Research News & Funding Opportunities for Tulane Cancer Researchers - July 2, 2024 | |
Clinical Trials Office Welcomes New Executive Director, Sarah Bigelow | |
We are excited to announce that Sarah Bigelow, CCRP, has joined Tulane Cancer Center as the Executive Director of the Clinical Trials Office.
With extensive experience in oncology clinical research at an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, Sarah will oversee the full lifecycle of clinical trials, leading initiatives to enhance community participation in the research process, develop and grow the clinical trials office team, and support investigator-initiated clinical trials from idea through patient accrual.
Sarah joins us from the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, the NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wayne State University, where she served most recently as Vice President of the Clinical Trials Office, developing strategies and overseeing the administrative and financial operations of a statewide clinical research oncology program.
"We are excited to have Sarah on board," said Tulane Cancer Center Director Stefan Grant, MD, JD, MBA. "We are confident that her vision and expertise will significantly enhance our clinical trials program, helping us streamline operations and expand our clinical research capabilities."
Join us in welcoming Sarah to the Tulane Cancer Center family!
Read more about Sarah's new position and background here.
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Purchase your Death by Chocolate tickets here. |
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Cancer Crusaders Seersucker & Sass Summer Gala
Saturday, July 20 - 7:00 - 11:00 PM
Chateau Estates Country Club
3600 Chateau Blvd., Kenner, LA
Grab your best summer seersucker, dust off those dancing kicks and get ready to quick step for a cure at the Cancer Crusaders Seersucker & Sass Summer Gala – Saturday, July 20, 7:00 – 11:00 PM at Chateau Estates Country Club in Kenner, LA.
Guests will enjoy a sumptuous dinner and groove with a purpose to the energetic and exceptional beats of The Top Cats, all while supporting cancer research.
Cancer Crusaders is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to supporting cancer research in the Greater New Orleans area. Proceeds from the Summer Gala and several other events and initiatives held throughout the year are distributed annually to Tulane Cancer Center and LSU's Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center to support each institution's cancer research efforts.
So, let’s dance the night away at Seersucker & Sass. Purchase your tickets here:
Cancer Crusaders - Seersucker & Sass Summer Gala (bidpal.net)
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Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship Award
There will be an informational session via Zoom on July 10, 2024, at 1:00 PM CST for those interested in learning more about this award. Register here.
The Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship Award provides funding to basic scientists and clinicians who conduct research with the potential to significantly impact the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of one or more pediatric cancers.
Applicants are not required to be pediatricians or members of pediatric departments; however, the proposed research must have direct relevance to one or more pediatric cancers.
Application Guidelines
APPLICATION DEADLINE: August 15, 2024
The primary criteria used to evaluate applicants are:
- potential impact of the research on pediatric cancer
- the quality of the research proposal (importance of the problem, originality of approach, appropriateness of techniques, and clarity of presentation)
- the qualifications, experience, and productivity of both the candidate and the sponsor
- the quality of the research training environment in which the proposed research is to be conducted and its potential for broadening and strengthening the candidate's ability to independently conduct innovative and substantive research. The proposed research and training environment should represent a new opportunity for the candidate to expand their scientific skill set. Direct extensions of the candidate's graduate work (in approach, technique, or exact area of study) will not be funded.
Applicants must have completed one or more of the following degrees or its equivalent: MD, PhD, MD/PhD, DDS, DVM, DO.
This four-year award provides $70,000, $72,000, $74,000, and $76,000 in stipend support for years one, two, three, and four, respectively. In addition, an annual $2,000 expense allowance is awarded to the laboratory in which the Fellow is working and can be used by the Fellow for their educational and scientific expenses. Damon Runyon also provides a Dependent Child Allowance of $1,000 per child per year. The award may not be used for institutional overhead or indirect costs.
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REMINDER - LATE-BREAKING ABSTRACT DEADLINE
American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting
Sept 29 - Oct 2, 2024
Washington, DC
LATE-BREAKING ABSTRACT DEADLINE - JULY 12
For more information on late-breaking abstract submissions for ASTRO, click HERE.
