March 30, 2015
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
Dr. Stan Gerson Stan Gerson, MD
Director, Case CCC
[email protected]

Ken Burns Present Cancer - The Emperor of All Maladies

March 30, 31, April 1 9pm WVIZ/PBS

 

This is the week to start watching.

Today is the first broadcast of the PBS documentary by Ken Burns "Cancer: The Emperor of all Maladies "  It is worth your time and your thoughts.

Everyone in this newsletters' mailing list cares about efforts to understand, diagnose, treat, and prevent cancer. These issues will be front and center in the public mind more so than at any time since Nixon declared the NCI "War on Cancer" in 1973.

I participated in a preview of this series last week at Ideastream along with Anne Lederman Flamm - Cleveland Clinic Bioethics Department, Barbara Daly - CWRU School of Nursing, Dr. Chirag Shah - Summa Health oncologist, and Angelo Merendino - a photographer who captured his wife's battle with cancer.   We commented on the ethics of cancer diagnosis and treatment - how to inform, when to stop treatment, whether informed consent is possible, whether our sometimes desperate treatments (major surgery, stem cell transplantation) make sense, and whether we can prepare patients for them.

In the preview the documentary is quite riveting. While most will not be able to identify the voice of the various principles of the past 30 years who have led the field the way I was able to, all will appreciate the intensity of effort. It brought home how tough an effort this has been including the logic of the approach, the countless frustrations, and the ever increasing sophistication of the research.

I would expect that our community of friends will have a visceral reaction and that it will spur discussion on our collective next steps.  I expect that there will be discussion around better efforts, more research funding and increased attention to cancer research.

There may also be some sense of how overwhelming the effort is.

So to be informed and ready for the conversation, I encourage you to watch and reflect. It is our efforts that will bring the next advances and improvements. And our community is waiting.

Stan
MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS
CCIPD, BME Postdoctoral researcher awarded prestigious $125,000 fellowship from in prostate cancer from DOD
Dr. Mahdi Orooji, postdoctoral researcher in the Center for Computational Imaging and Personalized Diagnostics (CCIPD) in the Department of Biomedical Engineering has been awarded a 2 year DOD postdoctoral fellowship for his project entitled "Fusing MRI and Mechanical Imaging for Improved Prostate Cancer Diagnosis". Dr. Orooji, under the mentorship of Dr. Anant Madabhushi, professor of Biomedical engineering and director of CCIPD, and co-mentored by Dr. Lee Ponsky, Associate Professor of Dept of Urology, will be developing computational imaging tools to combine mechanical imaging with MRI to create better diagnostic tools for improved characterization of prostate cancer in vivo. 
CASE CCC IN THE NEWS
Trying to Fool Cancer
Dr Mikkael Sekeres has once again put a personal touch on the struggles we face everyday for the NY Times.  He puts into lay language the complexity of developing precision medicine.

"This year, according to President Obama, cancer research and funding will focus on so-called precision, personalized or targeted medicine - using cancer's molecular underpinnings to develop drugs that attack the genes or gene products that make up cancer's factory while sparing normal cells. What a beautiful concept.

 

The problem is, cancer is rarely that simple, or that easily fooled."  Continue reading.

The Doctors Rituals
In The Doctors Rituals Dr Mikkael Sekeres explains the importance of the ritual involved in examining patients and the impact it has both on the patient and physician in the NY Times blog.  Read the story here.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
GI SPORE Retreat

The Case Gastrointestinal Cancers SPORE Retreat will be held on Tuesday, April 28 in Dively Hall on Case campus. Topics will include colon cancer, Barrett's Esophagus, cancer metastasis and prevention and cancer in minorities. Faculty, fellows and students in the Cancer Center community are encouraged to attend and learn more about exciting findings from researchers in the specialized program of research excellence.

 

The retreat will also feature a lunchtime poster session that starts at 12 pm. Postdoc, graduate and clinical fellows are encouraged to submit poster abstracts. Send poster abstracts to Dr. John Wang at [email protected] by April 19. A cash prize will be awarded for best poster.

 

Advance registration is required. Visit http://cancer.case.edu/research/gispore/index.html for more information and to register. Contact John Pounardjian at 216-368-1976 or [email protected] with any questions.

Velosano Bike Race for Research
The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Velosano team has been created!  The ride is July 17 - 19. Your participation is important to this effort.  Every dollar raised by riders or volunteers goes directly to research.  We are looking for cyclists, virtual riders, volunteers, and supporters.

Last year Velosano successfully completed its inaugural year, where over $2 million were raised for cancer research. The awards will be publicly announced in the next couple weeks, and all went directly to research with the vast majority to Case Comprehensive Cancer Members.

