Party Time

It’s hard to believe that daylight saving time started this weekend, when I could still see my breath as I walked outside in the morning. But spring is right around the corner. And it is coming just in time to begin practicing for our fourth BellRinger ride in October! Rider registration opened this past Monday, and through the first four days, 267 riders had signed up — way ahead of last year at the same time. We are aiming for at least 1,500 riders this year, so we are off to a very good start!

Read more.

Lombardi Lectures & Meetings

THIS WEDNESDAY (in Warwick Evans or via Zoom): “Opinion is the Lowest Form of Evidence: Data-Informed Intelligence to Shift the Dial on Cancer” by Mark Lawler, PhD, Queen’s University Belfast

Held in the New Research Building Auditorium (Zoom option).

Held in W302 (Zoom option).

Register for BellRinger 2025 and Gear Up to End Cancer!

Registration for BellRinger 2025 kicked off last Monday. Register now and use code LOMBARDI25 to waive your $100 registration fee. Choose to ride 25, 50, 62, or 100 miles this October 25 and join this community of people passionate in their pursuit to end cancer.

Read a post on Resonance, the BellRinger blog, from Georgetown Lombardi Director Louis M. Weiner, MD, on the importance of BellRinger and aspirations for the year ahead.

Watch the campaign video for BellRinger 2025

THIS WEEK: 37th Annual Lombardi Gala

Saturday, March 15

6:00 - 11:00 p.m.

The Anthem, 901 Wharf Street, SW, Washington, D.C.

The Lombardi Gala celebrates our community's dedication to supporting life-saving cancer research and care. Black-tie optional. View more information.

Request for Applications — American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant Pilot Project Grants

Up to three American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant (IRG) Pilot Project Grants will be funded to help launch promising new projects by early career faculty members. These are one-year, non-renewable $30,000 research grants that are funded through Georgetown Lombardi’s IRG, which is sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Open to early career faculty (e.g., assistant professor or equivalent), who are eligible to apply for independent national competitive research grants (e.g. NIH R-level grants, ACS Research Scholar Grants, and similar), but who do not currently hold and have not previously held such a grant, with the exception of an R00, which is allowed. Download full eligibility criteria, application and submission instructions. Application deadline: Monday, May 5, at 11:59 p.m. For scientific or eligibility questions, contact Dr. Rebecca Riggins (PI of the ACS IRG), rbr7@georgetown.edu. For application download or upload questions, contact Denise Harley, flessatd@georgetown.edu, or Karen Howenstein, khowenst@georgetown.edu.

Spring 2025 Appointments and Promotions Workshops

Those interested in appointments, promotions and mentoring on the University-employed Educator or Research Tracks in the School of Health, School of Medicine-BGE, and School of Nursing should attend these workshops. Presenters will discuss criteria for appointment and promotion, the application process and faculty development options.

• University-Employed Educator Tracks, Tuesday, March 18, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
• University-Employed Research Tracks, Tuesday, March 25, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Sponsored by the Office of Faculty and Academic Affairs, the Appointments, Promotions and Tenure committees and the Committee on Appointments and Promotions. RSVP for these Zoom workshops.

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO TODAY: Faculty Invited to Serve on GUMC Committees

The Office of Faculty and Academic Affairs invites faculty members to apply to serve on committees that are seeking new members. View committee information and applications on the GUMC Committees webpage (or see this consolidated list of committees seeking new members). Apply separately for each committee that you are interested in joining by Monday, March 10, 5:00 p.m. Questions? Contact ofaa@georgetown.edu.

10th Annual Poetry Café

The Annual Poetry Café celebrates the healing that comes through the written word. This year’s event takes place on Thursday, April 23, from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.; the theme is “Hope Through Community.” If you would like to read at this event, please submit your poem to lombardiartsadmin@georgetown.edu by Friday, March 14. Sponsored by the Georgetown Lombardi Arts & Humanities Program and the Department of Mission & Pastoral Care. This event will be held in-person in MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Chapel with Zoom livestream option. RSVP to attend in-person. RSVP for Zoom link.

