Ringing and Answering the Bell

It has been a crazy busy week. I put the finishing touches on a new R01 proposal that focuses on NK cell migration in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. I gave two lectures for grad students, and had wall-to-wall meetings every day of the week. After Alex Lekan, an MD/PhD student in my lab, gave his excellent Data Meeting presentation on Thursday morning, I had a busy clinic that afternoon and then gave a joint presentation with Ben Weinberg about our pancreatic cancer research to the Immunotherapy and Heme Malignancies Working Group at the end of that day.

Read more.

Could a Georgetown Lab Finding Lead to New Treatment in Pancreatic Cancer?

Pancreatic cancer has thus far eluded the promise of immunotherapy, and as a result is among the deadliest of cancers. Now, for the first time, new research by Georgetown Lombardi’s Louis Weiner, MD, Benjamin Weinberg, MD, and others shows potential to make immunotherapy effective in pancreatic cancer, and is the basis of a phase 2 clinical trial in humans. Read more about this work.

Mandelblatt Receives NCI Outstanding Investigator Award

Jeanne Mandelblatt, MD, MPH, director of the Georgetown Lombardi Institute for Cancer and Aging and professor of oncology at the School of Medicine, received an NCI Outstanding Investigator Award for 2023. The award supports accomplished leaders in cancer research who are providing significant contributions toward understanding cancer and developing applications that may lead to a breakthrough in biomedical, behavioral or clinical cancer research. It provides up to $600,000 in direct costs per year for seven years, allowing substantial time for funded investigators to take greater risks and be more adventurous in their research. Read more about this award.

American Cancer Society Grants Support Early Career and Pathway Programs at Georgetown Lombardi

The American Cancer Society (ACS) awarded Becca Riggins, PhD, associate professor and associate director of education and training at Georgetown Lombardi, with an Institutional Research Grant of $360,000 to help fund her work to support independent, self-directed investigators early in their careers. The ACS also continued its support for the Diversity in Cancer Research Internship program, which Riggins directs, with a grant of amount of $132,000 to support eight students.

Abstracts Due TODAY, Feb. 5, for the 2024 MedStar Health-Georgetown University Research & Education Symposium

The 2024 symposium takes place Monday, April 29, at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center. It will feature research posters for peer-reviewed projects from across the academic health system. All MedStar Health and Georgetown University physicians, nurses, researchers, staff, residents, and fellows are encouraged to submit. Abstract submissions will be accepted through today, February 5.



Please submit abstracts/case reports using the following links:

• Health Care & Research Team Members/Faculty Abstracts
• Residents/Fellows Abstracts
• Residents/Fellows Case Reports

Only selected abstracts will be presented as posters during the event as determined by the Scientific Review Committee; those whose abstracts are selected will be notified the week of March 25. Please contact research@medstar.net with questions. NOTE: If you submit an abstract or case report, it is expected that you will attend the Symposium on Monday, April 29. Please save the date.

Faculty Appointments and Promotions Workshops

The Office of Faculty and Academic Affairs (OFAA) will present appointment and promotion workshops for faculty. Staffers from OFAA and the relevant appointment and promotions committees will discuss criteria for appointment and promotion specific to the various faculty tracks, outline the process to apply, and discuss faculty development opportunities.

Workshops are scheduled as follows:

• Tenure Track, Wed., Feb. 21, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
• Clinical & Biomedical Tracks, Thurs., Feb. 29, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
• SON/SOH Research & Educator Tracks, Mon., March 4, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
• SOM Research & Educator Tracks, Wed., March 6, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
• SON/SOH/SOM Adjunct Tracks, Wed., March 6, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Complete the RSVP form to receive the link for your specific workshop. Email ofaa@georgetown.edu with any questions.

Call for Proposals: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Cancer Research, Education & Training Opportunities and Funding

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Georgetown Lombardi, in collaboration with the Cancer Research, Education and Training (CRTEC) Office, is issuing a call for proposals for 2024: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Cancer Research, Education & Training Opportunities and Funding. Funding is available to faculty, staff or trainees doing work affiliated with Georgetown Lombardi, John Theurer Cancer Center, Hackensack Meridian Health or MedStar Health. View information about specific initiatives and a link to the application portal. Contact LombardiDEI@georgetown.edu with questions.

Diversity in Cancer Research Summer 2024 Undergraduate Internship Program Now Accepting Applications

This internship program is open to rising sophomores, juniors and seniors with an interest in STEM, cancer and/or biomedical research. Applicants from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical research are strongly encouraged to apply. Application deadline: February 16, 2024. View more information and application portal. Questions, please email cancerresearchtraining@georgetown.edu.

Department of Microbiology & Immunology Seminar Series: “HIV-1 Prevention and Cure: Adjuvanted Vaccine Evaluation and Ex Vivo Virus Hunting”

Tuesday, February 6

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Presented by Diane Bolton, PhD, chief, Animal Models & Viral Persistence Section, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. Join this seminar in Med-Dent NE301 and via Zoom.

