COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) announces the following awards, honors and more that were recently given to the organization, teams or individuals: Ohio State appoints new leader of translational research, receives $37.9 million grant The Ohio State University has appointed Julie Johnson, PharmD, to lead the Center for Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). She also serves as associate dean for clinical and translational research and holds the Dr. Samuel T. and Lois Felts Mercer Professorship of Medicine and Pharmacology in the Ohio State College of Medicine, and she is associate vice president for research at Ohio State. A native Ohioan, Johnson was recruited from the University of Florida, where she was dean emeritus of pharmacy and a distinguished professor of pharmacy and medicine in the Department of Pharmacotherapy & Translational Research. As director of the CTSI, Johnson also is principal investigator of a seven-year, $37.9 million Clinical and Translational Science Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which funds the center’s work to turn scientific discoveries into clinical therapies that improve human health. This grant supports collaborative research by Ohio State, the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and Nationwide Children's Hospital. The grant represents the CTSI’ fourth cycle of NIH funding since 2008. Cancer and tobacco projects to be funded as part of new NIH graduate research training grant A five-year, $1.5 million grant from the NIH to The Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) will fund graduate student training in clinical and translational science, including three students who will conduct projects in cancer or tobacco research. This mentored T32 Predoctoral Research Training Grant is part of the recent renewal of the CTSI’s Clinical and Translational Science Award (see story, above). Among the graduate students funded within the first cohort of the new T32 grant are: Emily Schwarz, College of Medicine, “Evaluating the Therapeutic Efficacy of Combination IL-12 and Trabectedin for the Treatment of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer”; Jill Singer, College of Public Health, “Tobacco Use Before and After Massachusetts’ Statewide Flavored Tobacco Restriction: How Equitable is This Policy?”; and Leah Stein, College of Medicine, “Multi-Omic Approach to Select Cancer Patients for Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor (FGFR) Targeted Therapies.” Grant will boost study of novel treatment for melanoma brain metastases Kari Kendra, MD, PhD, professor in the Division of Medical Oncology at Ohio State and chair of the Melanoma Disease-Specific Research Committee at the OSUCCC – James, received a two-year, $200,000 award from the Melanoma Research Foundation for a first-of-its-kind immunotherapy study that will use universal donor (UD) TGFβ natural killer (NK) cells to help patients with melanoma that has metastasized (spread) to the brain. Kendra and colleagues state that brain metastases are a leading cause of death among patients with metastatic melanoma. They also note that the body’s NK cells are the first line of defense against tumors. Kendra’s collaborative team has developed a method to collect NK cells from donors and grow them in large numbers for storage in a cell bank available for multiple treatments. They also have devised a technique used when expanding the UD NK cells that provides those cells with resistance to TGFβ, a cytokine (small protein) that impairs the function of NK cells. Kendra’s team will recruit melanoma patients with brain metastases and treat them with TGFβi NK cell infusions to generate preliminary data about how these cells travel in the body, enter the brain, attack malignant cells and interact with the immune system. They also will assess preliminary effectiveness of this treatment against melanoma metastases in the brain and outside of the brain. OSUCCC – James gains FACT reaccreditation for cellular therapy The Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) has reaccredited the OSUCCC – James for another three years under the FACT-JACIE International Standards for Hematopoietic Cellular Therapy. Marcos de Lima, MD, director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy programs at the OSUCCC – James, received notification of the reaccreditation in an Oct. 24 letter from FACT Chief Medical Officer and FACT Accreditation Committee Chair Phyllis Warkentin, MD, who stated that reaccreditation applies to all services and facilities that were recently inspected by FACT. “This accreditation encompasses clinical and laboratory services, both in patient care and research in cellular therapy, and it reflects the diligent work of a large multidisciplinary team,” de Lima said, noting that the OSUCCC – James has been continuously FACT accredited since 2003. FACT is a non-profit corporation founded in 1996 by the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy and the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy to establish standards for high-quality medical and laboratory practice in cellular therapies. According to the FACT website, FACT accreditation is the threshold for excellence in cellular therapy, including blood and marrow or cord blood transplant for patients with leukemia, lymphoma or other life-threatening diseases or blood disorders. Castle Connolly names 15 Ohio State clinical faculty as top Hispanic and Latino doctors Fifteen clinical faculty members from The Ohio State University College of Medicine – including several associated with Ohio State’s cancer program – have been named Castle Connolly 2023 Top Hispanic and Latino Doctors. This