News Briefs

300^th patient consents to ORIEN study

Earlier in October, the IU Simon Cancer Center marked a milestone: the 300^th patient choose to take part in the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN) Total Cancer Care study. Patients who choose to participate in the study share their medical information, genomic sequencing data, and a specimen for research use among the network. The IU Simon Cancer Center is a member of ORIEN.

Riley Atrium door is secured 24/7

Acccess to/through the pedestrian door located directly across from the Riley Cafeteria is now secured 24/7 with a camera, intercom and Honeywell card reader for use by anyone with an authorized ID card. Previously, a police officer staffed and monitored the door that leads from the sky walk to the hallway near the Riley Atrium. Since foot traffic has dwindled due to maternity tower construction and the People Mover closure, the officer has been relocated to the Simon Family Tower. The pedestrian door is next to Copper Moon and across from the cafeteria. 

Upcoming events

• George R. Stark, Ph.D., the 2019 Steven C. Beering Award winner and a cancer biology researcher from the Cleveland Clinic, presents "The Two Faces of Interferon: Is Our Major Antiviral Defense Mechanism a Friend or a Foe in Cancer?" at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6 in Walther Hall, Room 203. Registration is available. The IU School of Medicine Steven C. Beering Award honors an internationally recognized individual for outstanding research contributions to the advancement of biomedical and clinical science. Established in 1983, the award honors the important contributions Beering made to the school as its dean from 1974 to 1983.

• The Center for Medical Genomics is hosting a seminar on Single Cell Analytics from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12 in Walther Hall (R3), Room 203. This educational session will highlight how single cell genomics can enhance your research. Guest speakers will be present from 10x Genomics, Illumina and BioLegend. RSVP to receive more information about the event. Questions? Contact Maks Luthra at maluthra@iu.edu.

• The Andrea Gianaris Pancreatic Cancer Symposium is 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14 in Walther Hall. The day’s agenda is here. Registration is free; pre-registration is required. Also, submissions for abstracts for posters are welcome.

Cancer center members in the news

• Reuben Kapur, Ph.D., has been appointed interim director of the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research at IU School of Medicine. He succeeds Raghu Mirmira, M.D., Ph.D., who led the center since August 2017. Kapur’s appointment begins Nov. 1. more>
  
  
• Roberto Pili, M.D., recently participated in the A Vision of Hope: A Kidney Cancer Educational Symposium, hosted by the Judy Nicholson Kidney Cancer Symposium and Penn Medicine Abramson Cancer Center. more>
  
  
• Bryan Schneider, M.D., is the recipient of a $250,000 Komen Breast Cancer Disparities Research Supplemental Grant, which will support his research on how genetic ancestry affects the response to breast cancer therapy in African-American women. more>
  
  
• Mark Kelley, Ph.D., participated in the American Association for Cancer Research-National Cancer Institute-European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (AACR-NCI-EORTC) Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics International Conference in Boston in late October. He presented “A Phase I Study Targeting the APE1/Ref-1 DNA Repair-redox Signaling Protein with the APX3330 Inhibitor.” The conference is considered to be the premier international meeting featuring novel cancer therapeutics.
  
  
• Hal Broxmeyer, Ph.D., recently was awarded the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution’s Medal of Honor. He was recommended for the honor by the Eagle Creek Chapter of the DAR. Dr. Broxmeyer pioneered the use of umbilical cord blood to treat cancer and immune diseases. Cord blood transplants have since been performed tens of thousands of times around the world.

  

• Kathy Miller, M.D., is the PI of the BRACELET-1 study. The study will take place at 15 centers in the United States and will evaluate the ability of pelareorep to make tumors immunologically visible to checkpoint inhibitors.
  
  
• Greg Durm, M.D., and colleagues wrote “Radioluminescent Nanoparticles for Radiation-controlled Release of Drugs,” which was published in the Journal of Controlled Release.

New members

Ahmad Al-Hader, M.D.
Department of Medicine
Affiliate Member

Steven Angus, Ph.D.
Department of Pediatrics
Associate member, Experimental and Developmental Therapeutics

Mohammad Saadatzadeh, Ph.D.
Department of Pediatrics
Associate member, Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis

Kirk Staschke, Ph.D.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Associate member, Experimental and Developmental Therapeutics

Jonah Vilseck, Ph.D.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Associate member, Experimental and Developmental Therapeutics