News Briefs / May 2020

2 cancer center researchers receive funding from Heroes Foundation

The Heroes Foundation, an Indianapolis-based cancer advocacy non-profit, has awarded funding to two IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers.

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Nabil Adra, M.D., was named an SJP Heroes Cancer Research Fund Scholar by the organization. The mission of the SJP Heroes Cancer Research Fund is to make a measurable impact on moving cancer patient care forward by jumpstarting promising research.

In collaboration with other researchers, Adra has defined a new blood test—microRNA 371—for patients with testicular cancer. This test detects minimal amounts of cancer in the blood after initial treatments, even when there is no evidence of cancer on CT scan imaging or other conventional tests. The SJP Heroes Cancer Research Fund support will assist Adra to investigate this blood biomarker in a larger group of testicular cancer patients, and to document its effectiveness in detecting small amounts of residual cancer.

Steve Angus, Ph.D., is the newest recipient of the Team JOEY Pediatric Cancer Research Award from the Heroes Foundation. The mission of Team JOEY is to further the battle against pediatric cancer through research and to support young cancer patients.

Angus’ research focuses on developing new and more effective treatments for pediatric sarcomas—tumors occurring in muscle, bone and other connective tissues. His research seeks to identify new targeted therapies for these pediatric sarcomas—Ewing’s sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST). One class of targeted therapeutics, called kinase inhibitors, is an area of expertise in Dr. Angus’ lab that he believes holds promise for sarcoma treatment.

Virtual Seminar Series

The cancer center has moved its seminar programming to an online format. The weekly IUSCCC Virtual Seminar Series takes place at 3 p.m. Thursdays on Zoom. The list of upcoming presenters and topics can be found online.

Meet new cancer center staff member

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In May, Jennifer Stringer joined the cancer center as administrative support specialist. In this role, Stringer provides administrative assistance and serves as the coordinator for the various committees and groups within the cancer center. Stringer serves as a liaison between cancer center leadership and internal/external stakeholders, and assists with planning and documentation of IUSCCC Executive Committee, Leadership Council and Internal Advisory Committee meetings. Additionally, she will assist with planning and communication for IUSCCC education activities. Before joining the cancer center, Stringer worked at Butler University. Stringer can be reached at jenstrin@iu.edu or (317) 278-4917. Her office will be in Walther Hall, 528.

Cancer center offering trainee membership

The cancer center is now offering trainee memberships for graduate students, post-docs and fellows involved in cancer research. Members are encouraged to share this information with lab members who qualify. Trainee members will have exclusive access to travel funding awards and receive invitations to cancer center events and trainee programs. The program will also include career enhancement and recognition opportunities.  Learn more and apply at https://apps.cancer.iu.edu/trainee/.

Hematology oncology fellow receives Young Investigator Award

Hematology oncology fellow Sravanti Rangaraju, MBBS, received the George and Sarah Jane Fisher Young Investigator Award given by the Hoosier Cancer Research Network. Rangaraju is working on a Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium leukemia study with her mentor and IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center researcher H. Scott Boswell, M.D

Fairbanks School of Public Health offering an online epidemiology degree

The IU Fairbanks School of Public Health (FSPH) now offers an online Master of Public Health (MPH) in epidemiology. Lectures are pre-recorded for additional flexibility and coursework includes cancer epidemiology and cancer prevention. The fall matriculation application deadline is August 1. No official GRE scores are required if cumulative undergraduate GPA from all universities attended is above 3.0. Contact cancer center member and FSPH Department of Epidemiology Chair Jiali Han, Ph.D., for more information at jialhan@iu.edu.

Researchers participate in virtual Relay for Life

Two IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers who received funding from the American Cancer Society participated in a virtual Relay for Life event. Multiple myeloma researcher Jesús Delgado-Calle, Ph.D., and breast cancer researcher Xinna Zhang, Ph.D., shared videos about their work for the event organized by IU students on the Bloomington campus.

Transitions

Huang named A.D. for data science

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Kun Huang, Ph.D. — an internationally recognized leader in bioinformatics and computational pathology — is now associate director of data science at the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, a newly-created position. In this role, he will provide the vision, strategy, and oversight for integration of data science initiatives within the cancer center. As such, he will reorganize and oversee the data science cores, including bioinformatics, biostatistics, epidemiology, and clinical informatics. Huang’s research interests lie in translational bioinformatics, computational pathology, medical imaging, computational biology, integrative genomics tools for precision health, computer vision, and machine learning. He is focused on translating informatics tools to improve clinical practice and accelerate scientific discovery.

As an associate director, he will serve on the cancer center’s executive committee. He is also a member of the cancer center’s Experimental and Developmental Therapeutics research program. Huang is assistant dean for data science, the Precision Health Initiative Professor of Genomics Data Sciences, and a professor of medicine at IU School of Medicine, and he is a research scientist at the Clem McDonald Center for Biomedical Informatics at the Regenstrief Institute. He also is a fellow of the American Institute of Biological and Medical Engineering and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He serves as a section editor of BMC Medical Genomics.

Nephew, Walczak take on new roles at cancer center

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Two new leadership positions have been announced for the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. Bloomington-based cancer center members Kenneth Nephew, Ph.D., is assistant director of research, and Claire Walczak, Ph.D., is assistant director of education.

With a dozen cancer center members located on the IU flagship campus, Walczak and Nephew will be integral to continued collaboration between the Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses.

As assistant director of research, Nephew will assist in coordinating the cancer research mission in Bloomington and increase interdisciplinary research collaboration of IUSCCC membership between the campuses.

Nephew is professor of anatomy, cell biology and physiology, and adjunct professor of obstetrics and gynecology for IU School of Medicine Bloomington. He also is co-program leader of the cancer center’s Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis (TMM) research program. Nephew’s research focuses on ovarian cancer recurrence and its resistance to chemotherapy as well as epigenetic changes in solid tumors and epigenetic therapies against ovarian, breast, germ cell, and lung cancers.

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As assistant director of education, Walczak will assist in coordinating the cancer training and education missions in Bloomington and increase interdisciplinary collaboration of IUSCCC membership between the campuses.

Walczak is professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, adjunct professor of anatomy, cell biology and physiology, and assistant director of research for the medical sciences program at IU School of Medicine Bloomington. She’s also a member of the cancer center’s TMM research program. Walczak’s research focuses on the fundamental mechanisms that cells use to accurately distribute their genetic material. Defects in this process lead to aneuploidy and genomic instability, which are hallmarks of cancer.

Cancer center members in the news

  • Wade Clapp, M.D., is among the authors of “Selumetinib in Children with Inoperable Plexiform Neurofibromas” published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.

  • Shelley Johns, Psy.D., was featured in Cancer Currents: An NCI Cancer Research Blog article, “Helping Cancer Survivors Cope with Cancer-Related Anxiety and Distress.”

  • Larry Cripe, M.D., received the IU School of Medicine 2020 Physician Mentor of the Year Award. Serving as a physician mentor with the same cohort of mentees for the past four years, Cripe was described by one of his mentees as “someone who challenged us to find meaning in our thoughts, beliefs and actions. He helped us explore parts of ourselves that we often ignore. He reminded us that we are human before anything else. He encouraged us to remember why we chose this journey.” The Physician Mentor of the Year Award recognizes physician mentors who go above and beyond for their mentees.

New members