Bhussry Seminar Series: “Cell-free DNA as a Whole-Body Molecular Injury Scan — Transplant Rejection and Other Disease”

Tuesday, February 6

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Presented by Sean Agbor-Enoh, MD, PhD, lab chief, NHLBI Laboratory of Applied Precision Omics (APO), Lasker Clinical Research Tenure Track Investigator and director, Genomic Research Alliance for Transplantation (GRAfT), NIH Clinical Center. Sponsored by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology. Join this seminar in Basic Science 341 and via Zoom.

CDI Seminar: “Lipids, Drugs and the Tumor Microenvironment: Spatial Analysis Identifies Druggable Pathways and Informs on Therapeutic Efficacy”

Tuesday, February 6

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Presented by Claire Carter, PhD, assistant member, CDI; assistant professor, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine; co-director, Mass Spectrometry and Analytical Pharmacology Shared Resource, Georgetown Lombardi. Join this seminar via Zoom.

Computational Biology Working Group Meeting

Wednesday, February 7

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

This group is for those with a shared interest in computational biology. Agenda includes a presentation by Biostatistics doctoral student Yutong Luo, MS, titled “Deconvolution Analysis of Spatial Transcriptomics by Multiplicative-Additive Poisson-Gamma Models.” View meeting agenda. Join this meeting via Zoom.

Clinical Research Coordinator Seminar Series

Wednesday, February 7

12:30 - 2:00 p.m.

This series is designed for Clinical Research Professionals and others vested in the care of research participants. The series provides opportunities for professional development as well as updates on GU policies, procedures and operations related to clinical research. Register for the Zoom seminar series.

Cancer Research Data Meeting

Thursday, February 8

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Presented by Tumor Biology Program doctoral student Maryam Abdussamad. Join the meeting in W302 or via Zoom.

Distinguished Scientist Seminar Series: “Metabolic Regulation of Longevity Across Biological Space”

Thursday, February 8

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Presented by Meng Wang, PhD, senior group leader, Howard Hughes Medical Institute – Janelia Research Campus. Held in-person in the New Research Building Auditorium with Zoom option.

GI Oncology Research Review

Friday, February 9

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Join Ruesch Center Doctors John Marshall, Aiwu Ruth He, Ben Weinberg, Marcus Noel, and Reetu Mukherji for a review of research from the 2024 ASCO Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancers Symposium. This Zoom webinar will highlight the most compelling abstracts in colorectal, pancreatic, liver, and upper GI cancers. Register.

Survivorship Research Initiative Seminar Series: “Improving Equitable Health Outcomes in Cancer: Catalyzing Transdisciplinary Scientific Collaborations to Transform Practice and Policy”

Friday, February 9

10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Presented by Alyce Adams, PhD, MPP, Stanford Medicine Innovation Professor and Professor of Health Policy, Epidemiology and Population Health and of Pediatrics (by Courtesy), associate chair for health equity and community engagement for Stanford Health Policy, associate director for health equity and community engagement for Stanford Cancer Institute, and associate director for Stanford Impact Labs at Stanford University. Co-sponsored by the Georgetown Lombardi Survivorship Research Initiative and the Georgetown Lombardi Institute for Cancer and Aging Research. Join this seminar via Zoom.

Oncology Grand Rounds Lecture Series: “Precision Medicine for Pediatric Glial Tumors”

Friday, February 9

12:00 - 1:00 p.m. 

Presented by Maryam Fouladi, MD, pediatric neuro-oncologist, co-executive director of the pediatric neuro-oncology program, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and professor of pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Held in-person in the New Research Building Auditorium with Zoom option.

Save the Date

Honorary Degree Ceremony & Oliver Tambo Lecture

Tuesday, February 13

5:00 p.m.

Healy Hall

Georgetown President John J. DeGioia confers an honorary degree upon Leymah Gbowee, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, founder and president of the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa and executive director of the Institute on Gender, Law, and Transformative Peace. Gbowee will also deliver the Oliver Tambo Lecture on “Peace is…” Reception to follow. Register for this in-person event.

