Research Newsletter - October 2024

At the 2024 Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer’s annual Breast Cancer Classic fundraiser, the foundation announced a donation of $1,601,830 to support the Vera Bradley Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research at the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center (read the news release).

With this gift, the foundation’s cumulative contributions to breast cancer research now stand at $41.7 million. Their generosity supports nearly 30 researchers as they make advances in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Thank you, Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer!

More than 2,500 people visited the cancer center’s booth at the Indiana State Fair in August.

The center’s first-ever presence at the fair, in which more than 854,000 people attended, also involved more than 80 volunteers who helped to raise awareness of the center’s In the Race to Beat Cancer, Early Detection and Prevention Win education campaign, clinical trials, the summer educational offerings for 2025, the unique PhD program, and more during five separate days at the fair.

The volunteers also distributed swag, which included race car stress balls and sunglasses with a checkered flag tied to the Race to Beat Cancer campaign.

Volunteers representing End Lung Cancer Now, an initiative of the cancer center, and the Komen Tissue Bank were on hand on two separate days that highlighted their respective efforts. 

Many fairgoers expressed their appreciation of the cancer center’s presence at the fair, while others openly shared personal stories of how the center’s healthcare providers either made a difference in their lives or the life of a loved one.

For the volunteers, the opportunity gave them the chance to interact with the public but also to interact with fellow volunteers who represented units beyond the cancer center.

The center’s booth at the fair was organized by Calvin Roberson, director of operations of the center’s Office of Community Outreach and Engagement, and Michael Schug, the center’s communications director.

The IU School of Medicine has named Clint Cary, MD, MPH, MBA, as the next leader of the Department of Urology. Cary assumed the role of department chair on Oct. 1, succeeding Michael Koch, MD, who served in the role for 26 years. The department is currently ranked No. 24 in National Institutes of Health funding among urology departments in the United States. Read the announcement.

Cancer center scholars who are part of the American Cancer Society (ACS) Post-Baccalaureate Diversity in Cancer Research Education Program presented at the ACS Diversity in Cancer Research (DICR) Training Post-Baccalaureate Annual Meeting in September.

Congratulations to the following IADEP students and their mentors:

• Ryli Justice (mentor: Karen Pollok, PhD) had the overall top score for oral presentations and won 1st place in the poster presentation competition. 
• Ian Green (mentor: Amber Mosley, PhD) won 3rd place in the poster presentation competition. 

The Bright-Well Fund was established at the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center to assist IU School of Medicine and IU Health employees experiencing unexpected personal financial distress. If you know of an employee who might benefit, please encourage them to apply for support. The review process for awards and the distribution of Bright-Well Fund support is entirely confidential and is reviewed and adjudicated by a social worker and HR staff. Learn more and apply for support.