New Orleans Magazine’s annual “Top Doctors” issue (August 2024) named 20 Tulane Cancer Center physicians as tops in their respective fields. Their dedication and expertise in providing world-class cancer care are truly inspiring, and we thank them for all they do to advance cancer research, treatment and the health of the New Orleans community.

Congratulations to Tulane Cancer Center's 2024 Top Doctors:

Hans Andersson, MD – Clinical Genetics

Jacquelyn Turner, MD – Colon & Rectal Surgery

Erin Boh, MD, PhD – Dermatology

Jeffrey Lackey, MD – Dermatology

Jessica Shank, MD – Gynecologic Oncology

Maissaa Janbain, MD – Hematology

Brian Lewis, MD, MPH - Medical Oncology

Bridgette Collins-Burow, MD, PhD - Medical Oncology

Nakhle Saba, MD - Medical Oncology

Hana Safah, MD - Medical Oncology

Mark Sides, MD, PhD - Medical Oncology

Chancellor Donald, MD - Medical Oncology

Paul Friedlander, MD – Otolaryngology

Ihor Yosypiv, MD – Pediatric Nephrology

Samir El-Dahr, MD – Pediatric Nephrology

Joseph Lasky, MD – Pulmonary Disease

Ramsy Abdelghani, MD – Pulmonary Disease

P. Ronald Clisham, MD – Reproductive Endocrinology/Infertility

Emad Kandil, MD, MBA – Surgery

Raju Thomas, MD, MHA - Urology

Office Hours with

Samuel Jativa,

Office of Intellectual Property Management

TODAY -

9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Tulane School of Medicine Hutchinson Building,

Room 1558

During these weekly open sessions, Samuel Jativa will answer your questions and provide guidance on intellectual property and licensing matters related to research endeavors. The sessions are open to all Tulane faculty and researchers.

Email sjativa@tulane.edu to learn more.

Mock NIH Study Section: K & R Series Grants

Step into the role of an NIH study section member and experience what happens after a grant is submitted. Through a facilitated simulation, participants will read, critique and score an actual grant (K or R application) and will see how their comments influence the discussion. Participants are able to learn how a study section operates from the other side of the process, to better prepare their own grants for review. Nothing can replace hands-on experience with grant reviews. Thus, participants will be required to read and score grants as if they were a reviewer. 

All sessions are held via Zoom.

First Session is TODAY - 10:00 -11:30 AM

Clinical/Translational Research R01

William Geisler, MD, MPH

Register Here

For the schedule of remaining sessions, please click here.

For more information about the Mock NIH Study Section, contact Jean Lambert at jeanl@uab.edu.

ORCID Workshop for Researchers

TODAY - Noon

Register to Attend

Getting and using your free ORCID iD and ORCID record can help you save time and get credit for your work in funding, publishing, and research reporting workflows.

Funding organizations, publishers, and research institutions are increasingly requiring or asking for ORCID iDs from researchers, so this workshop will help you make sure you are ahead of the game. In this workshop, we will cover:

1. An overview of the benefits of ORCID for researchers

2. How ORCID can help you save time throughout the research landscape

3. Tips and tricks for keeping your ORCID record up-to-date

No prior experience with ORCID is necessary. The session recording will be sent to all who register.

PROVOST'S PROOF OF CONCEPT FUND INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR

TODAY - 1:00 - 2:00 PM

REGISTER HERE 

In collaboration with the Office of the Provost, the Tulane University Innovation Institute is pleased to announce the opening of the Fall 2024 round of the Provost’s Proof of Concept (PPOC) Fund, marking the fourth cycle of this signature Innovation Institute program. This grant, up to $50,000, is designed to help advance promising ideas and technologies to become market-ready.

• This is a competitive funding opportunity with minimal administrative lift. 
• $50,000 will be dispersed based on a mutually agreed-upon timeline and two to three milestones. 
• Projects will be judged based on technical merit and feasibility as well as commercial potential. Customer discovery and competitive intelligence must be included as part of the application. The focus is to uplift scalable technologies, products, and services. 

