Grants
Michael A. Caligiuri, MD, director of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and CEO of the James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, has received a five-year, $1.6 million grant (CA068458) from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to characterize IL-15.
Michael A. Caligiuri, MD, director of the OSUCCC and CEO of The James, Jianhua Yu, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Hematology, and co-investigator A. Douglas Kinghorn, PhD, DSc, professor in the College of Pharmacy, have received a five-year, $1.6 million NCI grant (CA185301) to study how a dietary component from plants enhances the immune system’s ability to prevent acute myeloid leukemia.
Arnab Chakravarti, MD, professor and chair of Radiation Oncology, is the OSU subcontract principal investigator on a five-year, $3.5 million NCI grant (CA188228) to investigate genomic mechanisms of radiation-therapy resistance in patients with glioblastoma. The multi-institutional study includes researchers at The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Case Western Reserve University.
Carlo Croce, MD, professor and chair of Molecular Virology, Immunology and Medical Genetics, and director of Human Cancer Genetics, has received a $2.1 million NCI grant (CA190740) to probe the molecular mechanisms of cachexia in lung cancer.
A. Courtney DeVries, PhD, professor of Neuroscience, has received a five-year, $2 million NCI grant (CA194924) to identify physiological mechanisms that contribute to chemotherapy-induced depression and anxiety among women with breast cancer.
Kalpana Ghoshal, PhD, associate professor of Pathology, received a five-year, $1.7 million NCI grant (CA193244) to study the role of miR-122 in a mouse model of liver cancer.
Janie Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD, Distinguished University Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, and director of the Ohio State Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, has received a five-year, $3.2 million NCI grant (CA186251) to study how physical fitness influences inflammation, negative mood, fatigue, increased pain sensitivity and cognitive deficits in breast-cancer survivors.
Kun Huang, PhD, associate professor of Biomedical Informatics, has received a three-year, $1.2 NCI grant (CA188547) to develop software tools that will integrate histologic features and genetics and help clinicians and researchers identify the most effective therapy for a patient’s particular cancer.
Naduparambil Jacob, PhD, assistant professor of Radiation Oncology, has received a three-year, $1.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program titled “Minimally Invasive Radiation Biodosimetry and Evaluation of Organ Responses.”
Tonya Orchard, PhD, RD, assistant professor in the College of Education and Human Ecology, A. Courtney DeVries, PhD, and Maryam Lustberg, MD, assistant professor of Medical Oncology, were awarded was awarded a four-year, $2.1 million NCI grant (CA189947) to study whether dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids prevents neuroinflammation in an animal model and cognitive deficits in women receiving chemotherapy after breast-cancer surgery.
Michael Ostrowski, PhD, professor and co-leader of the Molecular Biology and Cancer Genetics Program at the OSUCCC – James, was awarded a five-year, $2.2 million grant (AR044719) from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases to study how the differentiation and function of osteoclasts are governed.
Quintin Pan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, has received a $2.4 million grant (DE023555) from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research to study the role of the p300 protein in HPV-positive head and neck cancer.
Zui Pan, PhD, research associate professor in Internal Medicine, and Tong Chen, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Internal Medicine, received a five-year, $1.6 million grant (CA185055) to examine how the calcium channel protein Orai1 contributes to esophageal tumor initiation and progression, and whether it can be used as a biomarker for detection and prognosis.
Electra Paskett, PhD, MSPH, associate director for population sciences and co-leader of the Cancer Control Program at the OSUCCC – James, has received a five-year, $3.2 million NCI grant (CA196243) to compare an interactive computer program delivered on DVD versus the DVD program plus telephone-based patient navigation versus usual care. The goal is to increase screening rates for breast cancer, cervical cancer and colorectal cancer in older women in rural counties of Ohio and Indiana.