Please join our team as a rider or volunteer (Dr Gerson will be doing one of the longer rides!). There are many ways your help can support our team and we are planning events to help riders with their fundraising.

Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions or need additional information or are interested in being a captain of a cycling or virtual team.

Case CCC Annual Scientific Retreat 2015

The Case CCC Annual Scientific Retreat will be held July 9-10. The agenda is still being planned, but we hope you will set aside time to attend this important event! 

 

More details will be posted in future newsletters.

Student Cancer Research Fair

Undergraduate and graduate students with research related to cancer will be showcasing their work at the Case Western Reserve University Cancer Research Fair.

 

Colleges Against Cancer wants to recognize all the cancer research being done on campus through the fair, which will take place Friday, April 3, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the Thwing Center ballroom.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Request for Proposals for Case CCC Funding for Pilot/Phase I Clinical Trials

The Case CCC is encouraging investigators to submit Letters of Intent (LOI) for Early Phase Clinical Research Support (EPCRS) funding. These in-house funds are available for the conduct of early phase clinical trials of relatively short duration. Priority will be given to trials which are developed jointly between UH and CCF with planned accrual at both institutions.
 

Please direct any questions and/or submit LOIs to Katarzyna Karelus, Case CCC Clinical Research Office, [email protected], 216.844.4176.

Deadline: April 15, 2015

CULTURAL COMPETENCY

The monthly Cultural Competency Series provides Case CCC investigators and research staff opportunities to develop different skill sets, to engage in a meaningful dialogue about the importance of cultural competency in the context of health care and research, and to facilitate concepts of self-reflection and self-critique.
 

Unconscious Bias: An Introduction

"Ultimately, we believe our decisions are consistent with our conscious beliefs, when in fact, our unconscious is running the show". -Ross (2008) The State of the Science: Implicit Bias Review
 

The concept of unconscious bias posits that our decisions which impact people are made on an unconscious level. Dr.Mhazarin R. Banaji, renowned implicit bias researcher, states "implicit biases come from the culture. I think of them as the thumbprint of the culture on our mind.  Human beings have the ability to learn to associate two things together very quickly - that is innate.  What we teach ourselves, what we choose to associate is up to us." Unconscious bias impacts everyday life and is an important part of cultural competence in clinical and research settings. [View entire entry plus action items]
 

Priming Unconscious Bias
What do you already know about unconscious bias by Jan Hanson MPH and Valerie Vinson M.Ed,LSW ; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Clinical Research office and University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center Community Outreach Department: This one page article provides a basic understanding of unconscious bias with a focus on clinical research. It describes why unconscious bias is important for decreasing health disparities and introduces methods to mitigate individual biases.

NIH BULLETIN - Notices and Funding Opportunities

Reminder: NIH and AHRQ Biosketch Requirements for Due Dates On or After May 25, 2015 (NOT-OD-15-085)
 

Notice for Use of Cloud Computing Services for Storage and Analysis of Controlled-Access Data Subject to the NIH Genomic Data Sharing (GDS) Policy 

(NOT-OD-15-086) 

 

Research Answers to NCI's Provocative Questions (R01) (RFA-CA-15-008)

 

Research Answers to NCI's Provocative Questions (R21) (RFA-CA-15-009) 

 

Limited Competition: Revisions to Add Phase 2 Clinical Trials Program to Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network (ETCTN)(UM1) (RFA-CA-15-501) 

 

Genome Sequencing Program Coordinating Center (U24) (RFA-HG-15-019) 

 

Exploratory/Developmental Clinical Research Grants in Obesity (R21)  (PA-15-163)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
National Cancer Institute

Cancer Research Education Grants Program - Curriculum or Methods Development (R25)  (PAR-15-150)

Cancer Research Education Grants Program - Courses for Skills Development (R25) (PAR-15-151)
 

Cancer Research Education Grants Program - Research Experiences (R25) (PAR-15-152) 

EVENTS
Mon, Mar 30

DPB Seminar

Ted M. Dawson, Ph.D.

Johns Hopkins University

Regulation of Life and Death Decisions by Novel Cell Signaling Molecules 

4 pm SOM/Robbins Bldg E-501
 

Tues, Mar 31

Pharmacology Seminar

David Antonetti Ph.D.

