Cohn Serves Term as President of Society of Gynecologic Oncology
David E. Cohn, MD, MBA, chief medical officer at the OSUCCC – James, in May 2020 became the 52nd president of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO), a professional organization dedicated to advancing women’s cancer care by encouraging research, providing education, raising standards of practice, advocating for patients and members, and collaborating with other domestic and international organizations. Cohn is a professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Ohio State and a member of the Translational Therapeutics Program at the OSUCCC – James. His term as SGO president ended in March 2021.
Bradford Assumes Presidency of American Academy of Otolaryngology
Carol R. Bradford, MD, MS, FACS, dean of the College of Medicine at Ohio State, became president of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (AAO–HNS) and its foundation. Elected by AAO–HNS members, Bradford is serving a one-year term leading the academy’s nearly 12,000 members, who specialize in the treatment of the ears, nose, throat and related structures of the head and neck. Bradford specializes in head and neck cancer surgery and reconstruction, cutaneous oncology and sentinel lymph node biopsy.
Woyach’s CLL Research Named as a National ‘Top Ten’ Achievement
Jennifer Woyach, MD, associate professor in the Division of Hematology at Ohio State and member of the Leukemia Research Program at the OSUCCC – James, was among the 2020 recipients of the Top Ten Clinical Research Achievement Awards during the Clinical Research Forum’s virtual awards presentation in April 2020. The forum provides leadership to the national clinical and translational research enterprise. The Top Ten Awards highlight innovative advances that have an impact on human disease. Although CLL is the most prevalent adult leukemia and has an average age at diagnosis of about 70 years, Woyach’s study was one of the first trials targeting this patient population. It established the drug ibrutinib as a standard of care for the initial treatment of older patients with CLL, moving the paradigm of initial treatment away from chemotherapy and toward targeted therapy. Also in 2020, Woyach was elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), one of the nation’s oldest nonprofit medical honor societies.
OSUCCC – James Report on E-Cig Pilot Study Among Most Cited Articles of 2019
A report by OSUCCC – James researchers on data suggesting that even short-term e-cig use can cause cellular inflammation in never-smoker adults was one of the most highly cited articles published in 2019 in the journal Cancer Prevention Research. The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will highlight the 2019 most-cited research articles, also known as The Best of the AACR Journals, prior to the AACR Virtual Annual Meeting in May. Peter Shields, MD, deputy director of the OSUCCC, was senior and corresponding author of the article, titled “Effects of Electronic Cigarette Constituents on the Human Lung: A Pilot Clinical Trial.” Min-Ae Song, PhD, a member of the Cancer Control Program at the OSUCCC – James and an assistant professor in Ohio State’s College of Public Health, was first author. They and their colleagues reported the first evidence of biological changes correlated with e-cig users who had never previously smoked.
Jaglowski Plays Role in Study That Leads to FDA Approval of Therapy for MCL
Samantha Jaglowski, MD, associate professor in the Department of Hematology at Ohio State and member of the Leukemia Research Program at the OSUCCC – James, participated in an international phase II study that led to FDA approval of the first chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Study director Kite, a Gilead Company, announced in July 2020 that the FDA had granted accelerated approval of Tecartus™ based on results of ZUMA-2, a single-arm, open-label, multi-center study in which 87% of patients responded to a single infusion of Tecartus™, with 62% achieving a complete response. ALSO, Jaglowski was invited to serve on the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) Finance Committee. The society has more than 2,200 member physicians, investigators and other health care professionals from over 45 countries.
Paskett and Grecula Gain State Appointments
Receiving state appointments from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine were Electra Paskett, PhD, MSPH, and John Grecula, MD. Paskett, professor and director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control at Ohio State, was appointed to the Ohio Commission on Minority Health for a term extending to September 2021. Paskett also is associate director for population sciences and co-leader of the Cancer Control Program at the OSUCCC – James. Grecula, professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Ohio State and member of the Translational Therapeutics Program at the OSUCCC – James, was appointed to a five-year term on the Radiation Advisory Council of the Ohio Department of Health.
Backes Receives Mentored Clinician-Scientist Career Development Award
Floor Backes, MD, associate professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Ohio State and member of the Cancer Control Program at the OSUCCC – James, was selected to receive the 2020 GOG Foundation/AAOGF Mentored Clinician-Scientist Career Development Award. The two-year award is funded at $75,000 per year and is designed to support mid-career investigators with a focus on clinical trials in gynecologic oncology. The award will support Backes’ research and project titled “Phase II Study With Safety Lead-in of Weekly Paclitaxel, Lenvatinib and Pembrolizumab for Recurrent Endometrial, Epithelial Ovarian, Fallopian Tube and Peritoneal Cancer.”
