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Research Fellowship Awards Presented by National Cancer Center The National Cancer Center awarded its 2023-24 research grants to support fellows who actively pursue promising and innovative cancer research. The winners of the $50,000 new postdoc fellowships are Tanzina Tanu, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Sydney Moyer, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Xiaowei Wu, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Guimei Jiang, PhD, New York University; Minzeng Zhang, MD, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; and Chitra Rawat, PhD, Cleveland Clinic.FigureIn addition, renewed grants of $52,000 were awarded to He Eric Zhu, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Pietro Berico, PhD, New York University Medical School; Audifas Salvador Matus Meza, PhD, University of Nebraska Medical Center; Yongji Zeng, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine; Gaurav Chauhan, PhD, Cleveland Clinic; Youngbin Cho, PhD, University of Pittsburgh; Yi Shi, PhD, John Hopkins School of Medicine; Jungmin Lee, PhD, University of California, San Francisco; and Lizhong Ding, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles. The awarded grants fund various projects, including potential treatments for colon, gastric, breast and prostate cancers, metastatic melanoma, and follicular lymphoma. This year's recipients form a global cohort with roots in China, India, Bangladesh, Italy, Mexico, South Korea, and the U.S. In addition, for the first time, all six first-time awardees are women. David W. Craig, PhD, Announced as City of Hope's Professor & Founding Chair David W. Craig, PhD, will become Professor and Founding Chair of the Department of Integrative Translational Sciences within Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope. In addition, he will also become Deputy Director of Translational Sciences at Beckman Research Institute and Associate Director of Data Science for City of Hope's National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Los Angeles.David W. Craig, PhD: David W. Craig, PhD“Over the past 2 decades, Dr. Craig has collaborated with different parts of City of Hope's national cancer system and has authored seminal papers in genomics, bioinformatics, and data privacy that have fundamentally pushed these respective fields forward,” noted Michael A. Caligiuri, MD, President of City of Hope National Medical Center. Craig has more than 15 years of experience with experimental and computational tools that bridge engineering, biotechnology, and clinical care interfaces. He has also led search projects such as the 1000 Genomes Project and the Bipolar Genome Study and has over 200 publications, four patents, and two founded companies. Craig has expressed his enthusiasm regarding his new position. “I am eager to work with the exceptional leadership, faculty, and staff at City of Hope to build upon our pioneering work in genomics and precision medicine. I look forward to translating unique insights from large datasets into actionable strategies in the clinic,” Craig said. “At City of Hope, we will continue to enhance our ability to work across departments to make data-driven decisions and, ultimately, advance City of Hope's mission to build bridges that fast-track the development of life-saving therapies.” Researchers Develop NCCN Roadmap for Thyroid Carcinoma Wui-Jin Koh, MD, NCCN Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, presented ongoing global work to advance patient-centered cancer care in the new NCCN Framework for Resource Stratification of NCCN Guidelines (NCCN Framework) for Thyroid Carcinoma. This will be a new global resource to improve thyroid cancer care in low and middle-income countries.Wui-Jin Koh, MD: Wui-Jin Koh, MDRobert Haddad, MD, Division Chief of the Center for Head and Neck Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, took a lead role in creating this NCCN resource.Robert Haddad, MD: Robert Haddad, MD“We analyze all of the available evidence and review it with our colleagues and fellow panel members at least once a year, and sometimes more often, to make sure the NCCN Guidelines reflect the very latest research and best practices,” Haddad said. “In the process of developing this NCCN Framework, we worked with the World Congress on Thyroid Cancer to solicit feedback from all over the world.” The NCCN Framework was created for numerous cancer types and covers more than 80 percent of cancer diagnoses. It will also include access to supportive care topics such as pain management, palliative care, and breast cancer prevention and detection. Pamela S. Ohashi, PhD, Elected Secretary/Treasurer at SITC Pamela S. Ohashi, PhD, was elected as Secretary and Treasurer for the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer. She has established a research program with a focus on CD8+ T cells and mechanisms that modulate T-cell function. Since 2005, Ohashi began and has grown the Tumor Immunotherapy Program at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.Pamela S. Ohashi, PhD: Pamela S. Ohashi, PhDSeveral at-large directors were also elected by SITC, including Chrystal M. Paulos, PhD, Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University; Avery D. Posey, Jr., PhD, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine; and Arlene H. Sharpe, MD, PhD, FAIO, Harvard Medical School. There are currently four leaders who are serving their final year on the SITC Board of Directors. These include Secretary/Treasurer Jedd Wolchok, MD, PhD, from Weill Cornell Medicine; At-Large Director Christian Capitini, MD, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; At-Large Director Adekunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, FRCOG, FACOG, from the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center; and At-Large Director Ann Silk, MD, MS, from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Members Newly Elected to the National Academy of Sciences Lisa Coussens, PhD, from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), was among 143 newly elected members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). This is one of the highest honors a scientist in the U.S. can receive.Lisa Coussens, PhD: Lisa Coussens, PhD“Dr. Coussens' contributions to the field of cancer biology and immunology have had a profound impact on our understanding of the importance of chronic inflammation in cancer,” stated Danny Jacobs, MD, MPH, FACS, OHSU President from the National Academy of Medicine. Coussens has received numerous awards throughout her remarkable career. In addition, she also is the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute's Deputy Director and Professor and Chair of the Department of Cell, Developmental, and Cancer Biology in the OHSU School of Medicine. Coussens was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for Advancement of Science in 2018 and a Fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Academy in 2019. She recently concluded a successful year-long term as President of the AACR. Philip Greenberg, MD, was also among those elected to the NAS. Greenberg's long career earned him a place among those elected. He is Professor of Immunology and Medicine in the Division of Oncology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He was a founding member of the University of Washington Department of Immunology and the Fred Hutch Program in Immunology.Philip Greenberg, MD: Philip Greenberg, MD“It's in many respects a career achievement award. It means that you've impacted science. And you get nominated and elected by people whom you really admire and respect, which is a great honor,” Greenberg said. “But these kinds of honors, while given to an individual, reflect something much bigger than what one person did.” Helen Piwnica-Worms, PhD, from the Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology, Division of Radiation Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, was elected to the NAS. She serves as Vice Provost of Science and Professor of Experimental Radiation Oncology.Helen Piwnica-Worms, PhD: Helen Piwnica-Worms, PhDRichard Wood, PhD, Professor of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, also was elected to the NAS.Richard Wood, PhD: Richard Wood, PhD“Drs. Piwnica-Worms and Wood lead groundbreaking research that has changed the landscape of science as we know it, reflecting the mission of MD Anderson,” said Peter WT Pisters, MD, President of MD Anderson. “Congratulations to our esteemed colleagues on this honor.” Mary Beckerle, PhD, Announces Plan for New Cancer Center Mary Beckerle, PhD, the Jon M. Huntsman Presidential Endowed Chair, has served as CEO of Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah since 2006. As the Associate Vice President for Cancer Affairs at the University of Utah Health, she has contributed to cancer research and wellness opportunities that have greatly benefited the center. Specifically, her research has defined a novel molecular pathway that regulates mechanotransduction and cell motility. As part of her mission, she announced that the Huntsman Cancer Institute would build a second headquarters in Vineyard, Utah.Mary Beckerle, PhD: Mary Beckerle, PhD“This expansion of Huntsman Cancer Institute will address the monumental population growth in Utah and reduce the daily travel burden many patients face,” Beckerle noted. “Located in one of the fastest growing counties in the country, it will provide easier access to comprehensive cancer care, accelerate cancer research, and train the next generation of cancer providers and scientists.” Bradley R. Cairns, PhD, Elected to the Fellows of the Royal Society Bradley R. Cairns, PhD, was elected to the Fellows of the Royal Society. He is currently