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May 8, 2013 |
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News |
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Biomedical Informatics Announcement
By Drs. Sellers and Jacobsen
David Fenstermacher will be leaving Moffitt for a new position as Chief Research Information Officer at Virginia
Commonwealth University. His last day here will be May 17th. David joined Moffitt in 2006 and has served as the
founding Chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics and oversaw the rapid growth and development of Moffitt's
highly regarded Cancer Informatics Core Facility. He has also served as Chief Bioinformatics Officer for M2GEN. We wish
David all the best in his new position.
A farewell reception will be held for David on Monday, May 13, from 5:00 - 6:30 in the SRB David Murphey Conference Room.
With his departure, we consulted with leadership, faculty and staff regarding the leadership role for the Cancer Informatics Core
Facility. We are pleased to announce that Steven Eschrich has accepted
appointment as Scientific Director of the Cancer Informatics Core Facility.
He has been actively involved in the core's development, growth, and success
since its inception. Steven joined Moffitt in 2003, became faculty in 2006 and is
currently an Associate Member. Highly collaborative; he is funded on numerous peer-reviewed
projects. His research interests include developing software tools and algorithms to answer
biomedical questions. He also utilizes computational tools to bring understanding to data
generated from high-throughput biological assays.
Please welcome Steven to his new role.
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Moffitt Researchers Receive PCORI Awards
The Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has just announced $88.6 million in comparative effectiveness
research funds to institutions in 21 states. This is the second round of research awards from PCORI, based on PFAs released last May.
A project by Moffitt Cancer Center's Dr. Brian Rivers, entitled "Navigator Guided e-Psychoeducational Intervention for Prostate
Cancer Patients and their Caregivers," is among the awardees.
And a project led by Dr. Susan McMillan of the University of South Florida, entitled "Patient Outcomes of a Self-care Management
Approach to Cancer Symptoms: A Clinical Trial," was also among the awardees.
No other Florida projects are among the 51 awardees, which are listed at
http://www.pcori.org/assets/PCORI-PFA-Cycle-II-Awards-Summary-050613.pdf
The grants are three-year awards for projects including studies of care for kidney disease, cancers, obesity, asthma, diabetes and mental health conditions, according to a statement.
Congratulations, Drs. Rivers and McMillan.
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Eduardo Moros, PhD - 24th. J. Eugene Robinson Award
Winner
The J. Eugene Robinson Award is presented annually to an investigator who has made outstanding contributions to the field of hyperthermic
oncology in one or more of the three main disciplines: Medicine/Clinical, Biology/Physiology, and Physics/Engineering. It is the highest
and most prestigious award of the Society for Thermal Medicine. The award is named after J. Eugene Robinson who was a pioneer of hyperthermia
research since the 1960’s through the 1980’s and a strong proponent of combined radiation and hyperthermia for cancer therapy.
Dr. Moros
lecture, Scanned Focused Ultrasound Hyperthemia - There and
Back Again, was presented at the 2013 Society of Thermal
Medicine Annual Meeting on April 20, 2013.
Congratulations, Dr. Moros.
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Moffitt Postdoc Selected an AACI Translational Cancer Research Fellow
Dr. Olya Grove is the recipient of the 2013 AACI Translational Cancer Research Fellowship. The reviewers
believed "Dr. Grove's strong academic record in conjunction with an outstanding mentor
will position her research for great success."
The intent for the fellowship is to provide additional support to individuals in
any area of cancer research in order to further their careers and enhance
future success. Her proposal "Imaging Hypoxia in Lung Cancer" has been
awarded $50,000 for 1 year.
Congratulations, Dr. Grove.
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Panel Participants Needed for Moffitt Study Section
Dr. Robert Gillies is forming a "mock study section" on Tuesday, May 21 from 11:00am - 1:00pm in SRB Atrium 4.
This exercise would be especially beneficial for young investigators interested
in submitting grant proposals in the near future and/or research postdocs.
You are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity.
Dr. Gillies is looking for panel participants to review and provide constructive feedback
on one of 5 proposals. Panel participants will be asked to read the
application, score the grant, fill out a short summary sheet and attend the
review session on May 21. Investing just 4 hours total could result in an
advantage to you as you prepare to seek your own funding.