Agarwal is President of American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology
Anil Agarwal, MD, a professor in the Division of Nephrology at Ohio State and an associate attending physician at the OSUCCC – James, is president of the American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology (ASDIN). The ASDIN promotes excellence in dialysis access care to improve outcomes for patients with kidney disease. Agarwal previously served as president-elect. His tenure as president will end in 2022.
Tsichlis Appointed as Chair of Cancer Biology and Genetics
Philip Tsichlis, MD, was named as chair of the Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics at Ohio State’s College of Medicine. Tsichlis also is a professor in the department, co-leader of the Cancer Biology Program at the OSUCCC – James, and principal investigator for two NCI grants. He came to Ohio State in 2018 from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, where he had been executive director of the Molecular Oncology Research Institute for more than 15 years. Tsichlis has authored or co-authored more than 200 articles in prestigious scientific journals. His current research focuses on links among cell signaling, epigenetics and RNA processing, work that has significant applications in cancer medicine.
Physicians Named to Society of University Surgeons
Ohio State physicians John Phay, MD, Heena Santry, MD, and Daniel Eiferman, MD, were named to the Society of University Surgeons. Phay is a professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology and an attending physician at the OSUCCC – James, where he also is in the Cancer Biology Program. Santry and Eiferman are associate professors in the Division of Trauma, Critical Care and Burn, and associate attending physicians at the OSUCCC – James. The SUS supports and advances leaders in academic surgery.
Gray Recognized as Philanthropist of the Year
Darrell Gray II, MD, MPH, associate professor in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Ohio State, and a member of the Cancer Control Program at the OSUCCC – James, was recognized as Philanthropist of the Year as part of the 2020 Medical Mutual Pillar Awards for Community Service. This award recognizes individuals and businesses who make outstanding contributions to their communities. Gray also serves as director of Community Engagement and Equity in Digestive Health, and as deputy director of the Center for Cancer Health Equity.
Lee Receives ELAM Fellowship for Expanding Leadership Skills
Clara Lee, MD, MPP, associate professor in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Ohio State and member of the Cancer Control Program at the OSUCCC – James, received a 2020 Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Fellowship, a one-year program at Drexel University College of Medicine that supports the advancement of promising women leaders in their organizations. Lee will lead a college initiative while expanding her executive leadership skills for career advancement. She specializes in microsurgery and cancer reconstruction, including breast, extremity, and head and neck. Her research focuses on improving how patients and providers make decisions about cancer surgery, with an emphasis on breast cancer patients.
Postdoctoral Fellows, Medical Student Earn ASH Minority Awards
Postdoctoral fellows Elshafa Ahmed, DVM, PhD, and Lynda Villagomez, MD, were recipients of the 2020 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Minority Hematology Fellow Award, which encourages junior researchers to pursue careers in academic hematology by providing research funding and mentorship. Also, medical student Selam Addissie was selected as an ASH Minority FLEX recipient. All three are on the lab team of Robert Baiocchi, MD, PhD, a professor in the Division of Hematology at Ohio State and member of the Leukemia Research Program at the OSUCCC – James. Ahmed’s research involves development of a vaccine to help prevent cancers relating to the Epstein-Barr virus. Villagomez, who also is a fellow in pediatric oncology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, studies novel ways to treat refractory acute lymphocytic leukemia/lymphoblastic lymphoma.
Saad Chosen for ABIM Hematology Item-Writing Task Force
Ayman Saad, MD, MSc, professor-clinical in the Division of Hematology at Ohio State and member of the Leukemia Research Program at the OSUCCC – James, was selected to serve on the Hematology Item-Writing Task Force for the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). The ABIM is a physician-led, nonprofit, independent evaluation organization driven by doctors who want to achieve higher standards for care. Its Item-Writing Task Forces help meet the increased demand for content that provides physicians with more flexible assessment options.