is the first time Castle Connolly, a national healthcare research company, has recognized top Hispanic/Latino doctors for their demonstration of outstanding expertise, patient care and contributions to healthcare. “These exceptional doctors work to ensure patients feel seen and understood while receiving the highest quality care,” says Carol R. Bradford, MD, dean of the Ohio State College of Medicine. “They are a testament to Ohio State’s commitment to meeting the unique needs of all patients.” Physicians on the list who are associated with Ohio State’s cancer program include (alphabetically): Carlo Contreras, MD, Department of Surgical Oncology; Dayssy Alexandra Diaz-Pardo, MD, Department of Radiation Oncology; Esteban Fernandez Faith, MD, Department of Pediatrics (pediatric dermatology); Giovanni Lujan, MD, Department of Pathology; Daniel Prevedello, MD, Department of Neurological Surgery; Cristiane Ueno, MD, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; and Martha Yearsley, MD, Department of Pathology. Bradford inducted into Hall of Distinction Carol R. Bradford, MD, dean of the Ohio State College of Medicine and vice president for health sciences at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, was inducted into the Hall of Distinction by the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery and Foundation as a Living Legend. This recognition celebrates her leadership and her myriad achievements in the field of otolaryngology. Bradford is a physician-scientist who specializes in head and neck cancer surgery. Pawlik named honorary fellow of Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Timothy Pawlik, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Surgery at Ohio State and member of the Cancer Control Program at the OSUCCC – James, received the fellowship ad hominem in The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. The organization is the oldest and largest royal college in the United Kingdom and one of the world’s oldest surgical organizations, advocating for surgical advancement for more than 500 years. This recognition, the most prestigious designation a surgeon can receive from the college, is a testament to Pawlik’s international recognition as an expert cancer clinician and researcher, as well as his ability to form global partnerships. Srisuwananukorn earns Award of Distinction at international cancer research group meeting Andrew Srisuwananukorn, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Hematology at Ohio State, received one of two Awards of Distinction for an oral presentation he delivered at the Young Investigator Symposium that took place at the Fall Group Meeting of the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group, an international network of nearly 1,300 academic and community-based cancer centers and hospitals. From among 20 applicants, eight young scientists were selected to present, and two received the Award of Distinction. Srisuwananukorn also recently earned an Outstanding Abstract Award for a poster he presented at the International Congress on Myeloproliferative Neoplasms. Book edited by Ohio State physicians shows how surgeons can identify and address social determinants of health A new book addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) in surgery, edited by Samilia Obeng-Gyasi, MD, MPH, and Timothy Pawlik, MD, PhD, was published this month. Obeng-Gyasi is in the Division of Surgical Oncology at Ohio State and a member of the Translational Therapeutics Program at the OSUCCC – James. Pawlik is chair of the Department of Surgery at Ohio State and member of the Cancer Control Program at the OSUCCC – James. SDOH describe the intersection of governmental policy, sociocultural values, socioeconomic position, the healthcare system, biology and psychosocial support within the context of everyday living and working conditions. The new book, Social Determinants of Health in Surgery, leverages the expertise of renowned surgeon-scientist and academic scholars to provide surgeons and the medical community with an armamentarium of theories, conceptual frameworks and a review of existing research on SDOH to inform future research in this area. Chalif accepted into T32 Institutional Training Grant Program Julia Chalif, MD, a first-year postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Ohio State, has been accepted into the postdoctoral T32 “Advanced Training in Immunology for Surgical Trainees” program in Ohio State’s College of Medicine (COM). T32 Institutional Training Grants are issued by the NIH to help institutions develop or enhance research training opportunities for individuals selected by the institution. Chalif will participate for one year in the program, which is led by Ginny Bumgardner, MD, PhD, a professor in the Division of Transplantation Surgery and associate dean for physician scientist education and training in the COM. Chalif earned her MD at Ohio State and completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at Cleveland Clinic. She is interested in microbiome-related research in gynecologic cancers and will spend her research year studying microbes in the gut and the tumors that are associated with immunotherapy response and resistance in patients with cervical cancer. She believes microbes can serve as therapeutic targets in future clinical trials that may help improve cervical cancer patients’ response to immunotherapy. To read more about OSUCCC – James awards, honors, accreditations and more, visit cancer.osu.edu. For others news about the OSUCCC – James, visit our News & Media site or read our latest publication. Media Contact: Amanda Harper Assistant Director, Media Relations Amanda.Harper2@osumc.edu, 614-685-5420