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Stan Gerson, MD
Director, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
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Eric Klein, with colleagues at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, produced the
first large scale validation of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) detection of cancers.
Only 4 cancers (prostate, lung, breast and colon) have established screening paradigms. Using next generation sequencing technology, this report details a methylation-based cfDNA liquid biopsy that detects multiple cancers that currently lack effective screening regimens. In addition to detecting cancers at an early stage, the assay was highly accurate in predicting the likely tissue of origin, which could streamline diagnostic work-ups. Finally, the false positive rate was under one percent, making this test potentially useable in both high risk and general populations. Further studies to evaluate this possibility are underway.
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In this day of uncertainty, hats off to our colleagues for keeping their focus and continuing to make contributions with long-term population impact.
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Message from the Associate Director for Basic Research
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I want to thank you all for continuing to attend our weekly
Cancer Center Seminar Series as we transitioned to a virtual format three weeks ago. By tuning in via Zoom, we have the opportunity to continue to highlight innovative research, partake in Q & A with our speakers and earn CME credit from any location, despite our need to be physically separated for the health and safety of our community. It is important to remember that physical distancing does not necessitate social or academic isolation; instead we must seize the opportunity to identify novel ways for making progress. Each Friday at noon, we’ve seen over 50 people join the seminar virtually and I look forward to further virtual engagement through the remainder of the semester. As we press forward together, I encourage you to review the tips below for a positive virtual seminar experience during this challenging time and join us for today's presentation by Cleveland Clinic's Angela Ting, PhD.
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- CME credit can be claimed using the CloudCME code which is distributed in our Thursday seminar reminder emails, in the pre-presentation rotating slides, and announced at the beginning of each presentation.
- Please remain muted throughout the presentation with your video off to decrease distractions.
- If you experience poor audio quality, please click the arrow to the right of the microphone icon on your toolbar. Select ‘Switch to Phone Audio’ and follow instructions to dial in using the toll number, per University request.
- Questions are welcomed and encouraged!
- Using the chat function in the Zoom toolbar, type in your question at any point in the presentation and it will be read by the moderator at an appropriate time.
- When the presenter asks for questions, unmute yourself by clicking the microphone or phone icon in the Zoom toolbar to ask your question directly. Please wait for the appropriate time to do so.
- Please help us make speakers feel welcomed and appreciated. When the seminar speaker has completed their presentation, please unmute your audio and clap for them, just as we would in-person.
- Explore videos and tutorials provided by Zoom support for more information and resolutions to common issues.
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Changes to Shared Resource Leadership
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The Case CCC
Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resource also welcomes new director
Curtis Tatsuoka, PhD
and co-director
Mark Cameron, PhD. A biostatistician, Dr. Tatsuoka is an associate professor of neurology interested in clinical trials, experimental design, and methodological research on cognitive modeling and sequential experimental designs with real-time fMRI. Dr. Cameron is an assistant professor of population and quantitative health sciences and member of the Case CCC's Hematopoietic and Immune Cancer Biology Program.
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CWRU School of Medicine forms Coronavirus Task Force
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From
The Daily: The Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has established a Coronavirus Task Force, led by immunologist
Rafick-Pierre Sékaly, PhD and virologist
Jonathan Karn, PhD. Since its inception less than two weeks ago, an overwhelming number of faculty researchers from across every school on campus have stepped to participate—and continue to do so.
"We have had a strong, collaborative and positive response from our investigators to the call-to-action for research to control the pandemic," said Pam Davis, senior vice president for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine. “From virologists to immunologists, from basic scientists to clinicians, including engineers and behavioral scientists and epidemiologists, everyone with something to contribute has stepped forward to help."
The task force’s immediate goal: to share ideas and expertise to attack the problem, both from a diagnostic and therapeutic approach. The task force is composed of six working groups.
"Science will be how this pandemic is ultimately contained and how the disease, in the end, will be conquered,” Davis said, “and we are proud to step up to contribute."