University of Michigan Kellog Eye Center

TBA

12pm W331

THOR Lecture Series
Francis Enane, PhD
1pm R3-027

Cancer Biology Seminar Series
Jiahui Wu, PhD
Discovery and Structure Mechanism Study of Small Molecules SIRT1 Activators
2pm NC1-202
Wed, Apr 1
HemOnc Div Research Conference
Rami Manochakian, MD
IVALuCancerCare "(Improving Veteran Access to Lung Cancer Care)
8am Lerner Tower B-151
Thurs, Apr 2
Molecular Biology and Microbiology Seminar
Marissa Sherman
Methyl Folate Trap Sensitizers Pathogenic Bacteria to Existing Sulfa Drugs
1pm W203
Mon, Apr 6

GMI Research Seminar

Christine Mayr, MD, PhD

Cornell University

A new function of 3'UTRs: Regulation of Protein Localization

12:30 pm NE1-205
Tues, Apr 7

Cancer Biology Seminar Series 

Erik Knudsen, Ph.D.

U.T. Southwestern Medical Center

Targeting the "Untargetable": Developing a Precision Approach to Pancreatic Cancer

2 pm NE1-205

Pharmacology Seminar
Artur Cidealyan, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
TBD
12pm W331

THOR Lecture Series
Reda Mahfouz, PhD
1pm R3-027

Workshop in Diversity in Research
Sana Loue, JD, PhD, MPH, MSSA
2:30 - 3:45 BRB 105
Wed, Apr 8

Department of Biochemistry CMB Student Seminar

4pm W248
Thur, Apr 9

PHRM 511 Journal Club

Mark Lucera and Michal Bonar
3pm W331
Fri, Apr 10

Cancer Center Seminar Series

Drew Pardoll MD, PhD
Johns Hopkins
12pm BRB105

Research in Progress Seminar
Konstantin Leskov, PhD
Exporing a Novel, Nuclear, Non-enzamatic Function of 15-Hydroxyprostaglandin Dehydrogenase (15-PGDH)
4pm WRB 3-136

Case CCC Calendar

 

LRI Calendar

 

UPCOMING CANCER CENTER SYMPOSIUMS & EVENTS

Graft Versus Host Disease Symposium 2015
April 24, 2015
Embassy Suites Cleveland - Rockside
Details

 

Advances in Lung Cancer: A Multidisciplinary Approach
April 25, 2015 

Marriott Hotel at Key Center
Details

 

GI Spore Retreat

April 28

Dively Hall

Details

 

Great Lakes Breast Cancer Symposium
June 4-6, 2015
Tinkham Veale University Center
Details

 

ASCO Review
June 26, 2015
InterContinental Hotel

 

Case CCC Annual Scientific Retreat 
July 9-10, 2015 

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED OPPORTUNITIES

 

American Cancer Society The Role of Health Policy and Health Insurance in Improving Access to and Performance of Cancer Prevention, Early Detection, and Treatment Services

Deadline: April 1

 

American Cancer Society Pilot and Exploratory Projects in Palliative Care of Cancer Patients and Their Families
Deadline: April 1 and October 1

 

Deadline (Era of Hope and Breakthrough 1 & 2):April 8
Deadline (Innovator, Breakthrough 3 & 4, Distinguished Investigator): April 24
 
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation

Deadline: April 10

'A' Award Grant

Deadline: May 22

Reach Grants

Deadline: May 29

Biotherapeutics Impact Grant

Deadline: June 30

 

Forbeck Foundation Scholar Award: email for information.

Deadline: April 17

 

Multiple Myeloma Research Fellow Awards
Deadline: April 21

 

Worldwide Cancer Research
Deadline: April 24

 

American Cancer Society Pilot and Exploratory Projects in Palliative Care of Cancer Patients and Their Families
Deadline: April 1 and October 1

 

DoD Ovarian Cancer Clinical Translational Award

Deadline: May 6

 

DoD Ovarian Cancer Pilot Award

Deadline: May 6 

 

DoD Ovarian Cancer Clinical Translational Award

LOI Deadline: Mar 30

Deadline: May 11

 

DoD Ovarian Cancer Investigator-Initiated Research Award

Deadline: May 13 

 

DoD Ovarian Cancer Academy - Early-Career Investigator Award

Deadline: May 13 

 

Limited Submission: National Science Foundation Collections in Support of Biological Research (CSBR)
External Deadline: Jul13 

 

Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Accepting Applications for Early Career Fellowship Awards

Deadline: Aug 17
 

Taub Foundation Grants Program for Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) Research
Invited Proposal Deadline: Aug 14

 

International Union Against Cancer (UICC) International Cancer Technology Transfer Fellowships

Deadline: Open

 

International Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia Foundation (IWMF) Research Grant Program
Deadline: Open

 

Deadline: Open

 

Deadline: Open

 

Deadline: Open

Case Comprehensive Cancer Center 
11100 Euclid Avenue, Wearn152
Cleveland, OH 44106-5065