Marion I. Knott Professor and Director of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, said in a statement. "He brings a wealth of knowledge about the biology of bladder and genitourinary cancers, and has proven leadership skills in a top-notch institution."
McConkey joins Johns Hopkins after serving as Director of Urological Research at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he played a leadership role in the multidisciplinary bladder cancer research program and served as co-principal investigator of the MD Anderson Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Bladder Cancer. He was also Chair of translational medicine for the Genitourinary Cancers Committee of the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG), and has been involved in setting agendas for the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network's clinical initiatives. He has published more than 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals and has served on 90 advisory committees at MD Anderson.
Marc S. Ernstoff, MD, has been appointed Chair of the Department of Medicine and Senior Vice President of Clinical Investigation at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, as well as Professor and Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology in the Department of Medicine in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Buffalo. He will also serve as Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at UBMD Internal Medicine, the clinical practice plan of the UB Department of Medicine. He assumes the new roles in April.
"I've known Dr. Ernstoff as a colleague and collaborator, and I admire him tremendously. He's one of the most inspiring leaders I know in oncology, and his accomplishments in every arena-clinical, academic and research-represent the best work being done today in our field," Candace Johnson, PhD, President and CEO of Roswell Park Cancer Institute, said in a statement. "He is going to do great things for cancer patients, locally and far away from Western New York."
Ernstoff most recently served as Director of the Melanoma Program at Cleveland Clinic's Taussig Cancer Institute. And prior to that he served as Associate Professor of Medicine and Professor of Medicine at Dartmouth College's Geisel School of Medicine and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (1991-2014). While there, Ernstoff had also served as Director of the Melanoma Program at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center and the Section Chief of Hematology/Oncology for much of his tenure. He has also previously served at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine and Yale University. Ernstoff's clinical research is focused on the treatment of melanoma and genitourinary cancers. He is a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Melanoma Committee, as well as the International Melanoma Working Group.
The Conquer Cancer Foundation of the American Society of Clinical Oncology has awarded four 2016 International Innovation Grants to organizations currently developing projects with the potential to revolutionize cancer control in low- and middle-income countries. The program provides one-year grants of up to $20,000 to nonprofit organizations and government agencies in low- and middle-income countries to improve cancer control on a local community level, while also being potentially applicable in similar low-resource settings elsewhere. The 2016 International Innovation Grants are supported by ASCO International and Amgen; this list is current as of December 2015.
"The International Innovation Grant program demonstrates the Conquer Cancer Foundation's global vision of creating a world free from the fear of cancer in action," Thomas G. Roberts, Jr., MD, Chair of the Conquer Cancer Foundation Board of Directors, said in a news release. "Recipients' projects not only address the distinct needs of their local communities, but they also display great potential to address similar needs of communities in other countries. The possible ripple effect from supporting this research is invaluable."
The recipients are:
* CanKids...KidsCan (India), for the work led by Ramandeep Singh Arora, MBBS, MD-"A Multi-site Prospective Study to Determine Household Out-of-Pocket Expenditure Incurred by Families of Children Newly Diagnosed with Cancer in India (HOPE Study)";
* Nepal Fertility Care Center (Nepal), for the work led by Sarita Ghimire, MD-"Using mHealth Technologies to Ensure Continuum of Care in Cervical Cancer Screening in Kailali District of Nepal";
* PACE (Programme for Accessible Health, Communication and Education) (Uganda), for the work led by Dennis Rogers Buwembo, MBChB, MPH-"Smart Phone Tool to Improve Detection of Precancerous Lesions in Uganda, Using VIA (Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid)"; and
* University of Santo Tomas Hospital (Philippines), for the work led by Teresa Tan Sy Ortin, MD-"Use of Mobile Application to Monitor Pain Control of Cancer Patients."
Ravi Salgia, MD, PhD, has joined City of Hope as Professor and the Arthur & Rosalie Kaplan Endowed Chair in Medical Oncology in the Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research. Salgia will also serve as Associate Director for Clinical Sciences in the City of Hope's Comprehensive Cancer Center.
"Dr. Salgia brings a wealth of experience to City of Hope, both as an oncologist specializing in lung cancer, and as a researcher who is passionate about finding new and better treatments for patients," Alexandra Levine, MD, MACP, Chief Medical Officer of City of Hope, said in a statement. "His expertise in developing new cancer treatments in the laboratory, testing them in clinical trials and speeding them to patients fits perfectly with City of Hope's mission. We are very fortunate to be able to welcome Dr. Salgia-a kind and caring human being-who is a physician and researcher of the highest caliber."
Salgia most recently served at University of Chicago for 12 years, where his research identified several novel targets in oncology and investigated how the receptor tyrosine kinases abundant in lung cancer cells affect cell growth and may have potential use in treatment. Salgia is also utilizing various strategies to understand tumor heterogeneity, including the role of cell signaling pathways, mitochondria, immunology, and mathematical modeling. He has published more than 200 journal articles; he has contributed to 34 books related to thoracic diseases; and he has served as an editor or associate editor for six journals.
Marcia M. Grant, RN, PhD, FAAN, Distinguished Professor of Nursing Research and Education, of City of Hope Medical Center, has received the 2016 American Cancer Society Trish Greene Quality of Life Award, a national honor to recognize an outstanding individual who dedicates a significant portion of their career to research that improves the quality of life for cancer patients and their families.
"The American Cancer Society is pleased to honor Professor Grant for her dedication and outstanding influences in cancer research and providing quality supportive care for patients," Marion E. Morra, MA, ScD, Chair of the ACS Trish Greene Quality of Life Award Workgroup, said in a statement. "Professor Grant has dedicated her career to serving cancer patients and helping to eliminate suffering."
Grant has pioneered innovative education and research initiatives that provide high-quality supportive care for patients with cancer to improve their physical, emotional and spiritual well-being over her 40 years as a research nurse at City of Hope. She has received National Cancer Institute Funding for more than 25 years.
In other ACS news, the Society has recognized 10 individuals with the ACS Lane W. Adams Quality of Life Award, a national honor for cancer care and commitment. The award recognizes individuals who consistently exhibit excellence and compassion in providing care to cancer patients, going beyond their duties to make a different in the life of cancer patients and their families.
"These extraordinary awardees deserve to be recognized for their efforts to improve the quality of care for cancer patients and their families," Susan D. Henry, LCSW, Chair of the ACS Lane Adams Quality of Life Award Workgroup, said in a statement. "These individuals represent personal and professional excellence and they provide critical leadership in the American Cancer Society's mission to serve those who are touched by cancer."
The recipients are:
* Elizabeth Bibiloni, of the Denver Health and Hospital Authority;
* Kimberly Bielecki, RN, BSN, MBA, of Bridgeport Hospital in Stratford, Connecticut;
* Kim Cappelloni, MSW, of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, California;
* Cathy Cole, RNC, NP, CHES, CBPN-IC, of Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, California;
* Sister Mary Elaine Goodell, PBVM, DMA, BCC, of HealthCare Chaplaincy Network and assigned to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City;
* Mark Hermann, MD, of the Hospice of Dubuque in Iowa;
* Peggy Kupres, RN, BSN, MA, CN-BN, of the Advocate Hospital system in metro-Chicago;
* Robert Langdon, MD, of Nebraska Methodist Hospital in Omaha;
* Theresa Lever, of the Cancer Center at the Central Vermont Medical Center at the University of Vermont Health Network; and
* Terry Mahoney, LICSW, OSW-C, of Essentia Health Cancer Center in Duluth, Minnesota.
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