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Rafick-Pierre Sékaly, PhD
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Hwang Lab partners with Weatherhead School of Management's XLab and others for "Hack from Home" to fight COVID-19 with technology
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Coined "an anti-viral virtual hackathon," the global
Hack from Home event, held remotely April 4-5, 2020, aims to find technology solutions to fight the spread of COVID-19. Hack from Home is sponsored by DataSwift.io and organized by
the lab of
Tae Hyun Hwang, PhD at Cleveland Clinic,
Case Western Reserve University's xLab, Ethical Tech Alliance, and HAT-LAB. Dr. Hwang is a member of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center's GU Malignancies Program.
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Organizers are inviting all technologists, designers, activists, scholars, scientists, medical professionals, students and others to work together on three main challenges posed by the pandemic.
The hackathon will center on three main themes: mass data mobility, citizen science and community health. There is no limit on the number of people who can participate, and participants from 30 countries have already registered.
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COVID-19, your research program at CWRU and upcoming events across the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
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Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) has
moved to remote course delivery as of last week, in addition to
campus restrictions pertaining to on-campus meetings, gatherings, and conferences. CWRU has also transitioned every possible university function to remote operation to protect the health of the campus community during this rapidly expanding outbreak.
The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center (Case CCC) is continuing to establish virtual meetings where possible and maintain a
current calendar of events as meetings across our partner institutions are postponed, canceled, or made available virtually. At this time,
Case CCC Shared Resources are providing services in a manner that prioritizes safety of facility staff.
The Office of Research and Technology Management has also asked researchers to be prepared for the impact of the Novel Coronavirus might be on their research in various scenarios.
Latest information pertaining to research restrictions is available on the
CWRU Health Updates webpage.
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Message from the Associate Director for Administration
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Congratulations to
Ivona Tietz-Golczak, MS, MBA on her appointment as the new Assistant Director for Finance and Operations for the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center (Case CCC). In this role, Ivona will be responsible for budget accountability for all research and operational funding as well as general operations for the Center. She will oversee the administrative activities for all primary faculty appointed in the Cancer Center, help manage all Case CCC space in the Wolstein Research Building, and oversee the purchasing and maintenance of all shared equipment.
Ivona has been a valuable member of the Case CCC administration since she joined the team as a financial manager in 2017. She is recognized for her acute attention to detail and meticulous understanding of grant policy. As Financial Manager, she was responsible for the management of sponsored projects for Cancer Center primary faculty, various sponsored clinical trial projects, and individual fellowship grants for trainees. Prior to joining the Case CCC, Ivona worked in the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Grants and Contracts Office, where she managed the federal grant portfolios for multiple departments. She also worked in the SOM Department of Pharmacology as a Grant Manager.
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Computational Genomic Epidemiology of Cancer (CoGEC) Program Seeking Postdoc
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About The Program
The
CoGEC program provides postdoctoral training in the computational genomic epidemiology of cancer. This program defines a novel, transdisciplinary area of training at the intersection of cancer research, genetics, epidemiology, biostatistics, and computer science. Program structure is defined by three key requirements. First, all fellows can take a specialized core curriculum of courses that cover the individual discipline at all of the intersections. Second, fellows will undertake additional didactic experiences selected to complement their educational and research background. Third, fellows will obtain research experience by collaborating on focused projects with multiple mentors from different disciplines. As an extension of this research experience, each trainee is expected to write individual NIH grant proposals. Cancer researchers obtaining training in this program will have the skills vital to deciphering the complex pathways comprised of genetic and environmental risk factors for disease, and will ultimately be able to provide clinicians and their patients with valuable information for the prevention and treatment of cancer. Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
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Join Team Case CCC in VeloSano 2020!
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The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center (Case CCC) is honored to make its sixth appearance in
VeloSano, a year-round fundraising initiative and "Bike to Cure" weekend to support lifesaving cancer research. Our continuing goal is to bring sustainable funding to cancer research by enlisting the passion and energy of thousands of people who wish to give back... including
YOU! We raised nearly $94,000 in 2019 and every dollar goes directly toward cancer research. In our six years of participation, more than $1,000,000 of VeloSano fundraising totals have come back to the Case CCC to award researchers as pilot funding for cancer research projects.
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The Case CCC will provide complimentary registration fees and jerseys again this year. Contact team captains
Caroline El Sanadi or
Mary Wright for the registration fee waiver code to sign up! While registration is complimentary, all riders are responsible for meeting the minimum fundraising commitment associated with the
distance they ride. Fundraising can begin as soon as you register to ride and continues through October 1, 2020.