Upcoming Workshops

Join these in-person workshops facilitated by team dynamics expert Christy Foldenauer. Faculty and staff are invited to attend. Register today; space is limited!

• Tuesday, March 18, 8:30 - 11:00 a.m. - Decoding Team Dynamics: Mastering the Unwritten Rules of Collaboration (breakfast provided)
• Wednesday, April 23, 12:00 - 2:30 p.m. - Enhancing Excellence in Academic Collaboration (lunch provided)
• Monday, May 12, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. - Navigating High-Stakes Research: Balancing Pressure, Purpose, and Well-Being (optional yoga class 4:00 - 4:30 p.m.)

View more info and RSVP.

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Cancer Cell Biology Program Meeting

Agenda includes the presentation “Detection of Primary Lung Cancer by Targeted Capture and Dual-omics Analysis of Exhaled and Circulating Extracellular Vesicles” by Olivier Loudig, PhD, associate member, Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation. Join this meeting via Zoom.

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Center for Metabolomic Studies Seminar Series: “Metabolic Symbioses in Complex Tumor Neighborhoods”

Presented by M. Celeste Simon, PhD, scientific director and investigator, Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute; associate director, Shared Resources, Abramson Cancer Center; Arthur H. Rubenstein, MBBCh Professor, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Join this seminar via Zoom.

11:30 - 1:00 p.m.

Youth and Cancer

The second meeting of the Global Cancer Collaborative continues the conversation on youth and cancer with Georgetown Lombardi’s Chris Loffredo, PhD, and Nina Kadan-Lottick, MD, MSPH, and GUGHI graduate student fellow Jessica Catterson. Light lunch provided. Co-sponsored by the Global Health Institute and Georgetown Lombardi. Join this meeting in St. Mary's Hall 414 or via Zoom. RSVP required.

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Stigma in Medicine: The Power of Language

This Equity Forward Faculty Workshop is presented by J. Corey A. Williams, MD, MA, child & adolescent psychiatrist and associate professor of psychiatry at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Register for this Zoom workshop.

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

“Achieving Health Equity and Justice: MLP as a Force of Relentlessness and Resilience” 

Lecture presented by Bethany Hamilton, JD, director of the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership. Sponsored by the GUSOM Health Justice Scholars Track and Georgetown University Health Justice Alliance. Join this presentation in W. Proctor Harvey Amphitheater.

1:30 - 2:20 p.m.

Special Lecture: “Opinion is the Lowest Form of Evidence: Data-Informed Intelligence to Shift the Dial on Cancer”

A special visiting lecture presented by Mark Lawler, PhD, associate pro-vice chancellor and professor of digital health, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast. Join this lecture in Warwick Evans Conference Room, Building D or via Zoom.

3:00 - 4:00 p.m.

GUFaculty360 Class - Updating Your Profile

Learn how to upload your CV, add your personal website information, upload a syllabus, publications and more. Register for this Zoom workshop.

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Distinguished Scientist Seminar Series: “The Intersection of Kidney Disease and Aging”

Presented by Stuart Shankland, MD, professor of medicine, University of Washington. Join this event in the New Research Building Auditorium or via Zoom.

6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Exhibition Opening: “Healing Through Hues: Nature's Color Palette”

Join the Arts & Humanities Program for the opening of this exhibition by visual artist Sara Bardin. From 6:30 - 7:00 p.m., Bardin will participate in an “Artist’s Talkback” discussion with AHP Program Manager Noni Ford, which also will be streamed via Zoom for virtual participants to join. RSVP for the in-person opening reception. RSVP for the virtual “Artist Talkback” session. In-person event held in the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Adult Clinic.

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Cancer Research Data Meeting

Xintang Li presents “Investigating the Role of Macrophages in the Post-Radiation Tumor Microenvironment.” Join this meeting in-person in W302 New Research Building with Zoom option.