Oncogeriatric Team Gains National Recognition
The Oncogeriatric Program team of Ashley Rosko, MD (medical director); Sarah Wall, MD, MPH; Carolyn Presley, MD, MPH; Edmund Folefac, MB/CHB; and Nicole Williams, MD, received national recognition for their efforts with the OSUCCC – James Cancer and Aging Resiliency (CARE) Clinic, which Rosko co-directs. The CARE Clinic was recognized as a participant in Age-Friendly Health Systems, an initiative of The John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the Catholic Health Association of the United States. Established in 2018, the initiative developed an Age-Friendly Health Systems framework and set a goal of spreading it to 20% of U.S. hospitals and health systems by 2020.
Also in 2020, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) recognized the CARE Clinic as an “Age-Friendly Health System – Committed to Care Excellence” for showing exemplary alignment with elements of the Age-Friendly Health Systems 4Ms Framework over at least a three-month period. (The 4Ms stand for What Matters, Medication, Mentation and Mobility.) The physicians shown above (in white coats from left) are Presley, Rosko and Wall. Behind them from left are CARE Clinic members Kimberly Holt, BSN, RN, OCN (PCRM); Amy Custer, AuD, ABAC; Elyse Redder, PT, CLT-LANA; and Amy Compston, PT, DPT, RT, CLT-LANA. Above at center is Wendy Ricketts, RN, BSN (PCRM).
Fowler Receives National Multidisciplinary Mentorship Award
Jeffrey Fowler, MD, a gynecologic oncologist at the OSUCCC – James, was recognized by the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) as one of three recipients of the 2020 Harry Long Multidisciplinary Award. Awardees are nominated by peers and selected by the SGO Honors and Awards Committee for their contributions to multidisciplinary mentorship, collegiality and/or teaching in the field of gynecologic oncology. Fowler is a professor and vice chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Ohio State’s College of Medicine. He also is director of James Physician Wellness and a member of the Cancer Control Program at the OSUCCC – James. Fowler has been on the medical faculty at Ohio State since 1997.
Hanel and Collier Earn Young Investigator Award From ASCO Foundation
Walter Hanel, MD, PhD, and Katharine Collier, MD, MS, MSc, research fellows in the Hematology Medical Oncology Fellowship Program at Ohio State, were among 81 recipients nationwide of the Young Investigator Award (YIA) from Conquer Cancer®, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Foundation. Hanel will use his grant for a project that involves targeting hypersumoylation in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), a difficult-to-treat form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma with limited therapy options. He is pursuing the project in the lab of Lapo Alinari, MD, PhD, of the Leukemia Research Program at the OSUCCC – James. Collier will use her grant to study changes in circulating tumor DNA among patients with BRCA-mutated metastatic breast cancer following treatment with PARP inhibitors or platinum-containing chemotherapy. She is conducting this research in the lab of Daniel Stover, MD, of the Translational Therapeutics Program at the OSUCCC – James.
Barrington Awarded by SGO for Best Poster Presentation
David Barrington, MD, a fellow and clinical instructor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Ohio State, received a Buck & Betsy Peters Award for Best Poster Presentation from the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO). The 2020 SGO awards recognized individuals who have made an impact on the prevention, care and treatment of gynecologic cancers. Barrington’s poster, “Where You Live Matters: Medicaid Expansion is Associated with Earlier Stage of Diagnosis of Endometrial Cancer,” demonstrated that, for women with this malignancy, Medicaid expansion resulted in improved insurance coverage, earlier stage at diagnosis and improved overall survival for a subset of patients.
Maddocks Elected as Clinical Mentoring Co-Chair in Lymphoma Research Program
The Lymphoma Research Foundation elected Kami Maddocks, MD, associate professor in the Division of Hematology at Ohio State, as clinical mentoring co-chair for the 2021-2022 cohort of the Lymphoma Scientific Research Mentoring Program. In this national role, she will direct curriculum and mentoring for LRF clinical track scholars for two years. Maddocks treats patients with B-cell malignancies, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. She also researches new treatments for these malignancies, largely by evaluating targeted therapies in clinical trials.
Park Named Fellow of American College of Surgeons
Ko Un Clara Park, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology at Ohio State and member of the Cancer Control Program at the OSUCCC – James, was named a fellow of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Park is a surgical oncologist who specializes in the multidisciplinary treatment of breast cancer patients. The ACS is a scientific and educational association of surgeons dedicated to improving the quality of care for patients by setting high standards for surgical education and practice.
