UP FRONT
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live-cell activity architecture in cancer.
• Michael Karin, PhD, distinguished professor of
Pharmacology and Pathology, to study the role of
immunosuppressive B cells in the development
of cancer and its treatment (award amount is
pending)
NCI anticipates funding approximately 60 Outstanding
Investigator Awards. The grant program was developed to provide researchers with substantial time
and resources to break new ground or extend previous
discoveries that advance biomedical, behavioral, or
clinical cancer research.
Source: University of California San Diego press release
NCI Awards $2-Million Grant to Children’s Cancer Institute Australia
Under the National Cancer Institute’s Pediatric Preclinical Testing
Consortium, the Children’s Cancer
Institute Australia in Sydney has
been awarded nearly $2 million over
five years to support programs that
fast-track new drugs into clinical triProf. Richard Lock
als for childhood acute lymphocytic
leukemia (ALL). Professor Richard
Lock, principal investigator at the Institute, will lead the
program as researchers test drugs in preclinical models
of ALL. Previously, Prof. Lock received funding from the
NCI for 10 years as part of the Pediatric Preclinical Testing Program (PPTP), and was the only PPTP Principal
Investigator located outside of the United States.
Source: Children’s Cancer Institute Australia press release
Northwestern University Receives
$11.7-Million Grant to Improve Cancer
Treatments through Nanotechnology
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has awarded
a five-year, $11.7-million grant to Northwestern
University to use nanotechnology to develop nextgeneration cancer treatments.
With the NCI support, the new
Northwestern University Center
for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (Northwestern CCNE) will use
nucleic-acid-based nanoconstructs
called spherical nucleic acids to
Chad A. Mirkin, PhD
gain access to intracellular environments, investigate new aspects
of cancer biology, and develop new
cancer treatment options. Northwestern CCNE will operate under
the direction of principal investigators, Chad A. Mirkin, PhD, and
Leonidas C. Platanias, MD, PhD,
and will feature three projects
Leonidas C. Platanias,
(one discovery-based and two
MD, PhD
translational) and one core facility.
“The support from the National Cancer Institute will
enable researchers to continue to make significant
cancer-relevant discoveries that ultimately can be
transferred to the clinic and profoundly impact the
way cancers are studied and treated,” Dr. Platanias
said in a news release.
Source: Northwestern University press release
16
ASH Clinical News
American Cancer Society Awards
Six New York Scientists Awarded
More Than $2 Million to University of Pershing Square Sohn Prizes for
Wisconsin Researchers
Young Investigators in Cancer Research
Three researchers at the University of Wisconsin
School of Medicine and Public Health have received
four-year, $792,000 grants from the American Cancer
Society:
• Fotis Asimakopoulos, MD, assistant professor
of medicine, to study the role of macrophages in
helping multiple myeloma cells escape chemotherapy
The Pershing Square Sohn Cancer Research Alliance
has presented its Pershing Square Sohn Prize for
Young Investigators in Cancer Research to six New
York City–based scientists. Each recipient will receive
$200,000 in funding per year for up to three years to
allow them to continue pursuing explorative and highrisk/high-reward research. The winners are:
• Beth Weaver, PhD, assistant professor of cell
and regenerative biology to study the Mad1
gene and its role in breast cancer
• Timothy Chan, MD, PhD; Mortiz Kircher, MD, PhD;
and Christine Mayr, MD, PhD, of Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center
• Naghma Khan, PhD, assistant scientist in
the Department of Dermatology, to study the
management of colorectal cancers with PIK3CA
mutations
• Arvin Dar, PhD, of Icahn School of Medicine at
Mount Sinai
Source: University of Wisconsin press release
Six Oncology Practices Receive Conquer Cancer Foundation Awards
The Conquer Cancer Foundation of the American Society
of Clinical Oncology has recognized six oncology practices from across the United States with its 2015 Clinical
Trials Participation Awards. These awards recognize
practices and research sites that have demonstrated
the ability to overcome barriers in clinical trials accrual,
as well as provide care and outreach to underserved
populations in their communities. Recipients of the