Super Bowl Sunday

Greetings on Super Bowl Sunday! I had a very busy week that included a trip to California to chair a cancer center EAB. It’s always a great education for me, even as we provide service to our colleagues. I landed on Friday evening, and on Saturday we trained up to Philadelphia to help our son Ken and his youngest child, Isabelle, celebrate their birthdays.

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Fauci to Deliver Keynote Address at This Year's MedStar-Georgetown Research Symposium

Anthony S. Fauci, MD, distinguished university professor at the School of Medicine and the McCourt School of Public Policy, will give the keynote at the MedStar Health-Georgetown University Research & Education Symposium. This year's symposium will take place on April 29 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. Registration opens March 4. Learn more about the symposium. 

Riggins Receives NCI Grant

The National Cancer Institute awarded a grant of $541,618 to Georgetown Lombardi member Rebecca Riggins, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Oncology, for the project “Novel Functions of ESRRB in Glioblastoma.”

Submit Nominations for the GUMC Staff Community Award by Friday

The GUMC Staff Community Award honors colleagues who show positivity, perseverance and resilience in their work, and go above and beyond on behalf of our community. Nominations may be submitted by students, staff, administrators or faculty members, and recipients will be chosen by the GUMC/Staff AAP Caucus Committee and select others. Up to two awardees will be selected each quarter to receive a $1,250 cash award. Deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 16. Learn more about the award and submit nominations.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Cancer Research, Education & Training Opportunities and Funding: Options Available on a Rolling Basis

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Georgetown Lombardi, in collaboration with the Cancer Research, Education and Training (CRTEC) Office, has issued a call for proposals for 2024: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Cancer Research, Education & Training Opportunities and Funding.

Applications are accepted year-round on a rolling basis for the following professional development opportunities:

• For Faculty:
• Leadership Coaching/Training
• Scientific Editing and Grant Writing Support
• For Staff:
• Professional development or program development related to DEI

View information about these initiatives and a link to the application portal. Available to faculty, staff or trainees doing work affiliated with Georgetown Lombardi, John Theurer Cancer Center, Hackensack Meridian Health or MedStar Health. Contact LombardiDEI@georgetown.edu with questions.

Department of Microbiology & Immunology Seminar Series: “Building Better Models: In Vitro Tissue Vascularization in Human Skin and Brain”

Tuesday, February 13

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

Presented by Kyle DiVito, PhD, associate professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown. Join this seminar in Med-Dent NE301 and via Zoom.

Cancer Research Data Meeting

Thursday, February 15

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Anna Molotkova, Tumor Biology Program doctoral student, presents “In Vivo CRISPR/Cas9 Transcriptional Activation Screen Leads to Discovery of INAFM2, a Novel Driver of Metastasis.” Mentor: Aykut Üren, MD. Join the meeting in W302 or via Zoom.

Equity Forward Faculty Workshop: Foundational Principles for Equity in Assessment in Health Professions Education

Thursday, February 15

12:00 - 1:15 p.m.

Intended for faculty, fellows, residents and staff, Mun Chun Chan, PhD, associate teaching professor, Department of Biology, and STEM pedagogy specialist, CNDLS, will provide a foundational framework and tools for designing assessments to promote equity and inclusivity in the health profession fields. Register for this online workshop.

Thesis Defense

Thursday, February 15

2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Tumor Biology Program PhD candidate Alec McIntosh presents “Addressing the Hippo in the Room: Investigating the Mechanism of YAP/TAZ as a Treatment Target in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.” Mentor: Chunling Yi, PhD. In-person in Warwick Evans Conference Room, Building D, with Zoom option.

Distinguished Scientist Seminar Series: “Development of Fluorescent Tags and Biosensors for Imaging Cellular Biochemistry”

Thursday, February 15

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Presented by Alison Tebo, PhD, group leader, Howard Hughes Medical Institute – Janelia Research Campus. In-person, New Research Building Auditorium with Zoom option.

