Antoni Ribas Receives Renewal of NCI Outstanding Investigator Award
Antoni Ribas, MD, PhD, has received a renewal of an Outstanding Investigator Award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The grant over the next 7 years will allow researchers to continue innovative research on metastatic melanoma.
Ribas had received the same R35 award from the NCI for the previous 7 years of work. His new application is titled "Next Generation Cancer Immunotherapies to Defeat Melanoma" and will support research to analyze mechanisms of response and resistance to cancer immunotherapies, develop combinations to overcome resistance, and study how to extend the antitumor activity of the immune system.
The NCI Outstanding Investigator Award supports investigators with outstanding records of productivity in cancer research by providing extended funding stability and encouraging investigators to continue or embark on projects of unusual potential in cancer research.
"I am honored to receive this new R35 award," Ribas said. "It will allow to expand our work analyzing mechanisms of melanoma response and resistance to cancer immunotherapies, and hopefully develop new treatment avenues to overcome resistance."
In addition to leading the Tumor Immunology Program at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and being a member of the Broad Stem Cell Research Center, Ribas is a Professor of Medicine, Professor of Surgery, and Professor of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He's also Past President of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Among other accomplishments, Ribas led the clinical program that demonstrated the efficacy of the cancer immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab for the treatment of patients with melanoma, which is now used in over 20 cancer indications. The Outstanding Investigator Award will provide Ribas up to $600,000 in direct costs per year for 7 years, allowing substantial time for his laboratory to take greater risks and be more adventurous in its research.
Swathi Arur, PhD, Named Emerging Leader in Health & Medicine Scholar
Swathi Arur, PhD, Professor and Deputy Chair of Genetics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, was selected as one of the 2022 Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Scholars by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). She is the first MD Anderson faculty member to be appointed to this prestigious group since its creation in 2016.
NAM, founded in 1970, is an independent organization of professionals that advises the entire scientific community on critical health issues. The Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine (ELHM) Program was started to increase the academy's engagement with exceptional, interdisciplinary, early- to mid-career professionals in biomedical science, population health, health care, health policy, and other related fields.
Each year, NAM chooses up to 10 new ELHM Scholars to serve 3-year terms, creating a network that encourages collaboration, innovation, participation in National Academies convening activities, leadership opportunities, and mentoring by NAM members across disciplines
"We are thrilled that Dr. Arur is being recognized by the National Academy of Medicine for both her contributions and extraordinary leadership in the life sciences," said Peter Pisters, MD, President of MD Anderson. "Her passion, expertise, and foundational work in advancing cancer metastasis research are invaluable to our institution, and we applaud her selection as part of this exemplary group of scholars."
The NAM Emerging Leaders Forum, to be held in Washington, DC, April 18-19, 2023, will allow these scholars to engage in interdisciplinary discussions among the nation's rising leaders in health and medicine. ELHM Scholars also will contribute to shaping the priorities of NAM by focusing on pressing medical challenges, improving health policies, and building equity for all.
"We do not inherit a perfect world. Instead, the world is more often a product of our actions and of what we pay forward and leave behind," Arur said. "To be named an Emerging Leader is not only an honor, but it also gives me an opportunity to work with and learn from global leaders in health and medicine policy who constantly strive to make the world better."
Arur's laboratory, established in 2010, uses multidisciplinary approaches to uncover a deeper understanding of the impact of female nutrition on fertility and how it affects the onset and progression of metastatic cancers. Her passion for health improvement was evident as an undergraduate at the University of Delhi, where she started a non-governmental organization focused on providing better health care for children with HIV. She earned her PhD in microbiology from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences and continued her postgraduate work at the University of Connecticut, where she led efforts to integrate quantitative mass spectrometry with cell cultures in apoptosis research, one of the earliest instances of this cutting-edge proteomics technology.
Her pursuit to understand how these findings applied in vivo led her to learn about the model organism C. elegans, which she later used to research germ cell signaling during her postdoctoral fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Her background as both a germ cell biologist and a cancer biologist helped fuel her passion for collaboration and interdisciplinary approaches to research.
At MD Anderson, she continues to investigate the environmental cues and signaling pathways involved in C. elegans germ cell development and metabolism, leading to a further understanding of female fertility while uncovering many of the mechanisms behind the progression and metastasis of KRAS-driven cancers. These efforts can help in the development of future therapeutic strategies for patients.
Arur also strives to champion diverse populations, having served as Chair of the institution's committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In this role, she established practices that have helped increase the number of students from historically excluded backgrounds who pursue STEM fields at both MD Anderson and The University of Texas System.
Arur has received numerous distinctions over the years. She was named an MD Anderson Presidential Scholar in 2016, an Andrew Sabin Family Fellow in 2017, a Distinguished Faculty Mentor in 2018, and a 2022 Presidential Honoree for Education and Mentorship Advancement. In 2020, Arur was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She currently serves on the Board of Directors and Chair of the Awards Committee for the Genetics Society of America. She is a standing study member of the National Institutes of Health Cellular, Molecular, and Integrative Reproduction study section, and an Editor at Development. She also is the Co-Chair and Chair of the Gordon Research Conference in Developmental Biology in 2023 and 2025, respectively.
Pharmacology Researcher to Lead Cancer Diversity, Inclusion Program
James Turkson, PhD, Professor in the Division of Medical Oncology of the Department of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai, was chosen as Director for Diversity, Inclusion, and Strategy at Cedars-Sinai Cancer.
