August 4, 2008

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

Dear Members:
The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center Retreat July 11-12 at Sawmill Creek Resort was an important milestone for the Center. It represented a number of firsts:
–Discussion of the Basic Science of Cancer Integrated Programs, with presentations by 5 investigators leading the 4 proposals approved for funding from the scientific focus groups
–Presentations by our Biostatistics and Informatics group on basic methods, genomic analysis, and large database research
–Discussion of how the Biorepository, Translational Research, and Cancer Pharmacology core facilities assist disease-based research
–Presentations of significant progress in a number of disease-based research initiatives in lung cancer, melanoma, brain tumors, breast cancer, colon cancer, and myelodysplastic syndromes...

Please click here to continue.

ATTENTION CANCER CENTER MEMBERS– Case CCC Retreat Survey

We would appreciate you taking a short survey about the Cancer Center retreat. We will use your feedback to plan next year's retreat. To take the survey, please click here. All members are encouraged to take the survey, whether or not you attended. We appreciate you taking the time to give us feedback, and are already looking forward to next year!

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY– Quantitative Imaging for Evaluation of Responses to Cancer Therapies (U01)

The Cancer Imagine Program of NCI announces a new funding opportunity entitled "Quantitative Imaging for Evaluation of Responses to Cancer Therapies (U01)". This cooperative agreement mechanism (PAR-08-225) is designed to promote research in quantitative imaging of tumor response to cancer therapies in clinical trial settings, with the overall goal of facilitating clinical decision making. To view the announcemnet, please click here.

The first date for receipt of applications under this announcement will be October 5, 2008. The Cancer Center would like to organize a response to this announcement. If you are interested, please contact cancer@case.edu as soon as possible.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY– Burroughs Wellcome Fund: Career Awards for Medical Scientists

CWRU SOM has been invited to nominate candidates for the Burroughs Wellcome Fund: Career Awards for Medical Scientists. Institutions may nominate up to FIVE candidates. If a woman or underrepresented minority is nominated within the initial five candidates, a SIXTH candidate may be nominated provided that candidate is a woman or underrepresented minority**.

As a direct result of NIH's new K99/R00 Pathway to Independence awards, Burroughs Wellcome Fund now offers the Career Awards for Medical Scientists (CAMS) in lieu of its previous Biomedical Sciences Program. BWF shifted the focus of the CABS program to address the on-going problem of increasing the number of physician scientists and keeping them in research. The Career Awards for Medical Scientists program provides $700,000 over five years to bridge advanced postdoctoral/fellowship training and the early years of faculty service.

If you are interested in applying, please send the following documents to Richard.Sohn@case.edu by August 5:
1. Full C.V. with funding history (please include gender and race)**,
2. 1-2 page proposal with specific aims, and
3. Letter of support from your Chair.

For more information about these awards, please click here.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY– Burroughs Wellcome Fund: 2009 Clinical Scientist Awards in Translational Research Program

CWRU SOM has been invited to nominate candidates for the Burroughs Wellcome Fund: 2009 Clinical Scientist Awards in Translational Research Program. Institutions may nominate up to TWO candidates. EXCEPTIONS: Institutions that nominate a female candidate will be allowed THREE nominations. Institutions that nominate a member of an underrepresented minority group will be allowed a single additional nomination**.

The BWF Clinical Scientist Award in Translational Research supports the career development of physician-scientists whose work bridges the gap between basic research and patient care. The program's goal is to foster the development and productivity of established independent physician-scientists who will strengthen translational research through their own studies as well as by mentoring physician-scientist trainees. The awards are intended to give recipients the freedom and flexibility to explore fundamental scientific questions, to apply the resulting knowledge at the bedside, and to bring insights from the clinical setting back to the laboratory for further exploration. BWF is interested particularly in supporting investigators who will bring novel ideas and new approaches to translational research. Large-scale clinical trials, epidemiological or outcome studies, and health services research are not eligible for support.

