DR. MARK ISRAEL OFFERS SPECIAL MESSAGE TO THE ICRF COMMUNITY ON COVID-19 OUTBREAK
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Dear Friends,
As an oncologist, helping patients deal with that terror of the unknown was a daily exercise. Nothing seems scarier than the vagaries of a medical diagnosis whose course and outcome is simply not predictable. Similarly, the coronavirus has wreaked much havoc, exposing us again to the unknown. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, your family, and your community.
As a research scientist and medical doctor for more than four decades, I confidently anticipate that the scientists around the world who are working day and night to better understand the nature of the COVID-19 virus will soon break through with vaccines and treatments. With time, we will bring this virus under control and end this worldwide public health nightmare. And when that happens, I know that in the same way that Israeli research has contributed breakthroughs against cancer, the fingerprint of Israeli science will be prominently apparent in the solution to this scourge.
But in these times of apprehension and uncertainty there is one thing that you can be sure about - scientific research is the answer to disease.
Of course, all of us have a role to play. At ICRF, we applaud the efforts of community, government and business leaders who have called for and enacted steps designed to reduce "community spread" of the virus. Your health and the well-being of those around you are of utmost importance. In that vein, ICRF has postponed or canceled all group meetings scheduled through the Spring. We closed our national office, and will be working remotely for the foreseeable future. We have taken appropriate steps in all our ICRF offices, so that our important work will continue unabated.
During the next several weeks, we will be in touch with you through various means, keeping you updated on our activities and the many encouraging developments in Israeli cancer research. Our goal, as always, is to extend hope and work towards healing, even during unsettled times.
Eminent Israeli scientist and ICRF grantee Howard Cedar once noted that
".
..a community that cares for and understands the importance of knowledge and its role in improving mankind will support research.
" As a friend and supporter of ICRF, you have shown that you understand the importance of science in the never-ending fight for health and healing. We are undeterred.
Thank you and best wishes for your continued good health,
Mark A. Israel, MD
Preston and Virginia Kelsey Distinguished Chair in Cancer at Dartmouth Medical School, Emeritus
Director Emeritus, Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth
National Executive Director, Israel Cancer Research Fund
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2020-2021 ICRF GRANT REVIEW GOES VIRTUAL AMID COVID-19 PANDEMIC
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While the world is watching and waiting for scientists to find a vaccine and treatment for COVID-1
9, ICRF has not forgotten our core mission of continuing the fight against cancer. On Monday, March 23, ICRF's panel of expert reviewers met virtually to discuss and prioritize funding for the
approximately 160 research proposals received for consideration this year.
Modeled after that of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the peer review process is at the heart of ICRF's mission to fund the very best cancer research and researchers across Israel each year. ICRF awards funds based on the priority ranking assigned by the peer review panels, an esteemed group of 45 reviewers from the U.S. and Canada who volunteer their expertise to ensure objectivity, rigor and transparency. Our awards are merit based and targeted to fund specific projects.
The annual
Scientific Review Panel (SRP) deliberations
are the final step in the process. Ahead of this, each application is assigned to one of three peer review panels by area of focus (
clinical, basic research, and high-level grants and special initiatives)
and then independently analyzed and ranked by two reviewers. At the SRP, reviewers convene as three concurrent review panels to discuss and vote to prioritize the most competitive applications and give their recommendations, along with critiques of the applications and fundable scores, to the
ICRF International Scientific Council (ISC)
, which meets the following day.
This rigorous approach has helped support numerous breakthrough discoveries and some of the brightest researchers in the field, including two Nobel Laureates to date.
For decades, these meetings have been held in New York City, but amid the COVID-19 pandemic a quick pivot to a virtual format ensured this crucial process was able to continue without disruption. This rapid shift was made possible thanks to an all-hands-on-deck effort from our small but nimble staff - proving the world changes and so do we.
Ahead of the meetings, Dr. Israel shared a special Shabbat message with the ICRF community, which is
available here
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2020 ISRAEL PRIZE AWARDED TO DR. RECHAVI,
ICRF INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL MEMBER
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“Prof. Gidi Rechavi is a uniquely talented physician investigator...
Recognizing unmet needs in the clinic and bringing cutting-edge laboratory science to impact on these problems has been his mantra."
