Money raised by Pelotonia riders and donors has been committed to recruiting and retaining some of the brightest minds in cancer research to Ohio State. Among those recently recruited with the help of Pelotonia dollars are:
David Carbone, MD, PhD, an internationally renowned lung cancer specialist recruited from Vanderbilt University to establish and lead a thoracic oncology center at the OSUCCC – James. Carbone is an expert in the molecular biology of lung tumors, which includes understanding the genetic, proteomic and metabolic features of each patient’s cancer and developing drugs to optimally target tumors.
Paul Goodfellow, PhD, professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Goodfellow was recruited from Siteman Cancer Center, Barnes Jewish Hospital, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. His research focuses on identifying and characterizing genetic events important in tumor initiation and progression, and on understanding molecular events that can help develop approaches to preventing and treating uterine and breast cancers.
Sameek Roychowdhury, MD, PhD, a specialist in genomics and tumor sequencing whose research focuses on personalized approaches to patient treatment through genomics. He was recruited from the University of Michigan as an assistant professor in Ohio State’s Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, and in the School of Biomedical Science, Department of Pharmacology.
Theodore Brasky, PhD, recruited from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center as an assistant professor in Ohio State’s Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. Brasky works to better understand the association of inflammation and cancer by studying substances and genes hypothesized to affect inflammation. He also studies non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and cancer risk.
Nicholas Denko, MD, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology. Recruited from Stanford University, Denko studies how stressors within the tumor microenvironment can influence tumor cell progression and the response of solid tumors to therapeutic interventions. He currently is investigating the role of reduced oxygen and nutrient stress on gene expression and cellular metabolism.
John Hays, MD, PhD, recruited from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as an assistant professor in Ohio State’s Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology. His work furthers the understanding of protein-signaling networks and how they can guide the design of personalized therapies for cancer patients. His clinical interests include drug development for gynecologic cancers and rare gastrointestinal malignancies.
Jay Hollick, PhD, associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Molecular Genetics. Recruited from the University of California at Berkeley, Hollick is interested in biological mechanisms that generate and maintain inherited genetic variations in physical and other traits. These studies shed light on chromosome evolution and gene function.
Thomas Ludwig, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. Ludwig was recruited from the Institute of Cancer Genetics at Columbia University in New York City. He studies biological functions of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 tumor-suppressor genes and some of their interacting partners in normal and malignant development. Mutations in these genes predispose carriers to certain cancers.
Susan Olivo-Marston, PhD, MPH, recruited from the NCI as assistant professor of Epidemiology in Ohio State’s College of Public Health. She is interested in how early-life conditions such as obesity and asthma, and exposure to second-hand smoke, may affect adult cancer risk, and which biological pathways are involved.