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Approaching Deadlines for Department of Defense Award Mechanisms
Rare Cancers Research Program
Concept Award
o Pre-application submission deadline is July 15, 2024 - 4:00 p.m. Central Time
o Full application submission deadline is August 26, 2024 - 10:59 p.m. Central Time
Lung Cancer Research Program
Patient-Centered Outcomes and Survivorship Award
o Pre-application submission deadline is July 17, 2024 - 4:00 p.m. Central Time
o Full application submission deadline is August 7, 2024 - 10:59 p.m. Central Time
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Budget Workshop for
Female Founders
July 15 - 4:00 - 6:00 PM
Salon 22
2407 Bienville St., New Orleans, LA 70119
Salon 22 and Tulane Adjunct Professor Jane Cooper are offering a Budget Workshop for early-stage company founders. The workshop teaches the basics of creating an annual budget, including defining customers, sales and revenue, product/service pricing, volume of sales, cost of goods sold, monthly expenses, and profit/loss. It is a five-week intensive course that ends with a 12-month budget for your company. For more information or to register, click here.
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To register for this workshop, please click here.
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REQUEST FOR PILOT AND FEASIBILITY GRANT APPLICATIONS
(2024-2025)
LETTERS OF INTENT ACCEPTED: JULY 1, 2024 - DECEMBER 19, 2025
A diverse workforce is important to academic productivity. However, there are several groups of scientists, including racial and ethnic minority groups, who are currently underrepresented in academia.
The Louisiana Center for Advancing Underrepresented Scientists Careers in Health, Nutrition, Obesity, and Disparities Research (LAUNCHED) is a comprehensive program designed to provide mentorship, training, and career development opportunities for early career scientists in nutrition, obesity, diabetes, and related research. The goal of LAUNCHED is to increase the success rate of underrepresented scientists being awarded federal research funding.
2024-2025 Pilot and Feasibility Competition:
The LAUNCHED program will dedicate up to $930,000 to fund approximately 19 pilot and feasibility (P&F) grants. It is expected that grants will be awarded on a rolling basis from late 2024 through mid-2026. Each grant is limited to a maximum budget of $50,000 and each project is limited to one year, though no-cost extensions are possible for projects that are making sufficient progress. Facilities and administrative (indirect) costs are strongly discouraged.
Eligibility criteria:
Scientists from groups that are underrepresented in biomedical science, particularly those from underrepresented ethnic and minority groups, are encouraged to apply.
Eligibility criteria include:
1. LAUNCHED cohort scholars are eligible and encouraged to apply.
2. Early career scientists (full-time post-doctoral fellows and Associate or Assistant Professors) who are not LAUNCHED cohort scholars and who work in the southeast U.S. (e.g., Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama) are also eligible and encouraged to apply.
3. Early career scientists who do not have current or previous NIH (or equivalent) independent research support, excluding fellowship or career development awards.
4. Must have a PhD or MD or equivalent degree.
5. There is no citizenship requirement but visiting scientists with whom the institution does not have a long- term collaborative relationship will not be considered.
For more information, including full application guidelines, please click here.
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2024-2025 Short Experiences in Clinical Trials Funding Opportunity
The Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science (LA CaTS) Center is seeking applications to support training opportunities for junior investigators in clinical and translational research.
Short Experiences in Clinical Trials Awards will be targeted to New Investigators or Early-Stage Investigators (as defined by the NIH - https://grants.nih.gov/policy/early-stage/index.htm) in any discipline who can demonstrate a path towards clinical or translational research. Applicants must hold a PhD, MD, or equivalent degree. Eligible Clinical Trial Scholar Candidates can be faculty or a LA CaTS Roadmap Scholar at any of the LA CaTS Center Member Institutions, with interest in health-related research, but lack sufficient training, experience, or guidance in clinical trials to compete successfully for NIH funding as an independent investigator.