Registration is open now and information about volunteering for our cheer station and supporting our team through sponsorship will be available soon!
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Mon, April 6
Cancer Center Research Chalk Talk
Pathology Defense
Sahar Mazhar, Narla Lab
"The Role of Germline PP2A Disruption in Cancer Predisposition: Challenges of Using Established Tools to Study PPA2 Inhibition"
CWRU SOM Spring Update from the President and Provost
Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Working Group
Rafick-Pierre Sekaly, PhD
Machine Learning Working Group
Miriam Cremer, MD, MPH,
David Levitz, PhD and Yael Misrahi
"Advances in Cervical Cancer Screening - the Role of AI"
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Tues, April 7
Cancer Center Special Seminar
Berkley Gryder, PhD
National Cancer Institute
"Targeting Core Regulatory Transcription Factor Addiction in Cancer"
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Weds, April 8
Cancer Microbiome Focus Group
Alex Rodriguez-Palacios. DVM, PhD
"Patterns of Analytical Irreproducibility in Multimodal Diseases"
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Fri, April 10
Cancer Center Special Seminar
Jing Wang, MD, PhD
University of Colorado School of Medicine
"The Interplay between Immunology and Cancer with a Focus on B Cell Lymphoma and Head and Neck Cancer"
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Mon, April 13
Shared Resources Directors Meeting
12p
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Fri, April 17
Cancer Center Seminar Series
Aziz Nazha, MD
"An Artificial Intelligence Journey in Cancer Research"
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Cancer Center Seminar Series
April 3, 12p
This week's cancer center seminar features
Angela Ting, PhD presenting, "DNA Methylation at the Intersect of Chromatin Structure and Transcriptome Diversity" at 12 pm today.
Dr. Ting is associate staff at Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, associate professor of molecular medicine and genetics and genome sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and a member of the Case CCC's GU Malignancies Program.
Dr. Ting's research interests focus on epigenetic alterations in human cancers. The Ting laboratory has pioneered next-generation sequencing based DNA methylome assay and analysis and successfully applied these tools for studying genome-wide changes in DNA methylation patterns in prostate, colon and bladder cancers. Her group also leverages other genomic data types, including RNA-seq, polyadenylation site sequencing, and ChIP-seq to help contextualize findings in DNA methylation changes.
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Cancer Center Special Seminar
April 10, 12p
All are welcome to join the cancer center's next special seminar virtually via Zoom on Friday, April 10 at noon.
Jing H. Wang, MD, PhD, an associate professor of immunology and microbiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine will present, "The Interplay Between Immunology and Cancer with a Focus on B Cell Lymphoma and Head and Neck Cancer."
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Core Facilities and Shared Resources Symposium
April 28, 2020
Please note: at this time, the event is still welcoming registration as organizers intend to present an abbreviated core facilities program via remote means.
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Race for The Place 2020
June 7, 2020
Beachwood Place
The Gathering Place is hosting its annual "Race for the Place" 5K and 1-mile run/walk at Beachwood Place on National Cancer Survivors Day, Sunday, June 7. Proceeds from Race for the Place help support their
free programs and services.
The Gathering Place is a caring community that supports, educates and empowers individuals and families currently coping with the impact of cancer in their lives through programs and services provided
free of charge.
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Save The Date: Great Lakes Breast Cancer Symposium 2020
October 4-6, 2020
Tinkham Veale University Center, CWRU
As host site for the 2020 Great Lakes Breast Cancer Symposium, the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center encourages you to mark your calendar for the symposium taking place October 4-6, 2020.
The symposium highlights ongoing basic, translational, clinical and population studies addressing the biological mechanisms, management and prevention of breast cancer. Researchers from participating institutions will share their exciting work with a goal to develop cross-institutional collaborations.
This year's event features two keynote speakers:
- Carlos Arteaga, MD, Director of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center
- Helen Piwnica-Worms, PhD, Professor of Experimental Radiation Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
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Additional Upcoming Events
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AACR Virtual Annual Meeting
April 27-28, 2020
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The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Virtual Annual Meeting will be held on April 27 and 28, 2020, and will include more than 30 oral presentations in several clinical trial plenary sessions along with commentaries from expert discussants, as well as clinical trial poster sessions consisting of short videos providing the authors’ perspectives.