Contact Candace Kurtz, x6681 if
you have any questions.
Detailed Information |
Add to Calendar |
Register Participation
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Message from NCI Director - Dr. Harold Varmus
A previous memo from Dr. Varmus sent in March 2013 outlined the general approach that the NCI planned to take to absorb the anticipated
reduction in the FY2013 budget with a promise of more information as it became available.
This week, the NCI learned the budget for
the current year has been reduced by 5.8%. As a result of this decision, funding for all sectors of the NCI are being reduced.
To summarize, roughly 1,000 new and competing grants are expected to be funded, only a bit less than the past couple of years.
Read Dr. Varmus' memos
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Joe Johnson, Analytic
Microscopy Core Research Specialist, provides "hands-on"
exhibit at Moffitt Day 2013. |
Speak Out for Moffitt - Update
The 2013 Florida Legislative session ended Friday, May 3. We are pleased to report that Moffitt Cancer
Center was able to increase its state funding, update the institution's statute to reflect our growth,
and impact various policies affecting cancer patients in Florida.
The Cancer Center is enormously grateful to the Florida Legislature for renewing its support for cancer
patients and their families. On behalf of all Floridians affected by cancer, please take a few
minutes to express your gratitude.
Take Action! |
Post-session Message
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Moffitt Cancer Center and QURE Partnership
Moffitt Cancer Center and QURE, a health care research and business firm, have launched a four-year partnership
to measure and enhance the quality of care and improve outcomes for cancer patients.
The collaboration will measure, validate and promote adoption of Moffitt's oncology clinical pathways
using QURE's measurement tool, Clinical Performance and Value (CPV) vignettes.
"The key for cancer patients is to have the best possible care using the most advanced technologies. Moffitt
has always integrated this level of clinical and technical excellence. As we continue to grow, it is
critical that we scientifically maintain that same standard in quality of our providers and our partners."
said Dr. Alan List. "We believe that CPV vignettes and Feedback systems, which uniquely measure and
improve practice, make QURE the ideal resource for Moffitt and will enhance our level of excellence within
our oncology partner network. QURE's system gives us the opportunity to have more strategic conversations with
our payers, which will benefit patients in Florida and beyond."
Press Release
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Grants Task Force Survey
To update you on the progress of Transformation, members of the Grants Task Force have now been identified.
They are Dr. Doug Cress, Dr. Kathy Egan, Dr. David Shibata, Jane O'Connor, Virginia Perez, Mercedes Robaina,
Kara O'Neil & Wanda Williamson. The Task Force will assess our grants process at a high level to develop a
roadmap that will include identification of workgroups who will be charged with identifying and recommending
solutions.
In order for the Task Force to conduct this assessment, your input is vitally important. The Grants
Task Force has prepared a survey, and we ask for your feedback. This is similar to the one previously sent out
for the Trials and Studies Initiative, but this survey will be used to evaluate the grants administration process at
Moffitt. If you have had any involvement with the grants process, we ask that you please take the time to complete the survey. Thank you.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GrantsInitiativeSurvey
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Grants and Funding Opportunities
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Moffitt Grant Review Committee
Over the years, we have been fortunate to have obtained funding for pilot projects to generate preliminary data to strengthen
proposals for peer-reviewed funding. The American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant and Miles for Moffitt are
two examples of these opportunities. With NIH funding becoming more difficult to obtain, the need for pilot funding
is even more important. We continue to seek ways to increase these opportunities but also recognized that we needed
to formalize the support of these programs.
The Grant Review Committee (GRC) was recently formed to provide an impartial peer-review process for intramural funding
opportunities and for limited-submission extramural funding opportunities. The GRC is chaired by Dr. Chellappan and other
Members of the committee include the CCSG Program Leaders. Ad hoc members are also added depending on each opportunity's needs.
All opportunities undergo a two-stage review. The "Internal Sponsor" of the funding oversees the 2nd stage review and makes the
final funding decision. For intramural funding opportunities, the sponsor is another group, such as the Research Executive
Committee or a Center of Excellence Advisory Committee. The GRC works closely with the Internal Sponsor to meet unique
opportunity requirements while also maintaining consistency across opportunities.
