April 13, 2015
MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS
Dr Madabhushi awarded patent for image based risk score

Anant Madabhushi, PhD, professor of biomedical engineering and director of the Center for Computational Imaging and Personalized Diagnostics (CCIPD), has been awarded U.S. patent 9002092, titled Image-based risk score-A prognostic predictor of survival and outcome from digital histopathology.

 
The invention relates to an image-based computer-aided prognosis (CAP) system and method that seeks to replicate the prognostic power of molecular assays in histopathology and pathological processes, including but not limited to cancer. Using only a tissue slide samples, a mechanism for digital slide scanning, and a computer, the present invention relates to an image-based CAP system and method which aims to overcome many of the drawbacks associated with prognostic molecular assays (e.g. Oncotype DX) including the high cost associated with the assay, limited laboratory facilities with specialized equipment, and length of time between biopsy and prognostic prediction.

 
Co-inventors include Ajay Basavanhally (scientist, Inspirata Inc.) and Shridar Ganesan (Cancer Institute of New Jersey).

Nima Sharifi, MD Published on Nature.com
Nima Sharifi, MD published in Nature Reviews Urology on Nature.com for Prostate cancer: CYP17A1 inhibitor failure-lessons for future drug developme
nt.

The ELM-PC 5 phase III randomized, double blind, multicentre trial comparing treatment with orteronel plus prednisone with placebo plus prednisone failed to show an overall survival benefit for orteronel therapy. Several possible reasons exist for the lack of a positive result in this study. Read more.

CASE CCC IN THE NEWS
Case CCC and Gathering Place Partner to Support African American Women With Cancer Exercise Program
Kay Colby's ideastream interview on The Sound of Ideas highlighted the importance of exercise for cancer patients.  The program highlighted is a partnership between Case CCC and The Gathering Place in a 20 week exercise program.  Cynthia Owusu, MD, MSc and Ofer Reizes, PhD were both interviewed in the segment for their expertise in the positive effects exercise can have.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Race for the Place
The Annual Race for the Place supporting The Gathering Place is on Sunday June 7th at Beachwood Place.  The event is in recognition of National Cancer Survivors Day and supports the Gathering Place.  It is presented by University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center.
Case CCC will have a team.  This is a wonderful event and all are encouraged to participate.
Science Cafe April 13: Ruth Keri, PhD and William Schiemann, PhD 
Ruth Keri, PhD and William Schiemann, PhD will discuss New Discoveries in the Biology and Treatment of Cancer Monday April 13th at the Science Cafe of Cleveland.  All are welcome to attend.

WHERE:

The Tasting Room at Great Lakes Brewing Company

2701 Carroll Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 44113

 

WHEN:

April 13, 2015

Doors will be open 5:30 - 9:00 PM (Last call at 8:45PM). Presentation and discussion is 7:00 - 8:00 PM. The Tasting Room will also host a limited food and drink menu before and during the event. 

 

*Please Note* A few of our cafes have approached capacity and/or standing room only. If you want to be 100% sure to get in and get a good seat, you might want to arrive a bit early.

 

WHO: Sponsored by Case Western Reserve University chapter of Sigma Xi, WCPN ideastream, and Great Lakes Brewing Company

Graft versus Host Disease National Symposium
Registration is now open for the Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD) National Symposium

Friday, April 24, at the Embassy Suites Cleveland. This conference is intended to raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of GvHD, review cutting edge approaches to prevention and treatment, and highlight and promote research to further our understanding of its cause.

The symposium will have two tracks: a scientifically rigorous one for physicians and practitioners, and a survivor track that will focus on challenges faced by BMT recipients and their families. The survivor track is intended to provide both education and the opportunity for individuals to interact with national leaders in the GvHD field. The afternoon "Meet the Expert" uniquely interactive breakout sessions will provide an opportunity for the physicians, survivors and their families to come closely together during the program. Continuing Medical Education credits will be offered.               
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.