Jennifer Woyach, MD, assistant professor of hematology, Amy Johnson, PhD, associate professor in the Division of Hematology, have received an NCI grant (CA197870) to improve therapy that targets Bruton’s tyrosine kinase for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
Awards and Honors
Erica Bell, PhD, research assistant professor in Radiation Oncology, was honored by the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO) for having the highest-rated paper overall among faculty-level researchers at ACRO’s 2015 Annual Meeting. The paper is titled “A Novel miRNA-Based Predictive Model for Biochemical Failure Following Post-Prostatectomy Salvage Radiation Therapy.”
Clara D. Bloomfield, MD, a Distinguished University Professor who also serves as a cancer scholar and senior adviser to the OSUCCC – James, was one of 12 winners in the 2015 Giants of Cancer Care awards program sponsored by OncLive, a Web resource for physicians and other health professionals who focus on treating cancer.
Christin Burd, PhD, assistant professor of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry and of Molecular Genetics, is among seven scientists to receive the 2016 Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award. The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation noted that the award recognizes early-career scientists who are “exceptionally creative thinkers” and propose high-risk, high-reward projects. It provides $300,000 over two years. Burd will use a novel method to analyze RAS mutations in different cancers, work that could lead to new drugs that target these mutations.
John C. Byrd, MD, professor and director of the Division of Hematology and co-leader of the OSUCCC – James Leukemia Research Program, received the 2015 Charles G. Moertel Lecture Award from the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology to recognize his contributions to community cancer practice. Byrd was also awarded the 2015 American Society of Hematology’s William Dameshek Prize for contributions to the development of treatments for CLL. In addition, he received the 21st Annual Joseph H. Burchenal Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Cancer Research at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). As award recipient, Byrd lectured on “Targeting BTK in CLL: A New Treatment Paradigm.”
Arnab Chakravarti, MD, professor and chair of Radiation Oncology, was appointed to chair the National Institutes of Health Cancer Biomarkers Study Section. Also, Chakravarti received the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO) 2015 Distinguished Service Award for his leadership contributions to ACRO. Chakravarti also presented an invited lecture at the 2015 International Congress for Radiation Research in Kyoto, Japan, and he received the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Asian-American Scientists in Cancer Research for his sentinel contributions in the realm of translational cancer research and in the brain tumor field.
Peter Shields, MD, professor and deputy director of Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, has received the Joseph W. Cullen Award, presented by the American Society for Preventive Oncology for excellence in tobacco research. His presentation was, “Tobacco Research and Regulation: Translational Science Cannot Be More Clear.”
Carlo Croce, MD, and John C. Byrd, MD, have received NCI Outstanding Investigator Awards to help further their work in cancer genetics and leukemia therapy. The multimillion-dollar awards provide long-term support for experienced investigators with outstanding records of productivity
Deliang Guo, PhD, assistant professor of Radiation Oncology, led a study published in the journal Cancer Cell that was recognized by the American Cancer Society as one of “10 key breakthroughs and insights for 2015.” Based on this work, which identified a new potential therapeutic target for glioblastoma multiforme, Guo also received a Young Investigator Award from the Society for NeuroOncology.
Ewa Mrozek, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Medical Oncology, has received an Advancing Science through Pfizer Investigator Research Exchange (ASPIRE) Breast Cancer Research Awards from Pfizer Inc. Mrozek’s $1.6 million grant will support clinical research investigating IBRANCE® (palbociclib).
Michael Oglesbee, DVM, PhD, professor and chair of Veterinary Biosciences, was elected an AAAS fellow for contributions to the understanding of virus heat-shock protein interactions.
Daniel Prevedello, MD, associate professor of Neurological Surgery and director of Ohio State’s Minimally Invasive Cranial Surgery Program, received a Gentle Giant Award from the Pituitary Network Association for exemplary accomplishments in pituitary medicine.
Sameek Roychowdhury, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Medical Oncology and of Pharmacology, received an Early Career Achievement Award from The Ohio State University College of Medicine for his efforts to develop innovative therapies based on genetics, to train the next generation of physician scientists and to solve problems through team science.
Jeff Walker, MBA, senior executive director for administration at the OSUCCC – James, is serving on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Executive Committee. The NCCN is an alliance of 27 cancer centers that establishes national clinical oncology practice guidelines.