Arthur Is First Author of Article in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners
Elizabeth Arthur, PhD, APRN-CNP, a research assistant professor in the College of Nursing at Ohio State and a certified nurse practitioner at the OSUCCC – James, where she is in the Cancer Control Program, was first author of “Supporting Advanced Practice Providers’ Professional Advancement: The Implementation of a Professional Advancement Model at an Academic Medical Center” that appears in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners. The article describes the creation of a professional advancement model at the OSUCCC – James and the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and shares early outcomes from the program’s first three years. The co-authors, also from Ohio State, included: Jennifer Browning, MS, ANP-C; Amy Schueler, MS, ANP-BCR; and Robin Rosselet, DNP, ANP-BC.
Also, Arthur and Daniel Spakowicz, PhD, of the Molecular Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program at the OSUCCC – James, received a $176,000 research grant as principal investigators for a project titled “Vaginal Microbiome as a Biomarker of Pelvic Health and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Women Receiving Pelvic Radiation.” The two-year grant comes from Pelotonia and other funding sources. The rigorous review process included three focused study sections: basic, clinical/translational and population science.
Lee Elected as Trustee of American Board of Urology
Cheryl Lee, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Urology at Ohio State, and member of the Translational Therapeutics Program at the OSUCCC – James, was elected as a trustee of the American Board of Urology. The American Urological Association nominated Lee for the six-year term, which began in February 2020. The American Board of Urology establishes and maintains certification standards for urologists. Lee is a board-certified urologist at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and holds the Dorothy M. Davis Endowed Chair in Cancer Research. She also is vice president of OSU Physicians Inc. In addition, she has served the Bladder Cancer Advisory Network as president of the Scientific Advisory Board and is a member of its board of directors.
Ringel Appointed Editor-in-Chief for Endocrine-Related Cancer
Matthew Ringel, MD, professor and director of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at Ohio State, where he also co-leads the Cancer Biology Program at the OSUCCC – James, was appointed editor-in-chief of the journal Endocrine-Related Cancer. A specialist in thyroid cancer, Ringel holds the Ralph W. Kurtz Chair in Hormonology, serves as deputy director of Ohio State’s Center for Clinical and Translational Science, and co-directs the Center for Cancer Engineering. His laboratory focuses on molecular mechanisms involved in thyroid cancer invasion and metastasis, with a special interest on pathways that regulate cancer progression.
Senter-Jamieson Presents Janus Lecture, Receives Other Honors
Leigha Senter-Jamieson, MS, CGC, associate professor and associate director of the Division of Human Genetics in the Department of Internal Medicine at Ohio State, was selected to present the 2020 Janus Lecture for the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) Annual Conference. She delivered a virtual presentation on endometrial and ovarian cancer genetics. Also, Senter-Jamieson received the NSGC 2020 Strategic Leader Award, which goes to those who promote the genetic counseling profession as an integral part of health care delivery through education, research and public policy. In addition, she received the 2020 Pitt Public Health Distinguished Alumni Award for Teaching and Dissemination in recognition of her contributions to advancing public health.
Wells-Di Gregorio Selected for APOS Outstanding Education and Training Award
Sharla Wells-Di Gregorio, PhD, assistant professor in Ohio State’s College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Palliative Medicine, and a member of the Cancer Control Program at the OSUCCC – James, received the American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS) Outstanding Education and Training Award for 2021. The award is given to an APOS leader who has enhanced the field of psychosocial oncology through the education and training of new investigators and/or clinicians and fostered the professional development of psychosocial oncologists.
Paskett Is Director of NCI Alliance Cancer Control Program
Electra Paskett, PhD, MSPH, associate director for population sciences and co-leader of the Cancer Control Program at the OSUCCC – James, was appointed as director of the NCI Alliance Cancer Control Program and as multiple principal investigator for the Alliance Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) Research Base grant. Paskett, professor and director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control at Ohio State, has been deputy director of the Alliance Cancer Control Program since 2011, when the group was founded by the merger of the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group, Cancer and Leukemia Group B and the North Central Cancer Treatment Group. She has chaired the Alliance Health Disparities Committee and has led programs to improve cancer screening and prevention for underserved and minority populations.
Baiocchi Serves on Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine Research Committee
Robert Baiocchi, MD, PhD, professor in the Division of Hematology at Ohio State and member of the Leukemia Research Program at the OSUCCC – James, was invited to serve on the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) Research Committee. The AAIM promotes the advancement and professional development of its members, who prepare the next generation of internal medicine physicians and leaders through education, research, engagement and collaboration. The AAIM research committee sustains a community of research program directors to develop and share best practices designed to ensure the survival, growth and diversity of the physician-scientist workforce.