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Radiation Sciences Working Group Seminar

Featuring the presentation “Elucidating Human Radiosensitivity: Identifying Predictive Genes in Murine and Human Primary Cells Ex Vivo Under Radiotherapy and Simulated Space Radiation Conditions” by Sylvain V. Costes, PhD, data officer, Biological and Physical Sciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Space Biosciences Research Branch. Join this seminar in-person, location TBA, or via Zoom.

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Oncology Grand Rounds Series: “Multiscale Imaging of Receptor Transport and Inter-organelle Contacts in Breast Cancer and Metastasis”

Presented by Margarida Barosso, PhD, professor, Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, New York. Join in-person, New Research Building Auditorium, with Zoom option.

3:00 - 4:00 p.m.

PhD Thesis Defense

Presented by Matthew D’Antuono, PhD candidate in the Tumor Biology Program. Mentor: Nagi Ayad, PhD. Join this event in New Research Building Auditorium or via Zoom.

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Cancer Research Data Meeting

Presentation by Ronald Missihoun. Join this meeting in-person in W302 New Research Building with Zoom option.

10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

The Intersection of Ethics, Data Science, Informatics, and Epidemiology

This symposium explores how experts from different fields — ethics, data science, informatics and epidemiology — work together to make sure health data are used responsibly. Sponsored by GHUCCTS. Register to join this virtual webinar.

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Distinguished Scientist Seminar Series: “Leveraging Dynamic Epigenetic Landscapes to Decode Macrophage and Microglia Phenotypes in Health and Disease”

Presented by Christopher Glass, MD, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Distinguished Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, UCSD. Join this seminar via Zoom.

8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Clinical Research Coordinator’s Workshop

A free workshop designed for clinical research coordinators interested in enhancing competency in the field of clinical research. Each module consists of didactic materials and hands-on training exercises. Open to all clinical research team members. Sponsored by GHUCCTS - Regulatory, Ethics, and Knowledge Support Group (REKS). Join this workshop at the Washington DC VA Medical Center, Research Building 14, 50 Irving St., NW. Registration required.

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Oncology Grand Rounds Series: “Checkpoint Molecules, Tregs and Induction of Anti-tumor Immunity”

Vijay Kuchroo, DVM, PhD, Samuel L. Wasserstrom Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, senior scientist, Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Join in-person, New Research Building Auditorium, with Zoom option.

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

MHRI-GHUCCTS Monthly Statistical Seminar Series: “Classification and Regression Trees”

Presented by Paul Kolm, PhD, associate director in the Department of Biostatistics and Biomedical Informatics at MedStar Health Research Institute. Sponsored by GHUCCTS. Register for this Zoom webinar.

Publications

Canonical and Non-canonical Functions of the Non-coding RNA Component (TERC) of Telomerase Complex

Safety and Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Therapy for the Treatment of Patients with Cardiac Metastasis: A Multicenter International Retrospective Study

Development of a Method to Measure the Activity of Heparan Sulfate 6-endosulfatase for Biological Research



Proceedings of the National Cancer Institute Workshop on Combining Immunotherapy with Radiotherapy: Challenges and Opportunities for Clinical Translation

In the News

Policy & Medicine John Marshall Unscripted: The Economics of Cancer Care and Inflation Reduction Act Ripple Effect

Medical Xpress Genetic Analysis Links Immune Cell Profiles to Kidney Cancer Therapy Outcomes

Loop Vapes Effective to Quit Cigarette Consumption, Health Experts Say

NEW: 2025 SITC Fellowships

The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s (SITC) Fellowships program was established through the Forward Fund to support the development of early career scientists in the field to cultivate the next generation of cancer immunotherapy experts. The program offers three SITC Fellowships to help advance clinical and translational cancer immunotherapy research:

• 2025 SITC-Genmab Cancer Immunotherapy in Hematologic Malignancies: DLBCL, FL, and CLL Translational Fellowship (1 year/$100,000)
• 2025 SITC-Merck Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Fellowship (1 year/$100,000)
• 2025 SITC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Cancer Immunotherapy Fellowship (1 year/ $100,000)

Domestic and international applicants across academia and government may submit a letter of intent for more than one fellowship. The Review Committee will consider MD, PhD equivalents. Letter of intent applications due: 11:59 p.m. on March 12. Applicants must be a SITC member in good standing or must have applied for membership before the March 12 deadline. View details on SITC membership. Applicants will be notified in early April whether they move forward to the full application.

LOI DUE TODAY: 2025 V Foundation Call for Adult Translational Cancer Research Grant Proposals

This grant opportunity is restricted to adult cancer research in the preclinical or translational space with a focus on bench-to-bedside strategies. There are two grant mechanisms, Translational and All-Star Translational. Georgetown Lombardi may submit up to two nominations, one for each opportunity.

• Review the Translational RFA
• Review the All-Star Translational RFA

Those interested should submit a one-page letter of intent to Sharon Levy (sgl5@georgetown.edu) by March 10. Nominations are due March 18; applications due April 16.

DEADLINE TODAY: 2025 LUNGevity Research Award Programs

Applications are being accepted for the ASTRO-LUNGevity Residents/Fellows in Radiation Oncology Seed Grant: Fosters and develops the research careers of residents and fellows interested in radiation oncology-related basic, translational and/or clinical research to benefit patients with lung cancer. A $50,000 one-year award. Applications due March 10. View more information.

Ruesch Center GI Cancers Program Funds Award

The Ruesch Center is soliciting research proposals for FY26 funding. This support will be available to Georgetown Lombardi, John Theurer and MedStar Health scientists and clinicians with a gastrointestinal cancer-relevant research focus — basic, clinical or translational. This peer-reviewed pilot grant funding is intended to foster translational collaborations — emerging and existing — and generate new hypotheses and results to prove them, leading to jointly authored publications and externally funded grants. Initial Letter of Intent due Monday, March 17. Learn more.

FY26 Toulmin Pilot Project Awards

The Toulmin Pilot Projects are designed to target innovative multidisciplinary biomedical research that will lead to grant funding submission in the next fiscal year. Apply by Tuesday, April 1, at 5:00 p.m. ET. The program is open to full-time research faculty at GUMC.

• View the RFP for eligibility and application details.
• Submit applications via Google Form.

The Toulmin Pilot Projects are supported through the philanthropy of Harry and Virginia Toulmin.

Winn Career Development Award for Early Stage Physician Investigators

The Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials: Career Development Award for Early-Stage Investigator Physicians (formerly known as the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials: Career Development Award) is now accepting applications for its fifth cohort of scholars. This a two-year program designed to support the career development of early-stage investigator physicians who are underrepresented in medicine (URiM) or who have a demonstrated commitment to increasing diversity in clinical research and whose research focuses on cancer, cardiovascular disease or immunologic disorders. The program prepares participants to become independent clinical trial investigators engaged in advancing health equity through their research and mentoring. Read more about this program. Apply via this portal. Application Deadline: May 12. Submit questions to winncda@vcu.edu

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 March 7, 2025).

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 | Xintang Li: “Investigating the Role of Macrophages in the Post-Radiation Tumor Microenvironment.” | 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 | Margarida Barosso, PhD: “Multiscale Imaging of Receptor Transport and Inter-organelle Contacts in Breast Cancer and Metastasis” | New Research Building Auditorium / Zoom

12:00 PM | Fellow Retreat | Podium A | Teams Conference Link (Text In Code: 81202 or 81203 / Text In Telephone: 202-796-7323)

1:00 PM | Fellow Retreat | 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 | Fellow Retreat | Podium A | Teams Conference Link (Text In Code: 81202 or 81203 / Text In Telephone: 202-796-7323)