Research Newsletter - April 2026

3-on-3 basketball tournament to benefit the cancer center

Kelvin Lee, MD, cancer center director, recently announced an exciting new tradition at the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center: a 3-on-3 basketball tournament in partnership with Gus Macker. Please save the date for October 3-4, 2026, at the Pacers Athletic Center in Westfield.

The gift development office recently hosted a few informational tip-off meetings. Those who have questions or are interested in getting involved as a volunteer or committee member, please complete this short survey.

Get involved

Panoch, Miller join cancer center

Janet Panoch, PhD, and Alexis Miller, formerly of the IU School of Medicine Department of Medicine/Division of General Internal Medicine, are now cancer center employees. Their positions have transferred to the cancer center’s Walther Center for Supportive Oncology. Panoch is the Walther Center’s program management specialist and Miller is the administrative coordinator. Panoch can be reached at jpanoch@iu.edu or 278-9955; Miller can be reached at millera7@iu.edu or 278-4004. Welcome, Janet and Alexis.

Related: Dr. Christian “Chris” Nelson named director of Walther Center for Supportive Oncology

NCCN Notes

Katie McGill elected to NCCN board of directors

Katie McGill, associate director of system integration, has been elected to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) board of directors. She will serve as the administrative representative on the board. In this role, she will also co-lead the NCCN Member Institution representative council, which is composed of two representatives from each NCCN member institution. Congratulations, Katie, on these important leadership positions within NCCN!

Upcoming events

Cancer Research Day registration is open

Cancer Research Day, the cancer center’s signature research event, will be held Thursday, May 7. Registration, which is free and highly recommended, is now open.

Register now

Abstract submissions due for Cancer Burden Across Indiana symposium

The 2026 Cancer Burden Across Indiana: Connecting Molecular Mechanisms to Treatment, Care, and Community Symposium will be held Tuesday, June 16 in Walther Hall.

The symposium is co-organized by the cancer center’s Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination Core and Office of Institutional Effectiveness. Students, fellows, faculty, and staff engaged in cancer research or clinical care are invited to present their work. The deadline to submit an abstract is May 15, 2026.

Learn more

Member headlines and highlights

Nabil Adra, MD (EDT), is among researchers who were involved in the development of a new treatment for bladder cancer with findings recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Learn more in this Indianapolis Business Journal article (subscription required).

Patrick J. Loehrer, MD (EDT), was elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s 2025 fellows class. He is among 13 fellows elected from IU this year. Learn more.  Additionally, Loehrer will receive IU’s John W. Ryan Award for Distinguished Contribution to International Programs and Studies later this month. Read about the award and his global contributions. Loehrer also was among the guests on “This Week in Global Development.” The guests explored how integrated breast cancer care in low- and middle-income countries is essential for overcoming systemic health barriers and fostering long-term economic resilience. Learn more and take a listen.

Reuben Kapur, PhD (CBM), and Santhosh K. Pasupuleti, PhD (CBM), are co-authors on a study in which they developed a two-pronged strategy to combat acute myeloid leukemia. Read the news release.

Anita Turk, MD (EDT), is lead author of a review on early-onset colorectal cancer in the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology Educational Book. She elaborates on the review in this Q&A for MedPage Today.

Sheri Robb, PhD (CPC), previously developed an Active Music Engagement (AME) music therapy intervention for pediatric cancer patients. Now she is working to expand the therapy to children with other chronic health conditions. Read more.

#ResearchCuresCancer

Support Our Research