Outside industry experts will be used to help evaluate the merit of projects. 

Please apply using the StartupWind platform here. Additional information can be found on the Tulane University Innovation Institute website here. You can also check out the Tulane Innovation Institute's portfolio of funded projects at this link. 

Questions? Contact Jillian L. Delos Reyes at JDelosReyes@tulane.edu. 

Applications are due Friday, September 6.

NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program Applications

If you are planning an application in response to NSF 24-588: NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP) for the October 02, 2024, agency deadline, please notify Sponsored Projects Administration at dlovrov@tuilane.edu no later than 4:00 PM TODAY. Each submitting organization is limited to one proposal per annual competition. SPA has already been informed of one planned submission and must ensure adherence to the institutional limit.

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. 





Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship Award

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. 

Complimentary Lunch for Tulane Faculty & Staff

To celebrate the return of the fall semester, all Downtown Campus faculty and staff are invited to join Tulane Hospitality for a complimentary lunch at the Hutchinson Food Court on both Wednesday, August 21, and Thursday, August 22.

Please note, you must show a valid Splash card.

CCTS Research Orientation Program - A Virtual, High-Level Overview of Key Aspects of a Clinical Trial

Thursday, August 22 - 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Via Zoom

Register HERE

Who? Young investigators and research staff who are new to research, as well as anyone who could use a refresher course in key aspects of a clinical trial. The CCTS strongly encourages new faculty, coordinators, budget, and regulatory staff to attend.

What? A single-session overview of how to implement a sponsored or investigator-initiated study, including key clinical, regulatory and financial requirements.

Why? To provide basic tools, familiarize attendees with research study terms, and help those new to research avoid common pitfalls.

*Completion of a pretest and video will be mandatory before the live session begins. A link to access the required pretest and video will be sent to registered individuals.



Registration for this session closes Friday, August 16, at 5:00 PM. Click to Register for ROP

Questions? Contact CRSPtraining@uabmc.edu.

Tulane Office of Research: Responsible Conduct of Research Fall Seminar Series

Societal Impacts of Research

Patricia Kissinger, BSN, PhD, MPH

Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Development

Tulane School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine

Thursday, August 22 - 3:00 - 4:00 PM

Hybrid Format - Zoom OR In Person

Tidewater Building, 1440 Canal St., Room 1215

Please note: You must have your Tulane Splash Card ID to attend in person.

See the full Fall 2024 Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Seminar Series schedule here. All Tulane faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend.

Zoom links for each session are available at Responsible Conduct of Research Fall 2024 Seminar Series | Tulane Office of Research and completed presentations will be available here: https://research.tulane.edu/responsible-conduct-research-rcr. 

If you wish to submit questions in advance regarding any of the topics in the seminar series, please contact Research Compliance Office Administrative Program Coordinator Kay Leger kleger@tulane.edu; (504) 988-1147; Deputy Research Compliance Officer Lisa Wurtzel lwurtzel@tulane.edu; or Research Compliance Officer Brian Weimer bweimer1@tulane.edu

LCRC & ACS Extramural Discovery Science Grants Workshop

Wednesday, August 28 - 11:45 AM - 1 PM

Online Event

The “Extramural Discovery Science Grants Workshop” will provide attendees with information on:

• American Cancer Society-funded grants and new research opportunities
• “Insider Tips” for a successful application process
• How grant applications are evaluated
• Understanding success rates for future funding
• Online resources available

This workshop is available to all LCRC faculty members. Please take a moment to mark the date on your calendar and register here.

Free Webinar!

Leveraging Your Online Researcher Profile:

Insights from Editors, Researchers & Journalists

Tuesday, September 3 - 10 AM

Register HERE

Being easily found and contacted online by different stakeholders such as journal editors, industry professionals, journalists and fellow researchers is crucial in fostering collaborations and advancing your career. But knowing where and how to build your online researcher profiles can be an intimidating task. The new Nature Masterclasses course on Building a Strong Online Researcher Profile is packed full of valuable and practical tips to help you get started.

