Yesterday we kicked off the first day of our annual scientific retreat. We saw a record registration for this event, thanks to the exciting session topics and our three dynamic TED-talk speakers. Their thoughtful-provoking presentations set the tone for the rest of the event.

We would also like to recognize the trainees who presented during the afternoon poster session. The virtual format is not the most natural setting, but you all did a wonderful job! Special thanks to the judges who made this poster session possible. The posters are available in Whova throughout the event, so please visit them if you didn't have the chance yet.

The retreat continues today for Cancer Center members and trainees only as we deep-dive into presentations on therapeutic translation, immuno-oncology, local/global risks, and epigenetics/genetics.

Our keynote presentation will be delivered by immuno-oncology expert Zihai Li, MD, PhD from The Ohio State University. He will discuss "Targeting GARP-TGFB-beta Pathway for Cancer Immunotherapy: Opportunities and Challenges."

Finally, this is one last reminder to members about the importance of participating in the program breakout sessions. We will discuss your program's specific aims and the program-specific RFA. Please attend and provide your input. Trainees will have their own breakout session as well.

We hope to see you on Whova at 8am as we kick things off with a strategic directions update from Cancer Center Director Dr. Stan Gerson!

The Glioblastoma Research Organization celebrates Glioblastoma Awareness Day by launching "Project Nate Roston," in partnership with Cleveland Clinic. "Project Nate Roston," formally named "Aging Associated Changes in Sulfur Amino Acid Metabolism Facilitate Glioblastoma Initiation and Growth" is a research initiative lead by Christopher Hine, PhD, in the Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute and member of the Molecular Oncology Program of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Hine’s research largely focuses on how diet and aging regulate the production of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) inside the human body and how changes in hydrogen sulfide production impact health and wellbeing. This colorless gas known for its strong odor of rotten eggs and toxicity at high levels is produced in human cells, where it acts as a gaseous signaling molecule through a protein modification process called sulfhydration. In addition to playing an important role in delaying aging, studies have shown that hydrogen sulfide suppresses tumor growth in a number of different types of cancers, and new evidence suggests it can alter tumor immunity, making it more difficult for tumor cells to thrive.

We invited our 2021 Cancer-focused Summer Undergraduate Research (CanSUR) students to share a glimpse of their experience in the program through a photo contest. We loved all the photos and had a very hard time selecting just one winner for each category! Winners are posted below.

Please visit our Facebook page to view the full photo gallery.

The Computational Genomic Epidemiology of Cancer (CoGEC) T32 training program (Director: Rong Xu, PhD; Associate Director: Thomas LaFramboise, PhD) has an opening for a September 2021 appointment of a training grant eligible postdoc conducting computational research focused on cancer. 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.

An eligible postdoc will be a United States citizen or permanent resident. If you have an eligible postdoc you would recommend for the program, please contact Damian Junk at damian.junk@case.edu.

The Young Investigator Award (YIA) provides funding to promising investigators to encourage and promote quality research in clinical oncology. The purpose of this grant is to fund physicians during the transition from a fellowship program to a faculty appointment. This is a mentored award and the research project is conducted under the guidance of a scientific mentor. Applications in all areas of cancer research are accepted.

With the generous support from VeloSano Bike to Cure 2020, the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center (Case CCC) is providing seed funding for innovative and impactful proposals that will generate key data for larger, nationally competitive multi-investigator/team grants (MPI R01, P01, U01, SPORE, etc.). The Case CCC has recently undertaken a reorientation of its scientific programs, and this award will provide funds for each of our six scientific programs. Program Leaders will select the award aligned to their program, and therefore will not serve as project PI. Projects must be focused on the establishment or support of a collaborative effort by a team of 2 or more independent investigators from the case Case CCC research program. The goal is to submit a federal team science grant application.