The overall objective of the program is to provide support so that junior faculty can extend and enhance their skill set related to clinical trials by learning the complexities of proposing, obtaining approval, and implementing a novel investigator-initiated trial. Awards can used to visit an experienced clinical trial mentor and their collaborating biostatistical and data management coordinating centers at their respective institutions or to attend specific short-term training programs in clinical research.
Each award may be up to $5,000 in total costs.
Full Application Deadline: This annual RFA has an open application period through June 30, 2025, or until the maximum number of awards allowable are issued for this current fiscal year, whichever comes first. This is a competitive application process. Awards will be based on merit and on a first come, first served basis. We encourage you to apply early in each fiscal year (July 1 – June 30).
Detailed application instructions can be found HERE.
See flyer for all available LA CaTS funding opportunities.
Questions? Contact info@LACaTS.org
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100 & Change Challenge
Pre-Proposals
Lever for Change recently announced its latest 100&Change challenge, which will ultimately award one, $100 million “feasible, evidence-based, impactful, durable, and just solution” to a critical problem of our time. All fields and disciplines are eligible.
While Tulane is able to submit multiple applications, we will once again be conducting an internal review of pre-proposals to determine best alignment, identify potential collaborators, etc. If you are interested in being part of this exciting opportunity, please complete the pre-proposal form and return it to Lou Franchina (Executive Director—Corporate, Foundation, and Research Relations) at lfranch1@tulane.edu by Friday, July 12.
CFR will work with those moving forward to register by August 15 and submit full applications by September 5. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your CFR representative if you have any questions, need additional information, or wish to discuss.
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UAB Center for Clinical & Translational Science Statistical and Analytical Methods Development Funding Opportunity
The UAB Center for Clinical & Translational Science (CCTS) has launched a Statistical and Analytical Methods Development funding opportunity, which is envisioned to support the development of novel statistical and computational approaches and related methodologic innovations that bridge the gap between data and clinical application.
Deadline: Please submit applications by 5pm CT on July 12 via RED-ASSIST.
Click here for more details.
Eligibility: Full-time faculty, especially early career scholars may apply. Trainees are encouraged to be members of the research team.
Funding: Applicants may request up to $5000 (direct costs). Awards are competitively renewable via subsequent application cycles up to two times for a total of $15,000 (direct costs).
Questions? General inquiries can be sent to ccts@uab.edu or (205) 934-7442.
More specific questions can be posed to:
Scientific/Research Contact, Robert Oster, PhD
Grants Management Contact, Anne Russell, PhD
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The Louisiana Cancer Research Center (LCRC) has announced another round of Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination Travel Awards to support student & trainee travel to professional conferences from July 1 - December 31, 2024.
This funding opportunity will provide awards up to a maximum of
$2,500 to undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral trainees to enhance their cancer research training experience in LCRC-affiliated laboratories and to reinforce national exposure of LCRC research projects.
Please note:
- The trainee's Principal Investigator must be an LCRC member.
- Applicants must be presenting a poster or giving a platform presentation at the conference they are attending with the travel support funding.
The application deadline is July 15, 2024. You can apply for the
award even if your travel has already occurred in July 2024.
Read the full funding announcement & application instructions here.
Principal Investigators, please make your trainees aware of this funding opportunity. Funding could be used to attend local, national or international conferences.
For additional information on eligibility and requirements, please
visit the LCRC website:
https://www.louisianacancercenter.org/research/funding-opportunities
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DELTA INNOVATOR SEARCH SEEKING NEW IDEAS TO IMPROVE HEALTH, ECONOMY IN REGION
Researchers, students, entrepreneurs, and innovators with ideas for advancing the health and economy of the Delta region of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana are encouraged to enter the inaugural Delta Innovator Search.
The Rural Innovation Alliance, a multi-state initiative committed to transforming the Delta region through technology-based economic development, will accept applications for the search through July 30 at ruralinnovationalliance.org.
The Innovator Search, part of a planning process launched in May 2023 and funded by the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program, will identify new solutions that have the potential to advance the region’s economy and contribute to better health outcomes for Delta residents. Solutions could include new goods or products, scientific or technical innovations, services, business models, financial strategies or other projects that help build the necessary infrastructure for resilient economic growth in the Delta.