In this corresponding webinar, you will learn

• the importance of having a strong online researcher profile
• how and when journal editors, industry professionals and journalists look for researchers
• advice for standing out from the crowd

They will also answer questions from the audience. Space is limited, so please be sure to register as soon as possible and submit your questions during registration.

Shared Instrument Facility Relocation Plan During Hutchinson Renovations

To ensure users will have continued access to the Shared Instrumentation Facility (SIF) during the ongoing renovations to the Hutchinson Building, Alexa Sturtz, Manager of SIF, has implemented a plan with Facilities and the construction company so that SIF services will NOT be interrupted during the shutdown of the SIF assigned rooms. 

The “shut down” of the SIF area will be from August 12 – September 6, 2024. Please click here to review the location of each piece of equipment and how to access that item during that time period.

CDMRP / FY24 Kidney Cancer Research Program

SYNOPSIS OF FY24 KCRP AWARD MECHANISMS

CDMRP / FY24 Prostate Cancer Research Program

SYNOPSIS OF FY24 PCRP AWARD MECHANISMS

CDMRP / FY24 Melanoma Research Program

SYNOPSIS OF FY24 MRP AWARD MECHANISMS

CDMRP / FY24 Pancreatic Cancer Research Program

SYNOPSIS OF FY24 PCARP AWARD MECHANISMS

CDMRP / FY24 Rare Cancers Research Program

SYNOPSIS OF FY24 RCRP AWARD MECHANISMS

CDMRP / FY24 Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program

SYNOPSIS OF FY24 PRMRP AWARD MECHANISMS

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.

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.

CARES Center Pilot Project Funding

The Cancer Awareness, Research, Engagement, and Support Center, led by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in partnership with the Minority Health & Health Equity Research Center (MHERC) and the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, invites applications for pilot and feasibility studies to address disparities across the cancer control continuum in areas characterized by persistent poverty. Persistent poverty areas are here defined as Census tracts with ≥20% of residents living in poverty for ≥30 years.

Funding

Available funds are approximately $100,000, and two pilot projects will be funded. Project budgets may not exceed $50,000 per year in total costs. Funding is for one year, with a possibility to apply for an additional year of funding contingent upon availability of funds. Faculty salary support is an allowable expense.

Eligibility

Preference will be given to proposals that include at least one early-stage investigator. Early-stage investigators applying as PIs must be mentored by a senior faculty member with a strong record of NIH funding in the area related to the proposed research. Early-stage investigators will participate in training provided by the CARES Career Enhancement Core.

To view the RFA, please click here.

If interested, please submit a letter of intent (LOI) to Kaitlyn Waugaman, kjwaugaman@uabmc.edu, by Friday, September 6, at midnight. The full application will be due November 18, 2024. The anticipated start date is May 1, 2025.

Questions? Please contact Kaitlyn Waugaman, MPH, RDN, LDN, 412-508-5498, kjwaugaman@uabmc.edu.

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, please click here.

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. 

Gilead’s Research Scholars Program in Oncology Solid Tumors

Application Deadline: December 6, 2024, at 11:59pm PST

Apply here: Research Scholars Program Solid Tumors Portal 

The Research Scholars Program supports any basic and clinical research limited to breast, bladder, upper gastrointestinal, or lung cancer that addresses an unmet medical need in the field of Oncology Solid Tumors.

The Research Scholars Program is actively working towards reducing potential barriers to entry and success for applicants from population groups who are typically underrepresented in research. We are committed to supporting researchers and research projects addressing unmet patient needs and health inequities in order to build a more inclusive research landscape.

Gilead’s Research Scholars Program selects junior faculty researchers pursuing an academic career at an institution at the time of application of up to $180,000 USD paid directly to the researchers' institution in 2 annual installments subject to Program terms and conditions, legal requirements, and applicable institutional rules.

