Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven will celebrate Cancer Survivors Day with our patients and their families on Saturday, May 19th at Yale's West Campus. The event will begin at 11 AM with a keynote presentation by Carolyn Taylor, cancer survivor and founder of Global Focus on Cancer
This is a family friendly event, and I encourage you to bring your families and join in the celebration with our patients. Kids' activities will include a Moon Bounce, Video Game Truck, Ice Cream Truck, Arts and Crafts, and Human Hamster Balls.
At 12:00, we will host a picnic supper with entertainment by local band, String Theorie. Please encourage your patients to attend with their families.
I am happy to announce that Dr. Sarah Goldberg has accepted a position as an Assistant Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology). She will care for patients in the Thoracic Oncology Clinics on Smilow 4 and will focus her practice on expanding our clinical research opportunities for patients with lung cancer.
Dr. Goldberg joins us from Massachusetts General Hospital, where she is completing a research fellowship in thoracic oncology. She received her undergraduate degree from Tufts University and her Medical Degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Goldberg did her internship and clinical fellowship in medical oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital. She will receive her MPH in Clinical Effectiveness from Harvard University later this month.
Terri Parker Accepts Position in Hematology
Dr. Terri Parker will join the faculty as an Assistant Professor of Medicine (Hematology) on July 1. Dr. Parker is a third-year fellow in our Medical Oncology-Hematology Fellowship Program and has made a positive impact on patient care since her arrival in 2009. Dr. Parker is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and received her Medical Degree from St. George's University School of Medicine. She completed her internship and residency at the University of Connecticut and a fellowship at Connecticut Hospice before joining our program in 2009.
Yale Cancer Center Retreat - May 15
I am looking forward to seeing you at the annual Yale Cancer Center Retreat on Tuesday, May 15th from 7:30am-6:30pm, at the Waterview in Monroe, CT. The goal of our retreat is to foster scientific and social interactions among faculty, post-docs, and students affiliated with YCC.
Please save the date of Friday, May 18th for a visit and presentation by Dr. Robert Croyle, NCI Director of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, from 12-1pm at the Cohen Auditorium, Yale Child Study Center. Lunch will be served. We look forward to seeing you at this great presentation and exchange of ideas of the future of cancer research.
Notables
The Clinical Trials Office welcomes three new staff members to their team this month. Jaime Selbie has been hired as the new Clinical Trials Assistant for the Breast Team, Miriam Akita has joined the Lung Team as a Data Manager, and Cheryl Fullerton joined the office as a Clinical Research Nurse, working as a Floater and assisting the Head and Neck and Melanoma Teams.
Carmen Canales will be joining the Yale Cancer Center on May 21st as the accountant for clinical trials and clinical research. Carmen holds her MBA in Finance from Cornell University. Most recently Carmen was a Financial Analyst in the Yale School of Medicine Financial Operations Office.
Kelly Bob has joined the Yale Cancer Center Business office as an Account Assistant IV. She is responsible for coding and billing related to patient appointments.
Meena Moran, MD co-chaired the Breast Section of ASTRO's Annual Spring Refresher Course this past month in Chicago. Dr. Moran also presented the Early-Stage Breast Cancer Refresher Course at the meeting.
In the News
Getting Better: 200 Years of Medicine
A documentary from the New England Journal of Medicine featuring an interview with Dr. Vincent T. DeVita, Jr.
Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital welcomed 70 physicians and nurses for a CME dinner last night highlighting new advances in screening, diagnosis, and treatment of lung cancer.
Thank you to the members of the Thoracic Oncology Program who presented.
Employee Profile:
Debbie Klotzer
The Employee Profile recognizes the diverse contributions made by Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital staff have to meet our patient care, research, education, and outreach goals. The staff profiled are examples of the great work being done here, and the dedication and values we possess. To suggest someone to be profiled, please contactEmily Fenton.
Debbie Klotzer has been at Yale-New Haven Hospital for over 33 years, and 32 of those years have been spent working with Art Lemay, Executive Director of the Smilow Cancer Network. In her role as Executive Assistant for the Smilow Cancer Network, Debbie is responsible for providing high-level administrative support, whether it be facilitating and overseeing meeting collaborations, or planning and executing oncology-related events. Debbie is also the coordinator of the new Smilow Cancer Hospital patient welcome binder. The binder allows patients to keep names and contact information of their healthcare team, information relating to their cancer diagnosis, and supportive care resources, all in one binder.
Debbie commented, "Having personally had a family member go through a cancer diagnosis I know how overwhelming it can be, and this will minimize some of the anxiety."
Debbie acts as a liaison between the new Smilow Cancer Hospital Cancer Care Centers, the Smilow Cancer Hospital Network hospitals, and Art Lemay. She is also on the steering committee for the Closer to Free Ride and Co-Chair of the annual Head and Neck Cancer Screening Day and Bone Marrow Drive, among taking part in many other hospital committees and programs. "Being involved with cancer-related events is especially rewarding for me, because everyone's life is touched by cancer in one way or another, and to be a part of helping someone, if even just for that one day, is so gratifying," Debbie said.
Debbie commented that working as Art Lemay's assistant has been extremely rewarding. Having a strong work ethic, Art has encouraged her to grow and learn new things over the years.
Funding and Award Opportunities
Nominations are Open for the Schwartz Center Compassionate Caregiver Awards
The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the relationship between patients and caregivers, is seeking nominations for its 2012 Schwartz Center Compassionate Caregiver Award. This prestigious award, given annually since 1999, recognizes caregivers and teams of caregivers who demonstrate extraordinary compassion for patients and families. Nominees must be paid caregivers who work in a New England healthcare organization and have direct patient contact.