Jessica Winter, PhD, professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, was elected an AAAS fellow for contributions to the development of magnetic quantum dots for cell imaging and separation.
Evan Wuthrick, MD, assistant professor of Radiation Oncology, received the NRG Oncology Best Manuscript Award in 2015 for the paper “Institutional Clinical Trial Accrual Volume and Survival of Patients with Head and Neck Cancer” published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Lynne Abruzzo, MD, PhD, professor of Pathology, was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for contributions to the cytogenomics of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and other hematologic malignancies.
Rebecca Jackson, MD, director of the Ohio State Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) and a member of the Cancer Control Program at the OSUCCC – James, and Electra Paskett, PhD, MSPH, associate director for population sciences and leader of the Cancer Control Program at the OSUCCC – James, were selected to represent the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) the 10th Annual Team Science Award from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) at its 2016 Annual Meeting from April 16-20 in New Orleans. The national WHI team received this award for its collective efforts that have broadened the understanding of the effects of hormone therapy and nutrition on cancer.
Faculty and Programs
Sharyn Baker, PharmD, PhD, has joined the cancer program as professor and chair of the Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry in the College of Pharmacy. She came to Ohio State from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Rajgopal Govindarajan, DVM, PhD has joined the cancer program as an associate professor in the College of Pharmacy’s Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry. His research interests include the role of solute carrier transporters on chemotherapy sensitivity, miRNA drug sensitivity and investigating epigenetic changes in pancreatic cancer cells. He came to Ohio State from the University of Georgia.
Daniel Jones, MD, PhD, has joined the OSUCCC – James as director of Molecular Pathology. He was also named professor, vice chair and director of Molecular Pathology in the Department of Pathology. He will lead a new division that identifies the genetic changes in patients’ tumors and their significance for selecting therapy and post-therapy monitoring. He came to Ohio State from Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute.
Anil Parwani, MD, PhD, MBA, has joined the cancer program as a professor of Pathology. He is also vice chair and director of Anatomic Pathology in the Department of Pathology. He directs a new digital pathology imaging and pathology informatics core facility, and the OSUCCC – James digital pathology service. He joins Ohio State from the University of Pittsburgh.
Alex Sparreboom, PhD, has joined the cancer program as a professor in the College of Pharmacy’s Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry. His research interests include transport modulators for platinum-based drugs and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. He came to Ohio State from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The OSUCCC – James was ranked among the top 25 cancer hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in the magazine’s 2015-16 list of “America’s Best Hospitals.” It was the 17th consecutive year that the hospital has made the magazine’s list of the nation’s top 50 hospitals for cancer care.
The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, or CARF International, has accredited Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center for three years in nine rehabilitation programs, including the Cancer Rehabilitation Specialty Program at the James. The medical center was the first in Ohio, second in the nation and third in the world to achieve this specialty accreditation for Cancer Rehabilitation.
The Ohio State University was selected as one of 10 members of a national Consortium to Study Chronic Pancreatitis, Diabetes and Pancreatic Cancer. The designation includes $2.3 million in funding over five years and led by DARWIN CONWELL, MD, director of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.
Ohio State's Multidisciplinary Pancreas Program, which treats cancerous and non-cancerous conditions, was designated as a National Pancreas Foundation (NPF) Center, one of 30 hospitals nationwide and the only adult hospital in Ohio to earn this distinction.
Leadership
Clara D. Bloomfield, MD, and Carlo Croce, MD, appeared in the Clinical Medicine category on the 2015 list of Highly Cited Researchers compiled by Thomson Reuters.
David Carbone, MD, PhD, professor of Medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology, was appointed president of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer at the 16th World Conference on Lung Cancer.
Jeffrey Fowler, MD, professor and vice chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Ohio State, where he also holds the John G. Boutselis Chair in Gynecology, began a one-year term as the 48th president of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) at the conclusion of the SGO’s Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer. Fowler, has made gynecologic oncology wellness a priority for his term as president.