Friends,
It's that time of year when I have the privilege of reviewing with you Tulane Cancer Center's progress over the past 12 months, as well as our hopes and plans for the future.
The attenuation in the severity of the pandemic combined with 2022's relatively milder Hurricane season here allowed us all to re-shift our focus and cautiously (but gratefully!) inch back toward a feeling of "normalcy," much more so than we've been able to in recent years.
That realignment no doubt helped contribute to the incredible progress our basic researchers and physician scientists were able to make over the past several months. I am extremely proud to report that our research base has grown to over $20 million in cancer-relevant funding, and our brilliant clinicians have spearheaded and implemented exciting new advancements in our clinical cancer care. I hope you will take a few moments to review some of these successes in the stories highlighted below.
At the same time as we were all "returning" to normalcy, several developments over the past year have promised to lay the groundwork for an exciting "new normal" for Tulane Cancer Center going forward.
The first of these is Tulane's proposed new partnership with LCMC Health. To reiterate President Michael Fitts, once approved, this expansion and integration of community and academic medicine will improve patient care across the region and beyond by providing greater access to Tulane's innovative, life-saving discoveries. We are excited about the potential this partnership holds to grow our oncology practice and to magnify our ability to deliver pioneering cancer care to many more patients.
We also welcomed Joe Ramos, PhD, as the new director of the Louisiana Cancer Research Center this year. Joe previously served as interim director of the National Cancer Institute-designated University of Hawaii Cancer Center. His experience will further coalesce the LCRC partnership -- which includes Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Xavier University and Ochsner Institute, in addition to Tulane -- making it even more effective at harnessing and synergizing Louisiana's cancer research strengths.
And, of course, the humbling generosity of our benefactors, many of whom gave not only their financial support but their time and energy over the past year, helps to sustain and fuel our reinvigorated enthusiasm, carrying us into 2023 with anticipation and optimism for what's to come.
As you review a sampling of the clinical, basic research and philanthropic highlights of the past year outlined below, I invite you to consider supporting our endeavors in 2023 and beyond through a year-end, tax-deductible donation to our Cancer Research Fund.
To donate via credit card, please visit our website—www.canceriscurable.com—and click on “Giving” in the navigation box on the right. Then click on "Tulane Cancer Center Research Fund" and follow the prompts.
Prefer to donate via check? Please make check payable to “Tulane Cancer Center,” reference “TCC Research Fund” in the memo line and send to Tulane Cancer Center, ATTN: K. Green, 1430 Tulane Ave., #8668, New Orleans, LA 70112.
Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Prescott
Prescott Deininger, PhD
Director, Tulane Cancer Center