If you are interested in applying, please send the following documents to Richard.Sohn@case.edu by August 6:
1. Full C.V. with funding history (please include gender and race)**,
2. 1-2 page proposal with specific aims, and
3. Letter of support from your Chair.

For more information about these awards, please click here.

FUNDING OPPORTUNUTY– AACR Henry Shepard Bladder Cancer Research Grants

The 2008 AACR Henry Shepard Bladder Cancer Research Grants represent a joint effort of the Henry H. Shepard Trust and the American Association for Cancer Research. These two-year grants will provide up to $250,000 in total support for innovative cancer research projects designed to accelerate the discovery, development, and application of new agents to treat bladder cancer and/or for pre-clinical research with direct therapeutic intent. Laboratory-based projects must present plans with clinical collaborators indicating how the work will be translated into the clinic. Similarly, clinical studies must show how the work was derived from basic preclinical work and how results will be channeled back to laboratory-based collaborators.

Application Deadline: August 25

For more information, please click here.

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.

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.

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

August 4

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

August 5

Taussig Cancer Center Core Curriculum Series
Susan LeGrand, MD
Staff, Solid Tumor Oncology
Cleveland Clinic
Topic: An Overview of Pain Management
12:00 pm Cleveland Clinic R3-002

Pharmacology and Case CCC Faculty Candidate
Yuxin Yin, PhD
Associate Professor, Radiation Oncology
Columbia University
Topic: PTEN: A New Guardian of the Genome
2:00 pm SOM W331 (Pharm Seminar Rm)

August 6

Grand Rounds
Charles Nock, MD
Assistant Professor, Medicine- Hem/Onc
CWRU/ UH
Topic: Introduction to Primary CNS Malignancies
8:00 am Lerner B-151

August 7

Taussig Cancer Center Core Curriculum Series
Isabel Schuermeyer, MD
Associate Staff, Psychiatry and Psychology
Cleveland Clinic
Topic: Treating the Whole Patient: A Look at Anxiety and Depression in Patients with Cancer
12:00 pm Cleveland Clinic R3-002

August 8

Hematology/Oncology Fellows Seminar
Afshin Dowlati, MD
Associate Professor, Medicine- Hem/Onc
CWRU/ UH
Topic: Building a Successful Career in Clinical and Translational Cancer Research
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.

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.

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.

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

amfAR
Letter of Intent Deadline: August 12

ASCO-NCI-European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Diagnostic Tutorial
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

World Cancer Research Fund International
Deadline: October 13

Sallie Rosen Kaplan Fellowship
Deadline: December 15

NIH Bulletin – Notices and Funding Opportunities

Reminders Regarding Inclusion of Special Features in Grant Applications (NOT-OD-08-095)

Announcing the Availability of the Application Guide for the Pilot Transition from PureEdge to Adobe-based SF424 (R&R) Grant Application Forms (RFA-AI-08-020, RFA-DE-09-001 and RFA-DE-09-002) (NOT-OD-08-098)

Notice of Re-issuance of Kirschstein-NRSA T32 (PA-08-226) and T35 (PA-08-227) Funding Opportunity Announcements (NOT-OD-08-099)

Investigational Nutrigenetic Studies for Cancer Prevention (R01) (PA-08-220)

Investigational Nutrigenetic Studies for Cancer Prevention (R21) (PA-08-221)

Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Research Training Grants (T32) (PA-08-226)

Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Short-Term Institutional Research Training Grants (T35) (PA-08-227)

Fogarty International Research Collaboration – Basic Biomedical (FIRCA-BB) Research Award (R03) (PAR-08-222)

Fogarty International Research Collaboration – Behavioral and Social Sciences (FIRCA-BSS) Research Award (R03) (PAR-08-223)

Using Systems Science Methodologies to Protect and Improve Population Health (R21) (PAR-08-224)

Quantitative Imaging for Evaluation of Responses to Cancer Therapies (U01) (PAR-08-225)