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Mark A. Israel, MD
ICRF National Executive Director
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Prof. Rechavi is the world-renowned head of the
Sheba Cancer Research Center
, which he founded and directs. He has dedicated his life to researching novel genetic and epigentic mechanisms affecting global gene expression and their implication in cancer.
"Prof. Gidi Rechavi is a uniquely talented physician investigator who has managed to achieve synergies between his clinical activities in the hospital and his work as a world class scientist," said ICRF National Executive Director Mark A. Israel, MD. "His lab works on diverse fundamental problems in biology and disease, while being focused on the potential for clinical impact. Recognizing unmet needs in the clinic and bringing cutting-edge laboratory science to impact on these problems has been his mantra."
We are truly grateful for his contributions to ICRF's scientific excellence through our ISC, and commend him on this well-deserved honor.
ICRF is proud to have funded several past recipients of this esteemed award including
Prof. Yosef Yarden
of the Weizmann Institute (2017), Tel Aviv University's
Dr. Yosef Shiloh
(2011) and Hebrew University's
Dr. Howard Cedar
(1999).
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MULTIPLE MYELOMA PATIENTS GIVEN NEW HOPE
BY ICRF-FUNDED RESEARCH
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A few decades ago, a diagnosis of
multiple myeloma
– a cancer of the blood in bone marrow – was an almost certain death sentence.
Fast forward to t
he present, and thanks to the pioneering work of
two Israeli Nobel Laureates,
whose ICRF-funded research heralded a breakthrough, the prognosis is far different, with many patients living in remission for decades. Their discovery of the
ubiquitin system
was crucial to the creation of a whole class of treatments called
protease inhibitors
– drugs that slow the degradation of protein and thereby inhibit the cancer's progress.
Velcade®,
a drug which originated from that research, was revolutionary.
Prior to this, there were no effective treatment options.
Today, this drug, along with
more efficacious and less toxic second- and third-generation drugs based on the same research, are the standard of care used worldwide, while the
median survival for patients of this once fatal disease has nearly quadrupled.
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ICRF INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF TRUSTEES WELCOMES FIVE NEW MEMBERS
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ICRF hosted a virtual orientation on March 29th for the new members of the ICRF International Board: Paul T. Fox (Chicago, IL), Maryanne Greenfield (NY, NY), Susan King (Westchester, NY), Linnea Olson (Boston, MA) and Sarah Rosen (NY, NY). Meet these five extraordinary
new trustees here
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ICRF CONNECTICUT HOSTS EVENING WITH ICRF-FUNDED SCIENTIST MOSHE ELKABETS, PHD
Stamford, CT
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The CT Chapter met
ICRF Research Career Development Awardee
Moshe Elkabets, PhD, of Ben-Gurion University in early March as the coronavirus
was descending on Connecticut. Prof. Elkabets' research focuses on developing new treatments for head and neck cancer. His current ICRF project is investigating mechanisms of drug resistance aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of why an important targeted anti-cancer drug, cetuximab (Erbitux), loses efficacy over time for these types of cancers.
During his presentation, Prof. Elkabets spoke of the value of ICRF funding and caliber of ICRF grant making, describing how "an ICRF grant is recognized throughout the Israel cancer research community as an imprimatur of a quality research investigation."
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ICRF has postponed all in-person events in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. We will provide updates as circumstances allow for events to be rescheduled. We are shifting our focus to expanding our digital offerings and events - please stay tuned (and tune in!). As always, we thank you for your support, which allows our mission to continue to bring hope to cancer patients worldwide. Please stay safe and remain healthy.
We also invite you to consider these easy but impactful virtual opportunities to support ICRF:
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FUNDRAISE FOR ICRF
ON FACEBOOK
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Celebrate your birthday or honor a loved one by creating a Facebook fundraiser for ICRF.
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SUPPORT ICRF WHILE YOU SHOP ONLINE
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Generate donations for ICRF when you shop through Amazon Smile.
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- VIDEO: Tamir Gilat, Chairman of ICRF Israel, "Outliving your expiration date" (TEDxSavyon)
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The Answer to Cancer is Research.
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Israel Cancer Research Fund's mission is to support the best and brightest scientists conducting groundbreaking cancer research at all of the leading institutions in Israel. To date, ICRF has competitively awarded over $72 million in funding for nearly 2,500 grants, making ICRF the largest nongovernmental funder of cancer research in Israel.
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