Nominations may be made by patients or family members or by healthcare professionals who work with the nominee. The winner receives a $5,000 cash prize, and four finalists receive $1,000 each.
Gabrielle's Angel Foundation for Cancer Research Medical Research Grants
To support the conduct of innovative and insightful medical research on the hematologic malignancies. Funds are provided for basic or clinical research that will lead to novel therapeutic approaches that could replace, or be used in combination with effective therapies for lymphoma, leukemia, and related cancers of the blood. For assistant professors with an MD or PhD. $225,000 to be used over 3 years.
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation Nurse Researcher Grant Opportunities
Explorer, Pathfinder, and Discovery Awards available for nurses to support pediatric oncology research and to improve nursing care for children with cancer.
Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program Funding Opportunities
Visionary Postdoctoral Fellowship Award
Eligibility - Principal Investigator: M.D./Ph.D. graduate with a total of less than 4 years of postdoctoral research experience
Mentor(s): Independent investigator at the level of Assistant Professor or equivalent at the time of the award
Research must be in one or more of the FY12 PRCRP Topic Areas
Supports training of postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of an early-career investigator (mentor) with expertise in one or more of the FY12 PRCRP Topic Areas
Supports training of postdoctoral fellow to include a budget option for research supplies
Applications must not address breast, prostate, lung (excluding mesothelioma), or ovarian cancer research
Career Development Award
Eligibility - Principal Investigator: Independent investigator at the level of Assistant Professor or equivalent at the time of the award.
Research with emphasis in discovery must be in one or more of the FY12 PRCRP Topic Areas.
Supports investigator in the early stages of their career.
Applications must not address breast, prostate, lung (excluding mesothelioma), or ovarian cancer research.
The Avon Foundation for Women "Safety Net" program supports public, community, and safety net hospitals and health care systems that provide breast care to low-income, at-risk, uninsured and underinsured individuals. The goal of this initiative is to support programs that improve access to quality breast diagnostics and access to treatment for the medically underserved. A demonstrated commitment to providing health care to underserved populations will be considered in the review process.
Yale School of Public Health Ovarian Cancer Research Grants
This annual award is made possible by a generous gift from the Tina Brozman Foundation.The award is to provide funding for a pilot project in ovarian cancer prevention, detection, and survivorship research, which would ultimately lead to national peer-reviewed grants.
Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, and Research Track faculty of all ranks are eligible to apply. There are no restrictions for citizenship. A one-year grant up to $25,000 will be awarded and will commence on July 1, 2012.
Program Project Development Grants ($900,000) provide funds for ovarian cancer research projects that may involve several investigators within one institution or collaborations between groups in multiple institutions.
Liz Tilberis Scholars awards ($450,000) are for investigators in their first academic faculty appointment. This award is open to physician-scientists (Gynecologic Oncology, Medical Oncology) and Ph.D. scientists.
Ann Schreiber Research Training Programs of Excellence grant ($75,000) funds post-doctoral trainees working in established ovarian cancer research groups.
Department of Defense Lung Cancer Research Program Grants
Idea Development Award
Independent investigators at or above the level of an Assistance Professor (or equivalent); must be within 10 years of first faculty appointment.
Supports new ideas that are in the early stages of development, which represent innovative, high-risk/high-gain research that could lead to critical discoveries or major advances that will accelerate progress toward eradicating deaths from lung cancer.
Maximum funding of $350K for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
Maximum period of performance is 2 years.
Translational Research Partnership Award
Investigators at or above the level of Assistant Professor (or equivalent).
Partnership: One investigator must be a laboratory scientist, and the other must be a clinician.
Supports partnership[s between clinicians and laboratory scientists that accelerate the movement of promising ideas in lung cancer into clinical applications.
Preliminary data required, but may be from outside of lung cancer.
Clinical trials are not allowed.
Maximum combined funding of $900K for direct costs (plus indirect costs).
Maximum period of performance is 3 years.
Interagency Oncology Task Force Fellowship Opportunity
The Interagency Oncology Task Force (IOTF), a joint initiative between The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is now accepting applications for program 3: Oncology Product Research/Review Fellows. This is a unique fellowship training opportunity for Ph.D.s, M.D.s, and M.D./Ph.D.s with three to five years of postdoctoral training in a cancer-related topic.
This fellowship will train individuals in the aspects of research and review of medical product development process to facilitate the movement of drugs, biologics, and devices from the bench to the bedside. Participants will spend up to two years at FDA and receive formal training and mentoring, and will participate in medical product development research projects. Graduates of this program will develop skills of value to academia, the pharmaceutical industry, and government agencies.
Ipilimumab in Combination With Paclitaxel and Carboplatin As First-Line Treatment in Stage IIIB/IV Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Results From a Randomized, Double-Blind, Multicenter Phase II Study
Lynch TJ, Bondarenko I, Luft A, Serwatowski P, Barlesi F, Chacko R, Sebastian M, Neal J, Lu H, Cuillerot JM, Reck M.
Downregulation of membrane complement inhibitors CD55 and CD59 by siRNA sensitises uterine serous carcinoma overexpressing Her2/neu to complement and antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity in vitro: implications for trastuzumab-based immunotherapy.
Bellone S, Roque D, Cocco E, Gasparrini S, Bortolomai I, Buza N, Abu-Khalaf M, Silasi DA, Ratner E, Azodi M, Schwartz PE, Rutherford TJ, Pecorelli S, Santin AD.
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Terri Parker Accepts Position in Hematology