The group has already reviewed some limited submission proposals and recently completed the reviews for this year's Miles
for Moffitt proposals. The GRC provides a number of services that are unique to the intramural and limited submission process
and supplements the extensive support already provided by the divisions, sponsored research and other departments.
As GRC Chair, Dr. Srikumar Chellappan oversees these activities. Administrative support is provided by Maureen Ahearn.
Please contact Maureen Ahearn, 8824, if you have any questions.
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V Foundation V Scholar Award Announcement
The V-Foundation has announced a funding opportunity for Junior Faculty: the V-Scholar Award. This is a restricted submission and requires a pre-application
which is due May 23. The final submission to the V-Foundation will be July 1.
To be eligible, the candidate must hold a tenure track position as an
instructor or assistant professor and have five or less years' experience. Researchers with R01 funding are ineligible.
The Pre-application must include a 1 page letter of introduction and a 2-page outline and be submitted
electronically in PDF format only.
Contact Maureen.Ahearn@moffitt.org , x8824 for information.
RFP -
Pre-Application V-Foundation
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Sean Patrick Multidisciplinary Collaborative Grant - June 3 Deadline
Provides funding for a project focused on the cause, early detection, treatment, and/or understanding
of ovarian cancer. The application must identify two (or more) scientists with different yet complementary
skills and explain how these skills will be synergistic in addressing the ovarian cancer problem.
This opportunity is open to all faculty. The award amount is $50,000 for 1
year.
Contact Linda Nolan, x6071 for
information.
RFA:
Sean Patrick Grant
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Center for Infection Research in Cancer Funding Opportunity
The challenge The Center for Infection Research in Cancer (CIRC) is pleased to announce an intramural grant program to fund pilot projects that will bring together the multidisciplinary
strengths of Moffitt to identify new infectious agents, develop novel approaches
to cancer prevention, deliver new standards of care and disseminate research
findings to clinical practice.
All faculty ranks are eligible. The maximum award amount is up to $50,000 for 12 months. The deadline for submission is
August 1, 2013 at 4:00 pm.
For additional information contact
Maureen.Ahearn@moffitt.org
or call x8824.
RFA
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Lab 360: Research Laboratory Environment Update
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Film Processor Room Improvements
To ensure Film Processor downtime is reduced, as of May 1, 2013, an email address was created
to submit dark room issues. The email is
Research_Common_Equipment@moffitt.org (there is _
between each word).
Additionally, during the month of May, there will be shelving installed to hold fixer
and developer, signage and information updated, improvements to stabilize silver recovery
units and increased surveillance and maintenance.
Thank you to faculty and staff who have volunteered their time to monitor these areas and
provide feedback on improvements.
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Research Space Reno/Repair Status Updates
Below is a summary of open and planned projects impacting research, particularly
the labs. For questions, contact Kathy Merkler, x6749 or
Christine O'Connell,
x1357.
Project Description
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Start Date
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Completion Date
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Status
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MRC 3rd Floor Restroom Renovations
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2013
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April 29, 2013
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In Progress
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New SRB Radiochemistry Lab Preparation
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2012
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June 2013 (tentative)
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In Progress
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Seminars and Events
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May 10 - Cancer
Epidemiology Program Special Guest Speaker, Contact Christine
Marsella,
x1810
Nagi B. Kumar, PhD, RD, FADA, Senior Member,
Director, Cancer Chemoprevention, Cancer Epidemiology
Program, Moffitt Cancer
Center, Tampa Florida
Cancer Chemoprevention: Current Approach and Future Directions
1:30 - 2:30pm, Stabile Research Building, David Murphey Conference Room
Learn more about Dr. Kumar |
Add to
Calendar |
Flyer |
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May 8-10-Accelerating
Anticancer Agent Development and Validation Workshop
Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Bethesda, MD
A workshop for Clinical and Translational Cancer Investigators Focused on Strategic Planning to Develop
and Validate New Anticancer and Cancer Prevention Agents and Pathways.
Workshop Information |
Registration
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May 13 - Cancer
Epidemiology Program Special Guest Speaker, Contact Christine
Marsella,
x1810
Peter A. Kanetsky, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor of Epidemiology
The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Genetic susceptibility to testicular cancer - it's nuts
1:30 - 2:30pm, Stabile Research Building, Ferman Family Conference Room
Learn more about Dr. Kanetsky |
Add to Calendar |
Flyer
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(NEW) May 14 - Moffitt Microarray DB Workshop, Contact Paula Price
x2646
Hosted by Cancer Informatics Core
A background of the data and an introduction to ExpressionID, a tool to work
with and visualize TCC expression data.