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

DoD Lung Cancer Career Development Award

The Career Development Award supports early-career, independent investigators to conduct impactful research under the mentorship of an experienced lung cancer researcher as an opportunity to obtain the funding, mentoring, and experience necessary for productive, independent careers at the forefront of lung cancer research. This award is intended to support impactful research projects with an emphasis on discovery. 

Key elements of this award are as follows: 

* Principal Investigator (PI): PIs must be research- or physician-scientists at an early stage of their independent research careers. PIs must be within 5 years of their first faculty appointment (or equivalent), and exhibit a strong desire to pursue a career in lung cancer research. 

* Mentorship: The mentor must be an experienced lung cancer researcher as demonstrated by a strong record of funding and publications in lung cancer research. In addition, the mentor must demonstrate a commitment to developing the PI's career in lung cancer research. 

* Career Development: A Career Development Plan is required and should be prepared with appropriate guidance from the mentor. 
 
Deadline: September 16, 2015

DoD Lung Cancer Clinical Exploration Award

The LCRP CEA mechanism was first offered in FY13. Since then, 35 CEA applications have been received, and 5 have been recommended for funding. This award mechanism supports early-phase, proof-of-principle clinical trials and correlative studies to investigate hypothesis-based, innovative interventions that have the potential to resolve current clinical barriers and result in a profound impact on the clinical management of lung cancer. While therapeutic approaches proposed for testing through the CEA must represent novel, hypothesis-based, "outside-the-box" approaches for treating lung cancer, they may include therapies already in clinical use, or undergoing clinical testing for other diseases, provided that the proposed use for lung cancer would lead to a major advancement for treating the disease. Outcomes from studies funded by this award are anticipated to provide scientific rationale for subsequent development of larger, efficacy-based clinical trials of interventions that will transform lung cancer clinical care. 
 

Deadline: September 16, 2015

DoD Lung Cancer Clinical Exploration Award

The LCRP CEA mechanism was first offered in FY13. Since then, 35 CEA applications have been received, and 5 have been recommended for funding. This award mechanism supports early-phase, proof-of-principle clinical trials and correlative studies to investigate hypothesis-based, innovative interventions that have the potential to resolve current clinical barriers and result in a profound impact on the clinical management of lung cancer. While therapeutic approaches proposed for testing through the CEA must represent novel, hypothesis-based, "outside-the-box" approaches for treating lung cancer, they may include therapies already in clinical use, or undergoing clinical testing for other diseases, provided that the proposed use for lung cancer would lead to a major advancement for treating the disease. Outcomes from studies funded by this award are anticipated to provide scientific rationale for subsequent development of larger, efficacy-based clinical trials of interventions that will transform lung cancer clinical care. 
 

Deadline: September 16, 2015

DoD Lung Cancer Idea Development Award

The Idea Development Award promotes new ideas that are still in the early stages of development and have the potential to yield impactful data and new avenues of investigation. This award supports conceptually innovative, high-risk/high-reward research that could lead to critical discoveries or major advancements that will accelerate progress toward eradicating deaths from lung cancer. 

New Investigators: The FY15 Idea Development Award mechanism encourages applications from independent investigators in the early stages of their careers (i.e., within 10 years of their first faculty appointment, or equivalent). The New Investigator category is designed to allow applicants early in their faculty appointments to compete for funding separately from established investigators. Applications from New Investigators and Established Investigators will be peer and programmatically reviewed separately. 