"I have great confidence that Dr. Turkson will provide superb leadership and implementation of programs, policies, and initiatives that enhance the diversity of our cancer center's membership, leadership, staff, and trainees," said Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, Director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer and the PHASE ONE Foundation Distinguished Chair. "He demonstrates how the human spirit can triumph over adversity and is a great role model for all of us."
Turkson comes to his new role with a truly global perspective and an understanding of what it means to overcome obstacles on the way to achievement. Born and raised in Ghana, he was the first person in his family to attend high school and college, which he did when his hard work earned him government scholarships. But during his first semester in college, both of his parents died.
"My dad died from a stroke and then my mom died from uterine cancer," Turkson said. "I was lost. I didn't even think I would stay in college, but friends, family, and teachers encouraged me to stay on. To honor my mom and all of those afflicted with cancer, I made it a mission to pursue cancer research to help find a cure."
After completing his undergraduate degree, Turkson was awarded a fellowship to attend graduate school at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, where he earned a PhD in pharmacology.
"Living in different parts of the world and experiencing different cultures has been a valuable and rewarding experience," Turkson said. "Local is now global. Every day, we work with colleagues in different parts of the world to work toward cures for different diseases, including cancer. I am elated and honored that Dr. Theodorescu asked me to take on this role, because I think I come at it from a very useful perspective."
While working toward his PhD, Turkson took an interest in cancer research, dedicating himself to exploring the mechanisms behind cancer in order to develop new treatments. He went on to complete a fellowship at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL, and today the Turkson Lab focuses on anti-cancer drug discovery.
Before his latest appointment, Turkson served as an ambassador on the Cedars-Sinai Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council and as a member of the academic diversity task force. He said that he finds learning about the experiences of colleagues from diverse backgrounds informative and inspirational.
"Each time you listen to someone's experience, you learn something and you gain strength through hearing what they have experienced and been able to overcome," Turkson said. "It is rewarding when we appreciate our differences because they are a source of strength not only to us as individuals, but to Cedars-Sinai as a whole."
His ultimate goal is to create a national model of what diversity, equity, and inclusion can look like for cancer researchers, clinicians, and patients.
Cedars-Sinai Cancer delivers care to the most diverse population in the U.S., and Turkson will help guide and expand on the many efforts underway. These include use of big data and innovative technology to identify and address ethnic and racial disparities in cancer biology and treatment, and unique outreach efforts to bring awareness and care to underserved groups in the community.
Turkson pointed to the history of inclusiveness at Cedars-Sinai as another source of inspiration. "Cedars-Sinai came into existence to serve people who were disenfranchised," he noted. "I feel at home here. Each person is appreciated and recognized for their individuality and what they bring to the table."
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Receives Support for Precision Oncology
"Miracles begin in the lab, and nowhere else is that truer than at Fred Hutch," said Stuart Sloan. "I've been involved with this organization for years and, during that time, I have had the opportunity to personally interact with the scientists and leaders who are making this progress possible. With their history of breakthroughs in bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapy, Fred Hutch has demonstrated the ability to transform scientific discoveries into treatments that benefit cancer patients all around the world."
Stuart and Molly Sloan have pledged $78 million to support the Cancer Center. The gift will further advance work in precision oncology, which integrates fundamental biology, technology, immunology, data science, and clinical experience into strategies to prevent, detect, and treat cancer.
"Precision oncology personalizes cancer treatments to each patient and their cancer," Sloan noted. "With this gift, we want to expand the development of precision therapies for more cancers and bring hope to everyone who is unfortunately experiencing cancer."
Fred Hutch's recent merger uniting research and patient care into a single organization inspired Sloan and his wife, Molly, to make the contribution. The integration allows more streamlined knowledge sharing and exchange, giving patients access to more treatment options and supporting faster translation of scientific discoveries into new therapies.
"We are deeply grateful for Stuart and Molly's generosity," said Thomas J. Lynch, MD, President and Director of Fred Hutch and holder of the Raisbeck Endowed Chair. "Their gift will help us establish the world's premier precision oncology center that will bring together Fred Hutch's very best basic science, disease-oriented translational science, science of cancer prevention, and understanding of the immune system."
Precision oncology aims to stop cancer by examining its biological make up in each person. In the past decade, potential targets for cancer therapies and the technical tools to study them have both expanded greatly, along with advances in prevention and detection methods. Scientists can learn a tremendous amount about every cancer-including how to stop it-by sequencing a patient's tumor, studying its unique metabolism, profiling the proteins it expresses, understanding the microenvironment it creates, tracking the immune system's response to the tumor, as well as exploring interactions with the microbiome.
"By using more tailored therapies targeting specific tumors in specific patients, we've had remarkable success in treating some cancers-but we need to do more," Lynch said. "With recent developments, we have the scientific tools and expertise to expand precision oncology to more patients. This contribution also allows us to expand our lab space, which will then drive innovation and discovery at Fred Hutch for the next 20 to 30 years."
The gift will be used to support the Precision Oncology Institute, a new facility for precision oncology research at Fred Hutch, to be called the Stuart and Molly Sloan Precision Oncology Institute. The donation will be used to recruit a scientific leader for the new precision oncology institute, create an endowed chair, and provide funds for postdoctoral fellowships, sequencing projects, and other programmatic investments. In addition, a new building on Fred Hutch's South Lake Union campus will provide space for researchers, their teams, and new technologies to support collaborative precision oncology research.
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