Projects should align with at least one of three target categories:
Scientific or Technical Innovations — New approaches that address the Delta’s unique needs and opportunities, ranging from non-traditional rural health delivery to agricultural innovations such as specialty crop developments or resilient farming practices.
Economic or Financial Innovations — New business models or financial strategies designed to strengthen the region’s economic base by engaging and empowering Delta residents and communities.
Community Impact 2040 — Strategies thoroughly grounded within and committed to making a long-term, positive impact on local Delta communities, including advancements in economic resiliency and improvements in rural health outcomes.
Applicant Eligibility
Individuals, nonprofits, small businesses, entrepreneurs, students, faculty, cooperatives, teams, or other groups and entities with new ideas or solutions that could make the Delta a healthier, economically thriving region are encouraged to apply.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old and residents of Arkansas, Mississippi, or Louisiana OR demonstrate authentic partnership with an organization from the area that serves residents.
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Damon Runyon
Fellowship Award
The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation is a leading nonprofit organization that funds brave and bold cancer researchers. Damon Runyon’s mission is to identify and support the best early career scientists pursuing innovative research that has the potential to transform cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Their goal is to encourage new generations of outstanding researchers to pursue paradigm-shifting ideas and approaches as they begin highly productive, successful research careers.
Damon Runyon views cancer research very broadly, including the full spectrum of basic questions important to normal human biology and carcinogenesis, as well as development of new platforms and technologies. They encourage all theoretical and experimental research that has the potential to provide insights into cancer and the search for cancer causes, mechanisms, therapies, and prevention for all types of cancer.
They are now accepting applications for the prestigious Damon Runyon Fellowship Award.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: August 15, 2024
The primary criteria used to evaluate applicants are:
- the quality of the research proposal (importance of the problem, originality of approach, appropriateness of techniques, and clarity of presentation),
- the qualifications, experience, and productivity of both the candidate and the Sponsor,
- the quality of the research training environment in which the proposed research is to be conducted and its potential for broadening and strengthening the candidate's ability to independently conduct innovative and substantive research. The proposed research and training environment should represent a new opportunity for the candidate to expand their scientific skill set. Direct extensions of the candidate's graduate work (in approach, technique, or exact area of study) will not be funded.
Applicants must have completed one or more of the following degrees or its equivalent: MD, PhD, MD/PhD, DDS, DVM, DO.
This four-year award provides $70,000, $72,000, $74,000, and $76,000 in stipend support for years one, two, three, and four, respectively. In addition, an annual $2,000 expense allowance is awarded to the laboratory in which the Fellow is working and can be used by the Fellow for their educational and scientific expenses. The Foundation also provides a Dependent Child Allowance of $1,000 per child per year. The award may not be used for institutional overhead or indirect costs.
To learn more about the Foundation and the Fellowship Award review process, view the virtual Fellowship Informational Session here.
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Pfizer Global Medical Grants Announces a New Education RFP in Cervical Cancer
Improving Care for Patients with Recurrent / Metastatic (R/M) Cervical Cancer
The goal of this RFP is to support education for medical oncologists, gynecologic oncologists, pharmacists, eye care providers, nurse practitioners and physician assistants working in the oncology setting caring for patients with r/m cervical cancer relating to treatments, management of adverse events, and long-term outcomes.
To review the full RFP please click here.
Application Due Date: August 22, 2024
Tony Enterante, Senior Development Officer for Corporate, Foundation and Research Relations, is happy to work with applicants on their submissions. You can contact Tony at aenteranteiii@tulane.edu.
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Robert L. Fine Cancer Research Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Research Grant
Application Deadline: August 31, 2024
The Robert L. Fine Cancer Research Foundation distributes two awards every other year to outstanding young scientists dedicated to basic and translational pancreatic cancer research. The grant is intended to support research projects that can be carried out in a short period of time with limited resources. The topic of the requested grant applications will be for innovative translational pancreatic cancer research that focuses on bench to bedside advances. The grant mechanism supports different types of basic and translational projects, including pilot and feasibility studies, self-contained research projects, development of new research methodology and development of new research technology. This grant does not support solely clinical research.