Deadline: September 16, 2015

NIH BULLETIN - Notices and Funding Opportunities
 Notice of Potential Delays to NIH Isuing Awards in May 2015 (NOT-OD-15-088) National Institutes of Health

Racial and Ethnic Categories and Definitions for NIH Diversity Programs and for Other Reporting Purposes 
(NOT-OD-15-089) National Institutes of Health

Reporting Publications in the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR) 
(NOT-OD-15-090) National Institutes of Health

EVENTS
Mon, Apr 13

Department of Biochemistry STudent Seminar

Gary Nolan

Stanford University

11a & 4p WRB
 

GMI Seminar

Chun Li, PhD

Detecting Quantitative Trait Association without Knowing Effect Modifiers

12:30p NE1-205

Tues, Apr 14

Pharmacology Seminar

Blanton Tolbert, PhD
12pm W331
 

Department of Biochemistry CMB Guest Seminar
Courtney Niland
12p W428

Immunology Seminar 
Chairut Vareechon
Pearlman Lab
The Role of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Type III Secretion in Inhibiting Reactive Oxygen Species Production by Neutrophils
12p WRB Auditorium

THOR Lecture Series
Craig Peacock, PhD
Pre-clinical Models of Small Cell Lung Cancer and Chemoresistance
1pm R3-027
Wed, Apr 15
CCF Immunology Series
Raul M Torres, PhD
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Inhibition of Lymphocyte Antigen Receptor Signaling and Adaptive Immunity by Lysophosphatidic Acid
12p NC1-202
Thurs, Apr 16
Neurosciences Shared Seminar with Pediatrics
Dr. Kwanghun Chung 
MIT
Enabling technologies for integrative understanding of complex biological systems
12p BRB 105

Case CCC Research Trainee Seminar
Lyn Ulatowski, PhD
Lab: Danny Manor
Novel Potential Target for Intervention in Colon Cancer
12p WRB 3-136

Immunology Journal Club
Chelsey Judge
Canonical Wnt Signaling in Dendritic Cells Regulates Th1/Th17 Responses and Suppresses Autoimmune Neuroinflammation
12p WRB4136

Molecular Biology and Microbiology Seminar
Marie McCausland
Levine Lab
Monocyte Phenotype in HIV Disease and its Relation to Intestinal Dysfunction
1p Rottman W203

PHRM 511 Journal Club
3p W331
Fri, Apr 17
Cancer Center Seminar Series
Jeffrey Miller, MD
University of Minnesota
NK Cell Therapy for Cancer and Transplantation
12p BRB105
Mon, Apr 20

GMI Research Seminar

Amanda Tilot, PhD
Eng lab
Connecting the Pten m3m4 Mouse to Human Autism via its Neural Transcriptome
12:30p NE1-205
Weds, Apr 22

CCF Department of Immunology and Rheumatologic and Immunologic Disease Seminar

Dr. Rafick-Pierre Sekaly 

Deep Into the Human Immune Response: A System Biology Perspective
12p NC1-202

 

Pharmacology/Frontiers Seminar

Mark Ginsberg, PhD

UCSD

3p WRB
Thurs, Apr 23

Skin Disease Research Center Lecture Series

Meg Chren, MD

The University of California

9:20a BRB105

Neurosciences Seminar
Dr Erik Lavik
Therapeutic Applications of Polymers in the CNS
12:10 BRB105

Krampitz Seminar
Nicholas Tonks
Cold Spring Harbor
Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases: Basic Research to new Therapeutics
1p Rottman W203
Fri, Apr 24

Cancer Center Seminar Series

Caius G. Radu

Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging

Imaging and Targeting Nucleotide Metabolism in Cancer

12p BRB105

Cancer Center Research in Progress Seminar
Neetha Parameswaran PhD
Jackson Lab
Role of FAM83A in Oncogenic KRAS-Driven Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
4p WRB 3-136
Mon, Apr 27

Neurosciences Journal Club

12p SOME646


Tues, Apr 28

THOR Lecture Series

Alison Militerno, MD 
Johns Hopkins
1pm R3-027

Pharmacology Seminar
Monica Montano, PhD
12p W331
Fri, May 1

Cancer Center Seminar Series

David W Wetter, PhD
University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center
12pm BRB105

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 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 

 

Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Simmons Foundation

Deadline: Jul 28

 

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