2:00 - 3:00pm, Stabile Research Building, David Murphey Conference Room
Add to Calendar |
Flyer |
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(NEW) May 22 - Basic Science Grand Rounds, Contact Maria Hernandez, x3887
Paramjit Arora, PhD, Professor of Department of Chemistry, New York University
Plucking the High Hanging Fruit: A Systematic Approach for Targeting Protein
Interfaces
12:00 - 1:00pm, Stabile Research Building David Murphey Conference Room
Learn more about Dr. Arora |
Add
to Calendar |
Flyer |
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(NEW) May
22 - CBSSS Cancer Biology Student Seminar Series, Contact Cathy Gaffney, x6768
Courtney Kurtyka, Cancer Biology Graduate Student, Mentored by Dr. Doug Cress
Novel Therapeutic Strategies in Lung Cancer
2:00 - 3:00pm, Stabile Research Building David Murphey Conference Room
Add to Calendar |
Flyer |
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(NEW)
May 23 - CBSSS - Cancer Biology Student Seminar Series, Contact Cathy Gaffney, x6768
Lisa Blumencranz, Cancer Biology Graduate Student, Mentored by Lori Hazlehurst, PhD
Assessing the mechanism of action of MTI-101 in lung cancer harboring
EGFR activating mutations.
4:00 - 5:00pm, Stabile Research Building Ferman Family Conference Room
Add to Calendar |
Flyer |
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May 23 - Moffitt Postdoctoral Association Seminar Series, Contact Cathy Gaffney, x6768
Sergiy Borysov, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Molecular Oncology, PI-Mark Alexandrow, PhD
The Rb protein directly controls DNA replication: A novel mechanism of the G1/S transition
4:00 - 5:00pm, Stabile Research Building David Murphey Conference Room
Add to Calendar |
Flyer
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May
24 -
Moffitt Cancer Center Grand Rounds,
Contact Gina Woodward, x1741
Wenyi Wei, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Pathology
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
E3 Ubiquitin Ligase in Cancer and Cell Cycle Regulation
12:00 - 1:00pm, Stabile Research Building Ted & Marty Couch Auditorium
Learn more about Dr.
Wei |
Add to
Calendar |
Flyer |
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(NEW) June 14-15 - People's Scientific Conference to Promote Health and Eliminate
Health Disparities
The People's Scientific Conference to Promote Health and Eliminate Health Disparities (The People's Scientific Conference)
is sponsored by the University of Florida Health Disparities Research and Intervention Program in partnership with the
University of Florida Prostate Disease Center and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
at the National Institutes of Health.
This first-of-its-kind conference will bring racial/ethnic minority and underserved
community members and diverse researchers and health care providers together to learn from and teach each other information that will foster research-
and evidence-based interventions to promote health and eliminate health disparities.
Flyer
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(NEW) June 12 - Research-In-Progress Seminar Series, Contact Thometta Brooks, PhD, 974-7042
Mulubrhan Mogos, PhD, MS, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Research Training and Education Core (RTEC), Center for Equal Health,
Moffitt Cancer Center/USF, Tampa, FL
National trends in reproductive cancers and associated
health care cost in the past decade
3:00 - 4:00pm, Stabile Research Building, Ferman Family
Conference Room
Add
to Calendar |
Flyer |
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June 21 - Center for Equal Health's Health Disparities Seminar Series,
Contact Thometta Brooks, PhD., 974-7042
Lucile Adams-Campbell, PhD, Professor of Oncology;
Associate Dean, Community Health & Outreach; Associate Director, Minority
Health & Health Disparities Research Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive
Cancer Center.
Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome and Breast Cancer Disparities
11:00 - 12:00noon, Stabile Research Building, David Murphey
Conference Room
Learn more about Dr.
Adams-Campbell |
Add to Calendar |
Flyer
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August 7-10 Mechanisms and Models of Cancer Symposium 2013
Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA
Submit an Abstract |
Registration
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Flyer
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