The grant amount will be $250,000 to cover direct costs only. The length of the grant will be for two years payable in yearly installments. Pre-award costs are allowable, up to 30 days prior to the grant initiation date; however, the incurrence of pre-award costs imposes no obligation on the foundation to grant the award. Funding for awardees will start January 1, 2025.
For more information, click here.
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Request for Proposals
Equity in Access Research Program
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has just released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for its Equity in Access Research Program, which is dedicated to funding health services research.
They are reissuing the RFP Building Evidence for Effective Interventions to Increase Therapeutic Cancer Clinical Trial Accrual: Promoting Access for Patients from Underrepresented Groups. Awards will be a maximum of $2.5 million each, over 5 years.
Specifically, they seek proposals that will implement and evaluate interventions designed to:
- Mitigate multilevel barriers to therapeutic clinical trial accrual for underrepresented groups
- Quantitatively measure the impact of these interventions on patient accrual
They are particularly interested in proposals that address systemic, institutional, and clinician-related barriers that impede clinical trial participation.
It is not necessary for applicants to have previously conducted research in blood cancer. The due date for Letters of Intent is September 12, 2024 at 2 pm CST.
For more information, visit LLS.org/EquityinAccess
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2025 Macy Faculty Scholars Program
Call for Applications
Application Deadline: September 15
The 2025 Macy Faculty Scholars Program aims to identify and nurture promising early-career educators in medicine and nursing. Macy Faculty Scholars receive up to $250,000 of salary, project, and professional development support over two years to implement an educational project in their home institutions.
Visit the website to learn more about the program and get started on your application.
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Limited Competition Opportunity - High Impact Specialized Innovation Programs in Clinical and Translational Science
Tulane University is a member institution in the Center for Clinical and Translational Science through our partner institution, the University of Alabama at Birmingham. As a member of this network, we are eligible to compete for limited competition awards which a) correspond with the goals of the center, and b) offer a much greater chance of success than a typical extramural opportunity by virtue of the limited field of eligible applicants.
One such FOA is soliciting applications for “High Impact Specialized Innovation Programs in Clinical and Translational Science.” The purpose of this program is to support the development and demonstration of unique hub capabilities, research platforms and/or resources to address in a timely manner critical gap areas and/or roadblocks in clinical and translational science.
Eligible programs might focus on digital health, decentralized clinical trials, pragmatic trials, artificial intelligence/machine learning algorithms, point-of-care clinical decision support systems, data science and statistical methods, real-world data and real-world evidence, innovative clinical trial designs, genetics and genomics, though this list is non-exhaustive.
Tulane University School of Medicine's Director of Clinical Research Programs Andrew Barton is a member of the CCTS team at Tulane and is happy to meet with any interested investigators and to help gather resources to support proposal development and submission. If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact him via email at abarton1@tulane.edu or phone at 504-988-9038.
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Framework for NIH Reform Unveiled,
Stakeholder Input Requested
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) recently unveiled a framework that lays out the current challenges facing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and contains recommendations for reform.
The framework covers the following areas:
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Mission and Leadership Reform: NIH Mission and Leadership Must Be Accountable, Integrated, and Agile
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Funding Reform: NIH Funding Mechanisms Must Be Clear, Responsible, and Reflective of Congressional Intent
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Grant Reform: NIH Grant Research Must Protect Against National Security Risks and Threats, and be Independent, Innovative, Responsive, and Transparent
CLICK HERE to view the full framework.
Stakeholders wishing to submit any feedback on the framework or provide additional thoughts, ideas, or suggestions for reform can do so by emailing NIHReform@mail.house.gov by August 16, 2024.
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Recent Member Publications | |
Bile Spillage as a Prognostic Factor for Gall Bladder Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sugumar K, De Mond J, Vijay A, Paramesh AS, Jeon H, Pointer DT, Corsetti RL. J Surg Res. 2024 Jul;299:94-102. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2024.04.004. Epub 2024 May 7. PMID: 38718689 Review.
