News briefs | July 2023
The Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (OCOE), in collaboration with End Lung Cancer Now (ELCN) and the Indiana Cancer Consortium, led the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center’s participation at the 2023 Indiana Black and Minority Health Fair during Indiana Black Expo in Indianapolis.
During the July 13-16 event, faculty, researchers, staff and students engaged with the community by providing information and materials on a variety of topics that address the elimination of the cancer burden in Indiana. The more than 50 volunteers at the booth provided health fair participants with information on tobacco cessation, lung, cervical, HPV, and colorectal cancer (CRC) screenings and prevention. Additionally, those who stopped by the booth were offered interactive risk assessments for CRC and CO monitoring, information on clinical trials, a cancer survivorship assessment and learned about the need for community advocates.
Over the course of the health fair, nearly 500 attendees actively engaged with the cancer center’s booth.
SAM@Simon seeks nominations
The SAM@Simon program is seeking nominations for the fall 2023 cohort.
SAM@Simon is an intellectually rigorous, immersive, and highly experiential leadership development and succession planning program for cancer center members and affiliates to strengthen their strategic prowess. The program involves a two-day, off-campus retreat and an asynchronous four-week program.
This program will accelerate participants’ careers with an in-depth understanding of the core concepts that drive academic cancer centers. Although this program is specifically designed for women and underrepresented physicians, staff, and scientists, it is open to all.
Applications for the fall 2023 cohort are accepted on a rolling basis.
Submit a Nomination. Self-nominations also are accepted.
Nominee Eligibility:
- Current cancer center member or affiliation
- Supports a core (shared facility) or involved in a research program (TMM, CPC, HHM, or EDT)
- A letter of support from your sponsor
- An outstanding member that displays talents, skills, and abilities for leadership
Questions? Contact Daenique Jengelley, Ph.D., or Antwione Haywood, Ph.D.
Communications team updates
To better reflect their responsibilities, Candace Gwaltney and Mika Mokko from the communications team have new titles.
Candace, formerly the science writer, is now associate director of communications. She will continue to focus on writing about the center’s cancer research and educational offerings as well as developing and maintaining relationships with the news media to enhance our earned media coverage. Some of her recent media relations work includes earning a story on CNN.com. She will serve as a liaison to OncLive, the Big Ten Cancer Research Network, the Hoosier Cancer Research Network, and IU research communications. She also serves as a liaison to the NCI’s Office of Public Affairs as a member of the Public Affairs and Marketing Network (PAMN) steering committee.
Previously the social media specialist, Mika is now the social media and digital communications manager. That title reflects Mika’s key role in creating and maintaining content and assets for the center’s website in addition to managing the center’s social channels. Some of her recent work includes developing a social media plan for the “Race to Beat Cancer” online campaign and creating content centered around the students in the center’s various summer programs. Since she began in 2022, Mika launched two new social channels (Instagram and LinkedIn), which expanded the center’s reach of telling our followers about IU’s ground-breaking cancer research. In all, she created 1,030 posts that led to 717,000 impressions (the number of times the posts were seen) last year. Mika represents the cancer center as a PAMN member.
Upcoming events
The next Simon Says Expert Series will be at noon Thursday, Aug. 3, focused on Clinical Trials 101. Kathy Miller, M.D., will present; Patrick Loehrer, M.D., will serve as moderator.
The IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center is again a proud sponsor of Outrun the Sun: Race Against Melanoma, and our Office of Community Outreach and Engagement will be on-site during the evening event on Saturday, Sept. 30. The Race Against Melanoma and Sunset Festival will take place at Lawton Loop, 8838 Otis Ave., in Lawrence. Stay tuned for more details.
Member headlines and highlights
 Jalal  Maniar | Shadia Jalal, M.D. (EDT), talked to CNN.com about the current cancer drug shortages and its impact on clinical research. Read the story. |
Rohan Maniar, M.D. (EDT), wrote an article for ASCO Daily News, “Response Prediction in Immune Checkpoint Blockade–Treated Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: What Role Can Immunoscore and Multispectral Imaging Play?” | |
Thomas Imperiale, M.D. (CPC), led a study that identifies seven risk factors for early onset colorectal cancer in males. | |
Nawal Kassem, M.D. (CPC), talked to HealthCentral about breastfeeding and its impact on breast cancer prevention. |
New members
Laura Vater, M.D., MPH
Associate member, Experimental and Developmental Therapeutics