Chief Academic Officer of Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, the Jon M. Huntsman Presidential Endowed Chair in Cancer Research, Professor and Chair of the Department of Oncological Sciences, and investigator with Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Huntsman Cancer Institute.Bradley R. Cairns, PhD: Bradley R. Cairns, PhD“I am honored to be elected to the Royal Society,” Cairns said. “I am very grateful to all my lab members for their contributions, and I share the credit for this honor with them.” As a dual American and Canadian citizen, Cairns has received one of the most prestigious honors for a British-Commonwealth scientist, as the election is comparable to the National Academy of Sciences in the U.S. Kathryn E. Wellen, PhD, Awarded for Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research Kathryn E. Wellen, PhD, was given the AACR Award for Outstanding Achievement in Basic Cancer Research to celebrate her meritorious achievements. The award recognizes those who show outstanding achievements in early careers.Kathryn E. Wellen, PhD: Kathryn E. Wellen, PhDWellen is an Associate Investigator at the Penn Epigenetics Institute. In addition, she is Vice Chair and Professor in the Department of Cancer Biology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Her lab focuses on cellular metabolism, particularly how metabolic pathways regulate signal transduction and gene expression in cancer and metabolic disease. Wellen is being recognized for her pivotal role in finding the connections between cellular metabolism, epigenome control, and the initiation and advancement of cancer. She successfully established the association between PI3K/AKT signaling and AKT-mediated ATP-citrate lyase phosphorylation. This discovery led to heightened levels of histone acetylation and the activation of genes responsible for cancer cell adhesion and migration. Margaret Liang, MD, Named Director for Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Program Margaret Liang, MD, has joined the Cedars-Sinai Cancer Division of Gynecologic Oncology as Director for the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship Program.Margaret Liang, MD: Margaret Liang, MD“I'm excited to return to Cedars-Sinai because I know from personal experience that we offer patients access to cutting-edge treatments while ensuring that they experience compassionate and well-coordinated cancer care,” Liang said. “My clinical research aims to improve the affordability of cancer care from the patient perspective, and I hope this work will have a positive impact on the greater Los Angeles community and beyond.” Kenneth Kim, MD, Division Director for Gynecologic Oncology at Cedars-Sinai Cancer and the Board of Governors Endowed Chair in Gynecologic Oncology, stated, “Dr. Liang's commitment to providing the highest quality care for patients, combined with her passion, knowledge and expertise, make her an outstanding addition to our teams.” Andrew M. Evens Appointed Chair-Elect at The Lymphoma Research Foundation Andrew M. Evens, DO, MBA, MSc, Associate Director for Clinical Services at Rutgers Cancer Institute, was appointed Chair-Elect of The Lymphoma Research Foundation's Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). In this position, he will collaborate with Ann LaCasce, MD, MMSc, Chair of the SAB. Following her tenure in 2024, Evens will assume the Chair.Andrew M. Evens: Andrew M. EvensRecently, Evens has served as the Director of the Cancer Center at Tufts Medical Center in Boston and Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology. He has also been a Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and has extensive clinical expertise concentrated in the lymphoid field. Ohio State Researchers Awarded FDA Grant to Study Smoking Behaviors Theodore Wagener, PhD, Director of Ohio State's Center for Tobacco Research, and Tracy Smith, PhD, Medical University of South Carolina Hollings Cancer Center, are co-leading a study that evaluates the effects of e-cigarette flavors on the smoking behaviors of current adult smokers. The study aims to provide information about whether non-tobacco e-cigarette flavors can help adult smokers stop smokingTheodore Wagener, PhD: Theodore Wagener, PhDTracy Smith, PhD: Tracy Smith, PhD“The Food and Drug Administration is currently making regulatory decisions about e-cigarette flavors with incomplete scientific data. Existing data show that smokers also prefer flavored e-cigarettes, and while there are a few survey studies suggesting that flavored e-cigarettes may be more helpful for switching to vaping, these studies are not rigorous enough for the FDA to base its regulatory decisions on. Our study will be the first to provide the FDA with definitive information as to the benefit, if any, of e-cigarette flavors to adult smokers,” Wagener stated.

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