Research Newsletter - January 2025

January 2025 news briefs

Faculty sought for online program to eradicate sexual harassment, racial mistreatment, incivility

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently raised attention to the problem of harassment and related professional misconduct that harms students working in research labs. One of the projects funded by NIH to address this problem is Indiana CARES (Creating Accountability and building Relationships to eradicate Sexual harassment, Racial Mistreatment, and Incivility), led by Indiana University Indianapolis researchers Peggy Stockdale, PhD, and Ann Kimble-Hill, PhD. They are recruiting research-active faculty to participate in an online program that takes a unique empathy-training and responsibility-focused power approach to build effective, safe mentoring skills.

The program entails four, one-hour webinars each with a 30-minute, individually paced pre-session starting in spring 2025. Faculty who complete the program will earn a $150 gift certificate, a digital badge, and can compete for a $10,000 grant to develop a safe mentoring program for their research program.

Learn more

Cancer center seeks assistant director of inclusive excellence

The cancer center is seeking an assistant director for the Office of Inclusive Excellence. Applicants must be Indiana University faculty member (MD and/or PhD) interested in furthering the cancer center’s goal of advancing a culture of inclusive excellence by designing sustainable programming and initiatives that align with the center’s mission and vision. This leader will bring a deep commitment and experience to advancing inclusive excellence efforts and will work with several stakeholder groups, including trainees, faculty, and staff of the center. While there are ongoing initiatives to be maintained by the incumbent, ideas for new initiatives are expected and welcomed. This is a .10 FTE position. The incumbent will work alongside the associate director of inclusive excellence, Ann Kimble-Hill, PhD.

Interested candidates should apply by Feb. 14. Visit the job description.

Upcoming events

Empowering Black Health: A Celebration of Heritage & Wellness event on Feb. 28

Save the date for Empowering Black Health: A Celebration of Heritage & Wellness, a special event to celebrate Black Heritage Month. It will be 6-7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, at the Madam Walker Legacy Center, 617 Indiana Ave., Indianapolis. This year’s focus on advocacy, prevention/screening, and self-care will spark meaningful conversations and celebrate health equity.Co-hosted by the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, IU Black Faculty Staff Council, IU Multicultural Center, and IU Family Medicine, the event will feature:

Interactive discussions with clinicians, nurses, and survivor-advocates
Performances by local artists
Networking with heavy appetizers
Vendor and organizational booths

Stay tuned for more details and registration.

Registration is open for the Peachey Project: From Bench to Breakthrough

The Annual Peachey Project conference (formerly the Amelia Project) will take place on Saturday, March 8, at the Indiana University-Kokomo campus. The annual event is dedicated to fostering collaboration among scientists and clinicians specializing in breast cancer research.

Learn more and register

Cancer Research Day is May 8

Save the date: Cancer Research Day, the cancer center’s signature research event, will be held Thursday, May 8, 2025. Abstract submissions will open soon.

Member headlines and highlights

Nasser Hanna, MD (EDT), and colleagues wrote “Ending the Lung Cancer Epidemic in the United States: How Close Are We?” published in the ASCO Daily News. Additionally, Hanna has earned the Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO) distinction, which honors ASCO members for their extraordinary volunteer service, engagement, and dedication to the organization.

Lisa Landrum, MD, PhD (EDT), has been named the chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the IU School of Medicine, after serving as interim chair since May 2024. Read the announcement.

Mark Kelley, PhD (EDT), has been named chair of the Institutional Resource Oversight Committee (IROC) at the IU School of Medicine. The IROC is vital in advancing research excellence by conducting annual performance reviews for the centralized cores and providing strategic recommendations.

Travis Johnson, PhD (EDT), and Brian Walker, PhD (HHM), share in this IU Medicine Magazine story how they are using machine learning to sift reams of genetic data and identify a protein potentially powering multiple myeloma.

Ahmed Alomari, MD (TMM), explains his work on an AI tool that shows promise in predicting whether melanoma will return in this IU Medicine Magazine article.

Rita Assi, MD (EDT), is quoted in this patient story, “A Young Life, Briefly Derailed, is Set Back On Course,” featured in the latest issue of IU Medicine Magazine.