July 28, 2008

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY– Drug Delivery and Gold Nanoparticles

Cancer Center members Clemens Burda, PhD and Baowei Fei, PhD, recently co-authored an article discussing a technique developed using gold nanoparticle to speed up the delivery of cancer drugs to tumors from 2 days to only a few hours. The article, entitled "Highly Efficient Drug Delivery with Gold Nanoparticle Vectors for in Vivo Photodynamic Therapy of Cancer", is available in the current edition of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

For details, please click here.

ATTENTION CANCER CENTER MEMBERS– Membership Survey

The Cancer Center is collecting information about the activities of our members. If you are a member and are sponsoring a medical student thesis research project, please let us know the name of the medical student, their year, and also the topic of the project. Please send this information to gillian.irwin@case.edu by the end of this week. Thank you for your cooperation!

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY– World Cancer Research Fund International

The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) International is now inviting applications for grants worldwide to fund research into the effects of food, nutrition and physical activity on cancer. Preference will be given to applications that have direct relevance to human cancer - consider diets or foods as a whole and/or use whole body systems, and use foods or dietary constituents in physiological amounts.

Application Deadline: October 13

For more information, please click here.

NCI CANCER BULLETIN

Featured Article
Melanoma Incidence Among Young Women in the U.S. is Rising

Cancer Research Highlights
Nanoparticles Deliver Chemotherapy and Block Cancer's Spread

Fewer Americans Exposed to Secondhand Smoke

Gene Signatures Point to Therapy for Neuroblastoma

Study Suggests Therapeutic Avenue for Transplant-Related Cancers

Director's Update
Developing a Clinical Trials System for 21st Century Science

AACR ISSUES CALL FOR IDEAS- Stand Up to Cancer

AACR invites members of the cancer community to contribute to a groundbreaking effort to accelerate progress against cancer and directly impact patient care.

Recently, AACR announced its role in providing scientific leadership, expert peer review, and grants administration to Stand Up To Cancer, an unprecedented collaboration among the major television networks, entertainment industry executives, celebrities, and prominent leaders in cancer research and patient advocacy. This exciting new initiative seeks to raise significant philanthropic dollars to fund research that will positively impact cancer patient care and prevention and to increase public awareness about the value of cancer research.

AACR now calls upon members of the cancer community to join this collaborative effort and contribute their ideas to the groundbreaking SU2C Dream Team translational research model. We invite submission of ideas for translational cancer research projects that would address critical problems in patient care, including prevention strategies for those at risk, and deliver near-term patient benefit through investigation by a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional Dream Team of expert investigators. The ideas may focus on particular organ sites or on specialized research areas and should be based on perceived opportunities for success as well as high-priority areas with a critical need for rapid progress beyond current medical care. The collective ideas for Dream Team translational research projects suggested by the cancer community will assist the SU2C Scientific Advisory Committee in its deliberations and selection of SU2C Dream Teams.

*Please note that in this call for ideas AACR is not accepting research proposals for grant funding. Rather AACR is inviting ideas for SU2C Dream Team translational research projects.*

Ideas must be submitted using the instructions and form found on the AACR website by August 20.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS– AFAR Conference on Cancer and Aging

October 6-7
Union League Club
New York, NY

The American Federation on Aging Research (AFAR) is pleased to present Aging and Cancer: Two Sides of the Same Coin?, October 6-7 in New York. This two-day conference will explore fundamental aspects of aging and cancer processes and their interactions. Speakers will examine: genetic and epigenetic changes, environmental influences, and host factors such as oxidative stress and cell death. The evolutionary, cellular and molecular relationships among aging, tumor suppressor mechanisms and the development of cancer as well as the interactions of normal aging cells, stem cells and differences in the manifestation of cancer in young and old will also be discussed. Speakers will report on topics such as telomere biology; nuclear processes such as DNA damage, repair, replication, recombination and transcription; and relevant aspects of mitochondrial structure and function. The goal will be to elucidate genetic and epigenetic alterations that lead to aging and cancer phenotypes.

For more information, please click here.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY–Junior Investigators: Case CCC ACS IRG

The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center is currently accepting applications for it's American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant. Pilot funding is available for projects in basic, clinical, behavioral, and epidemiological cancer research with awards up to $30,000 for 1 year cancer research projects that provide the basis for future independent grants.

Eligible applicants must:
–be within 6 years of their first full-time independent faculty appointment (or equivalent);
–be United States citizens, noncitizen nationals, or permanent residents of the United States;
–be eligible to apply as principal investigators for national grant support, but have no such support at the time of the IRG award;
–have Department Chair commitment for salary and space.

Deadline: August 11

To view application and instructions, please click here.

EVENTS

**All events are open to anyone interested in attending

July 28

Cancer Genetics/ Biology Journal Club cancelled; will resume late August

July 29

Taussig Cancer Center Seminar
Paul Elson, DSc
Associate Staff, Quantitative Health Sciences
Cleveland Clinic
Topic: Statistical Consideration for Cancer Research
12:00 pm Cleveland Clinic R3-002

July 30

Grand Rounds
Patrick Ma, MD
Assistant Professor, Medicine- Hem/Onc
CWRU/ UH
Topic: Lung Cancer: Overview and Recent Advances
8:00 am Lerner B-151

July 31

August 1

Hematology/Oncology Fellows Seminar
Brenda Cooper, MD
Associate Professor, Medicine- Hem/Onc
CWRU/ UH
Topic: Introduction to Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
8:00 am Wearn 137

more

For a complete listing of LRI seminars click here.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

UPCOMING CANCER CENTER SYMPOSIUMS

**For more information on these symposiums, please contact Christine Rhoads.

Head and Neck Conference
April 17, 2009
Holiday Inn, Independence
Details to follow

ONCOLOGY CONGRESS

September 25-28
Hilton San Francisco

The Oncology Congress engages you in productive peer-to-peer discussions about cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment options, giving you the practical knowledge, tools, and insight needed to improve care and quality of life for your patients today.