In the News

Medical News Today Scientists Reprogram T Cells to Slow Down and Reverse Aging



Medical Xpress New Research Finds Oral Leukemia Therapy to Work as Well as Intravenous Decitabine

Tumor-Agnostic Approvals: Insights and Practical Considerations

The Effect of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage on Smoking Status, Quit Attempts, and Receipt of Cessation Support Among Adults With Cancer: Results From Nine ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group Trials

Consolidation Osimertinib versus Durvalumab versus Observation Following Concurrent Chemoradiation in Unresectable EGFR-Mutant Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study

Recent Progress in Systemic Therapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma



Loss of Pip4k2c Confers Liver-Metastatic Organotropism Through Insulin-Dependent PI3K-AKT Pathway Activation

Evolving Applications of Liquid Biopsies in Gastrointestinal Cancers

Managing Hyperglycemia and Rash Associated with Alpelisib: Expert Consensus Recommendations Using the Delphi Technique

Cross-state Border Nicotine Vaping Products Purchase - Early Evidence from State Emergency Sales Restrictions in 2019

NEW Letters of Intent: 2024 LUNGevity Translational Research Awards

LUNGevity is now accepting Letters of Intent for five 2024 translational research awards:

• Brown/LUNGevity Award to Understand Mechanisms of Resistance to Immunotherapy: Funds high-impact research that seeks to understand resistance to first-line immunotherapy and develop therapeutic strategies targeting this resistance.
• Career Development Award Program: Supports future research leaders who will keep the field of lung cancer research vibrant with new ideas.
• Hamoui Foundation/LUNGevity Clinical Research Award Program for RET-positive Lung Cancer: Supports high-impact research that seeks to transform the future for people diagnosed with RET-positive lung cancer.
• RETpositive/LUNGevity Translational Research Award Program for RET-positive Cancer: Funds high-impact research that seeks to transform the future for patients diagnosed with RET-positive cancers by changing RET-positive cancers into a chronic or curable condition.
• Rising Tide/LUNGevity Team Award Program to Target Mechanisms of Resistance: Funds high-impact research that seeks to develop therapeutic strategies targeting shared mechanisms of resistance in oncogene-driven lung adenocarcinoma.

View more about these programs, deadlines, and instructions on how to apply. LOIs Due: February 16. Questions: contact Jody Roosevelt at jroosevelt@LUNGevity.org.

Federal Grants Digest: Colleges & Universities Edition

A weekly curated digest of federal funding opportunities of interest to colleges and universities to support programming, research, infrastructure and other efforts, provided by Thorn Run Partners. View current issue (for Jan. 31, 2024).

8:00 AM | Division Weekly Update Meeting | Podium A / Microsoft Teams

8:30 AM | Monday Morning Oncology Report | Inpatient Oncology Fellow | Podium A / Microsoft Teams

9:00 AM | Breast Research Meeting | Podium A / Zoom (dial 646-558-8656; Meeting ID: 528 212 194)

11:00 AM | GU/Melanoma Research Meeting | Podium A / Zoom (dial 646-558-8656; Meeting ID: 796 253 566)

4:00 PM | GU Tumor Board (on 1st/3rd Mondays of the month) | Podium A / Zoom (dial 646-558-8656; Meeting ID: 869 742 463)

9:00 AM | Hematology Path Conference - Inpatient Heme fellows + Outpatient Heme + BMT fellow | Podium A / Microsoft Teams (CME code: 80737; phone: 202-796-7323)

4:00 PM | Liver Tumor Board | Microsoft Teams

5:00 PM | Breast Tumor Board | Podium A / Zoom (dial 646-558-8656; Meeting ID: 932 1012 3816; CME Code: 87253)

8:00 AM | Thoracic Tumor Board | Podium A / Zoom (dial 646-558-8656; Meeting ID: 993 7680 5192; Passcode: 4231; CME 86693)

12:00 PM | Melanoma Tumor Board | Podium A / Microsoft Teams (CME: 80988)

5:00 PM | GI Tumor Board | Podium A / Microsoft Teams

9:00 AM | Cancer Research Data Meeting - Maryam Abdussamad | W302 New Research Building or Zoom

9:30 AM | Head and Neck Tumor Board | Microsoft Teams

12:30 PM | GI Research Meeting | WebEx (dial 844-302-0362, Meeting Number (access code): 712527865, HOST PIN: 5514)

5:00 PM | Lymphoma Tumor Board - every other week | Microsoft Teams

5:00 PM | Myeloma Tumor Board - every other week | Microsoft Teams

7:00 AM | CNS Tumor Board | Microsoft Teams (Meeting ID: 298 285 483 265, Passcode: rJWpmU)

12:00 PM | Oncology Grand Rounds Lecture Series | Maryam Fouladi, MD: “Precision Medicine for Pediatric Glial Tumors” | New Research Building Auditorium / Zoom

12:00 PM | Mycal Casey – Mycal’s Presentation | Podium A | Teams Conference Link (Text In Code: 81202 or 81203 / Text In Telephone: 202-796-7323)

1:00 PM | Dr. Clare Sun - CLL | Podium A | Teams Conference Link (Text In Code: 81202 or 81203 / Text In Telephone: 202-796-7323)

1:00 PM | Pancreas Tumor Board | Microsoft Teams (Meeting ID: 299 996 740 910, Passcode: z7j7Rc)

2:00 PM | Dr. Shenoy - PTCL | Podium A | Teams Conference Link (Text In Code: 81202 or 81203 / Text In Telephone: 202-796-7323)