November 2017
Table of Contents
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Shared Resource Spotlight
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Cancer Informatics Core
The Cancer Informatics Core facilitates biomedical and translational research by providing methods and tools to record, integrate, manage, analyze and visualize various biomedical, behavioral and clinical data. Available services include consultation, data integration and honest broker services, feasibility assessment, cohort identification, clinical annotation, dataset and report development, electronic data capture and bioinformatics support. These services rely on the CIC Universal Data Store, which consists of consolidated and linked data from VCU Health System's various clinical-related data systems.
To request a CIC service, except for Bioinformatics, fill out a CIC Service Request Form.
To request Bioinformatics services, fill out a Massey Bioinformatics Service Request Form.
For more information, contact core director, Tamas Gal, Ph.D., at 628.2123 or tsgal@vcu.edu.
View a full list of Massey's Shared Resource Cores
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Leaders' Update
A message from Bernard Fuemmeler, associate director for cancer prevention and control
Dear colleagues,
I am pleased to give an update on cancer prevention and control research at Massey. A lot has happened since my last letter a year and a half ago.
This message continues with more about:
-the CPC program's recent NCI evaluation
-CPC research areas of focus for the next five years
-new funding mechanisms to support CPC research
-upcoming events and monthly CPC seminars
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Research Highlights
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Revolutionary imaging technique uses CRISPR to map DNA mutations
A team of scientists led by Jason Reed has developed new nanomapping technology that could transform the way disease-causing genetic mutations are diagnosed and discovered. Described in a study published in the journal
Nature Communications
, this novel approach uses high-speed atomic force microscopy (AFM) combined with a CRISPR-based chemical barcoding technique to map DNA nearly as accurately as DNA sequencing while processing large sections of the genome at a much faster rate.
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Study unveils reasons for racial disparities among patients participating in breast cancer research
A team of Massey researchers led by Vanessa Sheppard found that motivation for cancer survivors to provide samples for genetic testing might be more dependent on oncologist engagement or religious preference rather than the person's race. The study, published in the
Journal of Cancer Survivorship
, suggested that women who had earlier-stage, less aggressive breast cancers, those who were less religious and experienced a greater sense of well-being and those who had better access to health care were more likely to provide saliva specimens for future cancer research.
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Center News
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Michelle Lin joins Massey as chief administrative officer
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Michelle Lin, M.B.A.
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In October, Massey welcomed Michelle Lin as the new chief administrative officer and associate director for administration. She will oversee all of Massey's administrative and business operations related to research and education, including strategic planning, research and grants administration and compliance, clinical research operations, finance, information technology, facilities, human resources, affiliates and partnerships.
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Member Showcase
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Chukmaitov evaluates health care delivery systems in an effort to improve cancer patient outcomes and reduce costs
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Cancer Prevention and Control member
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Askar Chukmaitov joined Massey as a member of the Cancer Prevention and Control program in June. He analyzes innovations in health care delivery systems as a means to decrease mortality rates, enhance quality of life and reduce medical costs for cancer patients. Chukmaitov is an associate professor of health behavior and policy at the VCU School of Medicine.
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