The Case CCC has partnered with the Oncology Congress to offer a discounted registration rate for Case CCC members: $395 for physicians and $195 for nurses and physician assistants. To register, please click here, and use priority code COE8.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS– NanoMedicine Summit 2008

September 25-26
Ritz Carlton
Cleveland

The 2008 Cleveland NanoMedicine Summit, is the anchor event for Nano Week in Cleveland (in its fifth year) and will be co-hosted by NorTech's Nano-Network, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Case Western Reserve University. This conference has been incredibly successful in the past (as evidenced by national media attention and feedback from attendees) by bringing together scientists, clinicians, business professionals, investors and others to learn, discuss and interact under the umbrella of nanomedicine.

The 2008 Summit will focus on the use of nanoparticles for diagnostics and therapeutics. Session highlights include:
–Nanoparticles for Imaging Cancer and other Diseases
–Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery
–Nanoparticle Building Blocks
–Nanoparticles for Treatment of Disease
–Biological Investigation Using Nanoparticles

Many Cancer Center members are involved in this Summit. Drs. James Basilion, Vinod Labhasetwar, and Maciej Zborowski are on the Organizing Committee, and the following members are scheduled to speak: Drs. Stanton Gerson, Clemens Burda, Agata Exner, Vinod Labhasetwar, Horst von Recum, Pam Davis, Mark Cooper, and Thomas Budd.

For more information, please click here.

Faculty Positions Available – K12 Clinical Oncology Research Career Development Award

The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center is accepting applications for its K12 Clinical Oncology Research Career Development Award (CORP). Positions are available for July 2008 and July 2009. If you are interested in applying, please contact Margy Weinberg (margy.weinberg@case.edu or 216-844-5375). Application deadline: August 1, 2008.

Program Directors
Stanton L. Gerson, MD, Director, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, and
Alvin H. Schmaier, MD, Chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology

Career Development
Junior faculty appointment in medical, surgical, radiation, or pediatric departments at CWRU and UHCMC. Clinical oncology research that is focused on laboratory-based translational research and includes therapeutic clinical research.

Requirements
MD with clinical training in an oncologic discipline. May be completing a residency and/or fellowship, depending on discipline. Interest and training in clinical trials and/or laboratory-based research. Intent to focus on translational research leading to a clinical trial. Willingness to participate in didactic training in clinical and translational research, to publish and author clinical trials. Minimum two-year commitment required.

Mentoring Faculty
Mentoring provided by nationally recognized basic, clinical, and translational faculty at CWRU and UHCMC.

Resources
The Case CCC has 9 multidisciplinary programs and 17 shared resources that promote focused cancer research and provide unique training opportunities.

Salaries and Research Seed Funds
Salary support at $75,000 for 75% effort plus generous annual research seed money provided through NCI-funded K12 CORP Award. Additional salary for 25% effort provided for clinical responsibilities.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY– 2009 Searle Research Scholars Program

The CWRU SOM is holding an internal competition for the 2009 Searle Research Scholars Program. CWRU may nominate TWO individuals for this award. This funding opportunity supports research in medicine, chemistry and the biological sciences. Final nominees to represent CWRU will be selected by a review panel to be convened by Deputy Provost Lynn Singer.

The following materials are due to Richard Sohn (richard.sohn@case.edu) by July 29:
– Full CV with funding history,
– 1-2 page proposal with specific aims, and
– Letter of support from your Chair.

Applicants for year 2009 awards are expected to be pursuing independent research careers in biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience, pharmacology, and related areas in chemistry, medicine, and the biological sciences. Candidates should have begun or will begin their first appointment at the assistant professor level on or after July 1, 2007. This appointment must be a tenure-track position, or its equivalent, and must be in an academic department of an invited, degree-granting institution.

For details, please click here.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS– Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute Inaugural Annual Symposium

September 12-13
Cambridge, UK

Please mark your calendars for the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute's Inaugural Annual Symposium, Unanswered Questions in the Tumour Microenvironment, on September 12-13, 2008 at the Li Ka Shing Centre in Cambridge.

The Symposium format has been designed to provide an interactive forum for debate, and to especially encourage discussion of the critical questions and future challenges in tumour microenvironment research.

Registration Deadline: August 15

For details, please click here.

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Susan G. Komen for the Cure: Career Catalyst in Disparities Research
Full Application Deadline: July 31

Susan G. Komen for the Cure: Post-Baccalaureate Training in Disparities Research
Full Application Deadline: July 31

amfAR
Letter of Intent Deadline: August 12

ASCO-NCI-European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Diagnostic Tutorial
Application Deadline: August 15

AACR Landon Prizes
Nomination Deadline: August 25

Doris Duke CSDA Bridge Grant
Deadline: September 1

National Lung Cancer Partnership/The LUNGevity Foundation
Deadline: September 2

International Myeloma Foundation Brian D. Novis Junior Research Grants and Senior Research Grants
Deadline: September 2

Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation
Deadline: September 15

Sallie Rosen Kaplan Fellowship
Deadline: December 15

NIH Bulletin – Notices and Funding Opportunities

Methodology and Measurement in the Behavioral and Social Sciences (R01) (PAR-08-212)

Methodology and Measurement in the Behavioral and Social Sciences (R21) (PAR-08-213)

Methodology and Measurement in the Behavioral and Social Sciences (R03) (PAR-08-214)