This Virtual Meeting will be available free to everyone, although attendees will be asked to register to participate. The session and presentation titles for the Virtual Meeting, as well as a link to the registration site, will be posted to the AACR website by Monday, April 13.
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Inaugural Tee Off 4 Cancer Golf Classic
June 27, 2020
Mallard Creek Golf Club
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The 2020 Tee Off 4 Cancer Golf Classic will take place Saturday, June 27 at Mallard Creek Golf Club in Columbia Station, Ohio. Proceeds benefit the labs of Drs.
Vinay Varadan at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and
Danny Welch at the University of Kansas Cancer Center.
Players may join the classic for $95 which includes golf, range balls, lunch and dinner, plus beer, water, soda and sports drinks throughout play. Sponsorship packages are also available.
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In addition to extending deadlines for many open funding opportunities, the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center recently released the following awards:
Available award: $50,000
Deadline: April 17, 2020
Available award: $50,000
Deadline: May 8, 2020
Available award: $50,000
Deadline: May 8, 2020
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2021 Pew-Stewart Scholars Program for Cancer Research
Internal LOI deadline: Friday, April 17
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The Case Comprehensive Cancer Center has been invited to submit one nomination for the 2021 Pew-Stewart Scholars Program for Cancer Research.
The program supports assistant professors of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of a cure for cancer. The award provides $300,000 in flexible support—$75,000 per year for a four-year period. In line with the Stewart Trust's mission to invest in innovative, cutting-edge, basic cancer research that may accelerate and advance progress toward a cure for cancer, applications are invited from nominees conducting cancer research.
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The W.M. Keck foundation welcomes applications for its Research Program, which supports pioneering discoveries in science, engineering, and medical research. Program grants support projects that are focused on important and emerging areas of research; have the potential to develop breakthrough technologies, instrumentation, or methodologies; are innovative, distinctive and interdisciplinary; demonstrate a high level of risk due to unconventional approaches or by challenging a prevailing paradigm; and have the potential for transformative impact (e.g., the founding of a new field of research, the enabling of observations not previously possible, or the altered perception of a previously intractable problem).
The program seeks to fund high-risk/high-impact work that lays the groundwork for new paradigms, technologies, and discoveries, save lives, and adds to our collective understanding of the world.
Grants ranging between $500,000 and $5 million (though typically $2 million or less) will be awarded for periods of from one to five years. Both senior and early-career investigators are encouraged to apply.
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Deadline: May 4, 2020
As part of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation's Diagnostic Excellence Initiative, the foundation has released a request for proposals for the development of clinical quality measures to improve diagnosis
Grants of up to $500,000 over 18 months will be. awarded to support the development of innovative clinical quality measures that promote excellence in diagnosis of three categories of disease: acute vascular events, infections, and cancer. The expected work requires two interlinked activities: 1) development of the rationale for a measure, and 2) operationalizing the measure into an algorithm that can undergo pilot (or proof-of-concept) testing.
Proposals should include teams and partnerships that include a multidisciplinary group of experts, including clinicians with content expertise, individuals with appropriate analytic expertise (data science, statistics, measure development), and persons with experience using relevant data sources.
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Healio - Mar 25, 2020
"Individuals who fail to see the rationale for social distancing may benefit from the lessons of recent history,"
Mark Cameron, PhD, an associate professor in the department of population and quantitative health sciences at Case Western Reserve University, told Healio Primary Care. Dr. Cameron is a member of the
Case CCC's Hematopoietic and Immune Cancer Biology Program.
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WKYC - April 2, 2020
In response to projections of COVID-19 cases accelerating in Ohio, CWRU and Cleveland Clinic's shared 477,000-square-foot Samson Pavilion at the Health Education Campus is being transformed into a surge hospital to meet health care demand. Located just across the street from Cleveland Clinic’s main campus, the Pavilion will allow for full monitoring of up to 1,000 patients, in addition to the administration of needed oxygen and IV medications.
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Weekly NIH Funding Opportunities and Notices
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Notices
Funding Opportunities
Deadline: Standard dates apply.
The first standard due date for this FOA is June 5, 2020
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Use the button below to submit all your news, events, announcements and communications requests to the Case CCC Marketing and Communications team!
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