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

1. MD or PhD (or an equivalent degree) at time of award

2. Received an initial faculty appointment within the last 7 years in association with a research institution in the United States at the time of application

3. This award is intended for early career investigators only

4. A strong career interest in oncology solid tumors

5. A research mentor with extensive experience in the field of oncology solid tumors

6. Able to devote at least 30% of their professional time to research for the next two years

7. Be able to complete the proposed research within the two-year award period

Comorbid Dementia and Cancer Therapy Decision-Making: A Scoping Review. Halpin SN, Alain G, Seaman A, Stevens EE, Zhao H, Fowler ME, Zhang Q, Cadet T, Ye M, Krok-Schoen JL. J Appl Gerontol. 2024 Aug;43(8):1132-1143. doi: 10.1177/07334648241233375. Epub 2024 Feb 12. PMID: 38347680 Review.

Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Robotic Versus Conventional Completion Thyroidectomy: A 10-year Experience.

Hussein M, Issa PP, LaForteza A, Omar M, Magazine B, Abdelhady A, Hossam E, Shama M, Toraih E, Kandil E. Surg Innov. 2024 Aug 4:15533506241273345. doi: 10.1177/15533506241273345. Online ahead of print. PMID: 39099097.

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.

Tulane Cancer Center now has an institutional subscription to The Cancer Letter, an independent weekly newsletter that is the leading source of information on:

• National Cancer Institute
• National Institutes of Health
• Food & Drug Administration
• the development of cancer therapies
• cancer research funding
• health care finance
• cancer legislation and policy
• clinical issues
• the pharmaceutical industry

Our institutional subscription allows anyone with a Tulane IP address to be automatically logged in when visiting www.cancerletter.com. From there you can view current and previous issues of the publication, with no need to create an individual account. 

For more information, please click here.

Acknowledging Tulane Cancer Center Support in Publications

One of the responsibilities of membership in the Tulane Cancer Center is acknowledgement of Cancer Center membership and/or use of shared resources, salary support or other Tulane Cancer Center funding in presentations and publications

We suggest using the following wording when acknowledging Tulane Cancer Center support: "This work was supported by the Tulane Cancer Center, part of Tulane School of Medicine, and a consortium partner of the Louisiana Cancer Research Center."

Tulane Cancer Center Branded Assets

Tulane Cancer Center has recently undertaken a brand refresh that not only streamlines and modernizes the look and feel of our brand but also aligns us more closely with the School of Medicine branding.

With that in mind, we have developed a full suite of branded assets for your immediate use, including:

1. A Tulane Cancer Center-branded PowerPoint Slide Master
2. A Tulane Cancer Center-branded Scientific Poster Template (sized at 4 feet x 3 feet)
3. Tulane Cancer Center-branded Zoom Backgrounds
4. Tulane Cancer Center’s updated logo
5. Tulane Cancer Center-branded Email Signature Blocks

All Tulane Cancer Center Members should have received these files via a recent listserv email. If you did not receive the email but would like to begin using these templates, please contact Melanie Cross at mcross@tulane.edu.

Please also continue to acknowledgement your Tulane Cancer Center membership and/or use of shared resources, salary support or other Tulane Cancer Center funding in all presentations and publications.

Thank you for your assistance in helping us to expand our visibility while showcasing the depth and breadth of our outstanding basic, translational and population science research and clinical care.  

Next Generation Sequence Analysis Core

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 

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

Tulane Cancer Center & LCRC Membership

Any Tulane University faculty member whose research relates to or could potentially relate to cancer – directly or indirectly – should become a member of the Tulane Cancer Center (TCC). As a member, you have access to TCC's funding opportunities, research collaboration events, and shared resources. Please click here for our membership guidelines and our online application form.

Cancer-focused faculty are also encouraged to become members of the Louisiana Cancer Research Center, a partnership between the State's foremost cancer research institutions - Tulane University School of Medicine, LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, Xavier University of Louisiana and Ochsner Health. Membership in the LCRC provides access to additional funding opportunities exclusively offered to LCRC members. Please click here for the LCRC's membership guidelines and online application form.

Subscribe to Nexus

If you know someone who is interested in subscribing to Nexus, a weekly round-up of news and information for Tulane cancer researchers, please have them contact Melanie Cross at mcross@tulane.edu.

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.