Oncology Grand Rounds Lecture Series: “Confronting the Global Increase in Early Onset Breast Cancer”

Friday, February 16

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Presented by Mary Beth Terry, PhD, professor of epidemiology and associate director of population sciences, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University. In-person, New Research Building Auditorium with Zoom option.

Next Week

Bhussry Seminar Series: “Brain Circuits Governing Motivated Movement”

Tuesday, February 20

10:00 - 11:00 a.m. 

Presented by Rebekah Evans, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown. Sponsored by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology. Join this talk in Basic Science Building 341 and via Zoom.

CDI Seminar: “The Microbiome, May the Flora Be With You!”

Tuesday, February 20

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Presented by Rena Feinman, PhD, associate member, CDI; associate professor of medical sciences, Hackensack Meridian Health School of Medicine; adjunct associate professor of oncology, Georgetown University; member, Georgetown Lombardi; member, John Theurer Cancer Center. Join this seminar via Zoom.

Appointment and Promotion Workshop: Tenure Track

Wednesday, February 21

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Presenters will discuss criteria for appointment and promotion on the Tenure Track, outline the process to apply, and discuss faculty development opportunities. RSVP for this Zoom workshop.

In the News

Globe Newswire BioXcel Therapeutics Announces Completion of Patient Enrollment in Safety Portion of Investigator-Sponsored Phase 2 Relapsed Pancreatic Cancer Trial of BXCL701 in Combination with KEYTRUDA®

Mechanistically Based Blood Proteomic Markers in the TGF-β Pathway Stratify Risk of Hepatocellular Cancer in Patients With Cirrhosis

A Multilevel Intervention in Pediatric Primary Care for Youth Tobacco Control: Outcomes of Implementing an Ask, Advise, and Connect Model



Palmitoylation Alters LDHA Activity and Pancreatic Cancer Response to Chemotherapy

THIS WEEK 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.

NEW Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Scholar Award Call for Proposals

The Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre invites MD or PhD researchers at accredited academic medical centers, research institutions and universities in United States, Canada and UK to apply for the 2024 Rare Disease Scholar Award. Proposals of interest include novel approaches to treat rare diseases with an emphasis on neurological disorders, developmental and metabolic disorders, and rare cancers. Other rare genetic indications with high unmet need are also of interest. Any therapeutic modality will be considered. Learn more about the award and how to apply.



Up to 10 Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Scholars will be selected to receive:

• Guaranteed grant award of USD$100,000
• One year of therapeutics development support and project management from Harrington’s Therapeutics Development Center, with potential to renew for a second year based on milestones met
• Access to Oxford facilities and infrastructure including oligonucleotide synthesis and screening, small molecule and protein platforms, cell and gene therapy facilities as well as genomics capabilities, and links to Genomics England
• Opportunity to compete for acceleration funds up to USD$300,000
• Opportunity to qualify for investment funds at a higher level according to project requirements
• Invitation to present at the Harrington Discovery Institute Symposium for U.S.- and Canada-based awardees.

Full Proposals Due: March 26, at 11:59 p.m. ET

Register for Award Informational Sessions with Q+A

• Feb. 21, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET: Register
• March 14, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. ET: Register

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 Feb. 7, 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 - Anna Molotkova: “In Vivo CRISPR/Cas9 Transcriptional Activation Screen Leads to Discovery of INAFM2, a Novel Driver of Metastasis” | 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 | Mary Beth Terry, PhD: “Confronting the Global Increase in Early Onset Breast Cancer” | New Research Building Auditorium / Zoom

12:00 PM | Dr. Atkins - RCC (Focus on Metastatic) | Podium A | Teams Conference Link (Text In Code: 81202 or 81203 / Text In Telephone: 202-796-7323)

1:00 PM | Dr. Jain - Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer | 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. Jain - Localized Prostate Cancer | Podium A | Teams Conference Link (Text In Code: 81202 or 81203 / Text In Telephone: 202-796-7323)