Research Newsletter - March/April 2023

News briefs | March/April 2023

NCI announces National Cancer Plan

The National Cancer Institute released its National Cancer Plan, a long-term, ambitious framework to end cancer as we know it. It was developed to coordinate a national response to achieving the goals of the Cancer Moonshot and deliver better cancer outcomes to all people. Download the full plan.

Kimble-Hill receives American Chemical Society award

Ann Kimble-Hill, Ph.D., the cancer center’s assistant director of DEI, recently received the American Chemical Society’s Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students into Careers in the Chemical Sciences. She earned the award for her dedication to fostering an inclusive environment for student success through mentored research and enhancing an institutional culture promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and justice.

COE is now on Facebook

The Office of Community Outreach and Engagement at IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center seeks to lower the cancer burden in Indiana by providing a link between cancer center researchers and the community it serves, with a focus on underserved populations. Give their new Facebook page a follow to stay up to date on the important work happening at the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement.

Upcoming events

The next Simon Says Expert Series will be at noon April 11, focused on esophageal cancer. Mohammad Al-Haddad, M.D., and Shadia Jalal, M.D., will present; Tarah Ballinger, M.D., will serve as moderator. Register now.

Cancer Research Day, the cancer center’s signature research event, is Thursday, May 4, at the IUPUI Campus Center. Abstracts for posters to be presented should be submitted by 5 p.m. April 5. Cancer Research Day aims to increase understanding and awareness of the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Cancer's research endeavors and encourage collaboration with other cancer research institutions in Indiana. Learn more and submit an abstract.

The Center for Global Oncology and Health Equity at the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center presents a monthly seminar series focused on various aspects of global oncology. Jenny Morgan, M.D., will present “Breast Cancer Screening Strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa” at 8 a.m. Thursday, April 13. Learn more and register.

ICYMI: Check out the latest content on the cancer center’s social media channels

Followers on Twitter are getting hyped for Chuckstrong with this Twitter video, which previews the April 21 event.

Check out this Facebook video that celebrates Jackson Lee as he began his quest for the USFPro2000 championship in the #47 IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center/Browning Chapman/Prime 47 car.

Cancer Center Director Kelvin Lee, M.D., helped kick off March Madness on Instagram as part of a Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium campaign.

Nearly 100 LinkedIn followers reacted to the story about a non-invasive diagnostic test to detect mutations that could lead to early-stage breast cancer developed by Harikrishna Nakshatri, Ph.D.

Member headlines and highlights

Helft Shields	Paul Helft, M.D. (affiliate), was a guest on WISH-TV’s All Indiana as part of a colon cancer awareness month segment.
	Melissa Fishel, Ph.D. (TMM), and Max Schmidt, M.D. (CPC), talk about their work to catch pancreatic cancer earlier in a WTHR-TV story.
	Hari Nakshatri, Ph.D. (TMM), has developed a non-invasive tool to detect mutations that could potentially lead to early-stage breast cancer. Read more in the IU Innovate Indiana blog post.
	Misty Shields, M.D., Ph.D. (EDT), was profiled by WRTV-TV as a participant in the American Lung Association’s Fight For Air Climb at Salesforce Tower. Read more.
	Shadia Jalal, M.D. (EDT), was a guest on the OncLive On Air podcast “How This is Building Me.” Listen to the episode as she discusses her transition from life in Jordan to Indianapolis, being a mother in medicine, the importance of transparency in academia and more.
	Mark Kelley, Ph.D. (EDT), was profiled in IU’s Innovate Indiana blog, highlighting his disclosure of 61 inventions, 19 patents, creation of a startup and licensing of three of his technologies. Read more.