Grants
Denis Guttridge, PhD, a member of the OSUCCC’s Molecular Biology and Cancer GeneticsProgram, has been awarded a $1.6 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for a study titled “Elucidating the Role of NF-kB in Rhabdomyosarcoma.”
Ching-Shih Chen, PhD, a member of the OSUCCC’s Molecular Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program, has been awarded a $1.35 million grant from the NCI for a study titled “Novel Energy Restriction-Mimetic Agents for Prostate Cancer Prevention.”
Awards and Honors
Kathleen Boris-Lawrie, PhD, and MICHAEL LAIRMORE, DVM, PhD, both professors of Veterinary Biosciences and members of the OSUCCC – James Viral Oncology Program, have been elected as Fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology, the honorific leadership group within the American Society for Microbiology.
Chiara Braconi, MD, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher with the OSUCCC – James, is one of 25 oncology trainees from around the world to receive an American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Cancer Foundation Merit Award for important contributions to gastrointestinal cancer research. The awards are designed to promote clinical cancer research by young investigators.
Robert Brueggemeir, PhD, dean of Ohio State’s College of Pharmacy, and a member of the OSUCCC – James Molecular Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention Program, was named the 2011 Outstanding Dean by the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists.
Ehud Mendel, MD, FACS, professor of Neurological Surgery, of Medicine, of Orthopaedics and of Engineering, and director of the Spine Program, has been listed among the 100 best spine surgeons and specialists in America by Becker’s Orthopedic & Spine Review.
Electra Paskett, PhD, associate director of Population Sciences at the OSUCCC – James, has been recognized by the American Society of Preventive Oncology. For her achievements as president of the organization, ASPO has established the Electra Paskett Scholarship Award, to be given annually to a trainee to attend the society’s annual meeting.
Robert Taylor, MD, medical director of the Center for Palliative Care at the OSUCCC – James, has been named a fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Taylor, an associate professor of Neurology at Ohio State, received fellowship status for his commitment to scholarship in hospice and palliative medicine. Taylor, a medical ethicist, specializes in pain and symptom management in patients with life-limiting diseases.
Faculty and Programs
Michael Lairmore, DVM, PhD, professor of Veterinary Biosciences and member of the OSUCCC – James Viral Oncology Program, has been appointed associate director for Shared Resources at the OSUCCC – James. He oversees 16 specialized services, or core facilities that help investigators conduct cancer research through expert leadership and training; clinical, administrative and technical support; and state-of-the-art instrumentation.
Gustavo Leone, PhD, associate professor of Medicine and member of the Molecular Biology and Cancer Genetics Program, has been appointed associate director for basic research at the OSUCCC – James. He will oversee laboratory-based efforts of some 275 investigators representing 11 colleges at Ohio State and work to recruit additional investigators in breast, genitourinary, gastrointestinal and thoracic cancer.
Guido Marcucci, MD, director of the Myeloid Malignancy Program and holder of the John B. and Jane T. McCoy Chair in Cancer Research, has been appointed associate director of translational research at the OSUCCC – James. In this role, Marcucci will work to accelerate translational research throughout the Ohio State cancer program.
Thomas D. Schmittgen, PhD, chair of Pharmaceutics in the College of Pharmacy, and member of the OSUCCC – James Experimental Therapeutics Program, coauthored a paper identified by ScienceWatch.com as the most cited paper in the last decade across 22 fields and 20 countries. Using data from journals indexed by Thomson Reuters, the website determined that the 2001 paper by Kenneth J. Livak and Schmittgen was cited over 9,200 times between January 2000 and August 31, 2010. The paper describes the initial equations and methods to perform calculations for quantitative PCR. (A paper from the Netherlands with 7,405 citations came in second.)
OSUCCC – James Leads GU Trial Accrual for five years straight, the OSUCCC –James has been the leading institution in accruals to genitourinary oncology clinical trials conducted by the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB), a national clinical research group sponsored by the NCI.
National Leadership
Electra Paskett, PhD, associate director of Population Sciences, leader of the Cancer Control Program at the OSUCCC – James and president of the American Society of Preventive Oncology led this year’s annual meeting of ASPO, an organization that promotes research in cancer prevention, control and survivorship.
The OSUCCC – James has presented Bruce A. Chabner, MD, director of clinical research at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, the 18th annual Herbert and Maxine Block Memorial Lectureship Award for Achievement in Cancer. The prize, which includes $25,000, was established by the Block family of Columbus to honor their parents, Maxine and Herbert J. Block, who both died of cancer. Chabner, a professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, presented a lecture entitled “Cancer as a Rare Disease: Revolutionizing Drug Development.” The Lectureship is funded by proceeds from the Herbert J. Block Memorial Tournament, an annual golf outing established by the Block family.