Initial versus Staged Thyroidectomy for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: A Retrospective Multi-Dimensional Cohort Analysis of Effectiveness and Safety. Toraih EA, Hussein MH, Jishu JA, Landau MB, Abdelmaksoud A, Bashumeel YY, AbdAlnaeem MA, Vutukuri R, Robbie C, Matzko C, Linhuber J, Shama M, Noureldine SI, Kandil E. Cancers (Basel). 2024 Jun 18;16(12):2250. doi: 10.3390/cancers16122250. PMID: 38927955
High-density resolution of the Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus transcriptome identifies novel transcript isoforms generated by long-range transcription and alternative splicing. Shekhar R, O'Grady T, Keil N, Feswick A, Amador DAM, Tibbetts SA, Flemington EK, Renne R. Nucleic Acids Res. 2024 Jun 26:gkae540. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkae540. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 38922687
Joint effects of Medicaid eligibility and fees on recession-linked declines in healthcare access and health status. Benitez J, Callison K, Adams EK. Health Econ. 2024 Jul;33(7):1426-1453. doi: 10.1002/hec.4823. Epub 2024 Mar 11. PMID: 38466653
A histology guide for performing human cadaveric studies: SQIP 2024 what to look for with light microscopy. Iwanaga J, Kikuchi K, Tabuchi K, Dave M, Anbalagan M, Fukino K, Kitagawa N, Reina MA, Reina F, Carrera A, Nonaka T, Rajaram-Gilkes M, Khalil MK, Matsushita Y, Tubbs RS. Clin Anat. 2024 Jul;37(5):555-562. doi: 10.1002/ca.24156. Epub 2024 Mar 12. PMID: 38469731
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Unlimited Access to GIDEON
The Matas Library is now providing unlimited access to GIDEON, the Global Infectious Disease and Epidemiology Network. Whether you're a researcher, faculty, or a medical student, GIDEON serves as your comprehensive hub for infectious disease data, research, and diagnostics.
With GIDEON, you can:
1. Access a vast repository of information on diseases, vaccines, and microbes.
2. Use a sophisticated probability engine and interactive decision tree to identify pathogens.
3. Construct step-by-step diagnoses tailored to your specific case.
4. Visualize data through dynamic charts and maps for enhanced understanding and analysis.
Visit GIDEON here.
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Product Updates and Open Training Sessions from Elsevier
Explore the latest product updates and join open training sessions from Elsevier, featuring Complete Anatomy and Osmosis. Open webinar sessions are available all summer!
Learn more and register here.
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Open Access Publishing Opportunities
Tulane University Libraries has negotiated agreements with publishers like Springer Nature, Elsevier, Oxford University Press, and Wiley to waive article processing charges (APCs) for Tulane contributing authors.
To learn more about these waivers and any associated restrictions, click here.
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Connect with Us on Social Media | |
Please visit Tulane Cancer Center on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn and follow us for all the latest news in cancer research, education and patient care.
You can access our profile pages by clicking on the icons below.
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The Tulane Cancer Center NGS Analysis Core team assists investigators with furthering their research through comprehensive processing and analysis of data obtained from widely used high-throughput sequencing applications.
More Information
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Cell Analysis Core
The Cell Analysis Core Facility is designed to collaborate with investigators and contribute to all aspects of the research process, including consultation in experimental design, data analysis and storage, troubleshooting, interpretation of results, and the preparation and production of presentation graphics.
More Information
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Tulane Cancer Center Membership
Please click here for Tulane Cancer Center's membership guidelines and our online application form.
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Subscribe to Nexus
If you know someone who is interested in subsribing to Nexus, a weekly round-up of news and information for Tulane cancer researchers, please have them contact Melanie Cross at mcross@tulane.edu.
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Send Us Your News / Share Your Feedback | |
Please share your feedback. Is this newsletter helpful? What other information should we include? And send us your news and announcements regarding seminars, workshops, funding opportunities, new grants, recent publications or events by emailing Melanie Cross at mcross@tulane.edu.
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