Travel Week

Greetings from 30,000 feet on a Sunday afternoon. We went to a destination wedding in Colorado Springs late last week and stayed there through today. Now we are on our way to Chicago for the AACI meeting. I’m looking forward to a very interesting meeting of cancer center directors and other cancer center leaders. I return Tuesday evening, and will have a very intense and compressed workweek ahead! Read more.

Lombardi Lectures & Meetings

Join these lectures in the New Research Building Auditorium (Zoom option).

Join these meetings in W302 (Zoom option).

Monday, October 28, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m., virtual via Zoom

BellRinger Weekend Rolls Out This Friday

BellRinger Weekend kicks off this Friday with the Opening Ceremony and festivities:

• Gates open at 4:30 p.m.; musical performances start at 4:45 p.m.; the Opening Ceremony Program runs 6:00 - 6:30 p.m.; and festivities wrap at 8:30 p.m.

Ride Day is Saturday:

• Check-in starts at 5:30 a.m.; the ride starts at 7:30 a.m. from Higgins Plaza on campus. See you at the finish line!

For More Details:

• Bookmark Weekend.BellRinger.org as a handy reference for information about Opening Ceremony and Ride Day.
• Consult the Rider Playbook.
• Those who missed the rider orientation sessions can watch this video to catch up.

Watch: Georgetown alum Norah O'Donnell, CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor, offered a message of encouragement to the BellRinger Community

Add an ORCID iD to Your GU360 Profile

ORCID iD is becoming increasingly useful as a mechanism for identifying collaborators and connecting faculty with research opportunities. An ORCID iD is a unique identifier that is attached to your research so that all of your work is connected to you, regardless of how your name appears and whether other researchers have the same or similar names. To sync your publications linked on the ORCID platform to your GUFaculty360 profile, follow these instructions. Visit the ORCiD site for more information on creating and using an ORCID iD.

Fall 2024 Faculty Appointment and Promotions Workshops

SOM Clinical and Biomedical Tracks: Wednesday, October 30, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.: RSVP

Adjunct Track: Wednesday, November 6, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.: RSVP

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. View application package with full eligibility criteria, application form, and mentoring requirements. Application deadline: Monday, November 4, 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. 

2024 Luminary Awards in GI Cancers



Join the Ruesch Center for this year’s Luminary Awards in GI Cancer on Thursday, Nov. 21, at the Westin Georgetown, Washington, D.C., from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. The Luminary Awards honors individuals who have made transformative strides in the lives of patients with Gastrointestinal Cancers. Learn more about this year’s honorees. For questions or to register, email rueschcenter@georgetown.edu.

15th Annual Ruesch Center Symposium: Innovations in GI Cancer

Registration is now open for the 15th Annual Ruesch Center Symposium: Innovations in GI Cancer, held in person this November 22 to 23 at the Westin Georgetown. The symposium provides a unique forum for discussion, networking, and debate on critical issues related to GI cancers.

Presented as part of the symposium: Thomas R. Schafer Memorial Lecture, Friday, November 22, 1:20 - 2:20 p.m., featuring Anirban Maitra, MBBS, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center presenting “Why Is Pancreatic Cancer So Hard To Treat and What Can We Do About It.”

Registration is free for Georgetown and MedStar staff and trainees with the promo code Guest2024. View the full agenda and register.

‘Conversations in Medical Humanities’ Session Focuses on Disability

The third installment of “Conversations in Medical Humanities” takes place Wednesday, October 23, from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m., in McGhee Library on the third floor of the ICC. Joel Michael Reynolds discusses “The Meaning of Disability” and Theodora Danylevich discusses “Disability Politics and Reproductive Critique in Gayl Jones’s Corregidora.” Refreshments provided. RSVP by October 21 at 5:00 p.m. to attend. 

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

Department of Microbiology & Immunology Seminar Series: “The Molecular and Genetic Basis of Antifungal Drug Resistance and Adhesion of Candida auris”

Presented by Neeraj Chauhan, PhD, associate professor, Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health. Join this seminar in Med-Dent NE301 or via Zoom. (Add to Google Calendar)

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Bhussry Seminar Series: “AI Models of Spatial Biology With Applications to Cancer and Aging”

Presented by James Zou, PhD, associate professor of biomedical data science and, by courtesy, of computer science and electrical engineering, Stanford University. Sponsored by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology. Join this seminar via Zoom. (Add to Google Calendar)

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Cancer Research Data Meeting

“Understanding Treatment Responses in Metastatic Melanoma,” presented by Sidharth Jain, MD/PhD student in the Wellstein Lab. Join this meeting in-person in W302 New Research Building with Zoom option. (Add to Google Calendar)

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.

GUMC Distinguished Scientist Seminar Series: “Perturbing the Nucleolus with Platinum Anticancer Compounds”

Presented by Victoria DeRose, PhD, head and professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oregon. Join this seminar in the New Research Building Auditorium and via Zoom. (Add to Google Calendar)

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

The Ian Peter Rennert Lectureship in Pediatric Oncology: “One and Done: Gene Therapy Offers a New Paradigm for Cancer Immunotherapy”

Presented by Tim Cripe, MD, PhD, chief, Division of Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology/ Blood and Marrow Transplant, Gordon Teter Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cancer, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and member, Translational Therapeutics Program, The OSUCCC – James. Join this lecture in the New Research Building Auditorium. (Add to Google Calendar)

Meetings & Events Next Week

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Georgetown Lombardi Faculty Meeting

Join this meeting virtually via Zoom

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Center for Metabolomic Studies Seminar Series: “Metabolic Heterogeneity in Colorectal Cancer”

Presented by Caroline Johnson, PhD, associate professor, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health. Sponsored by the Center for Metabolomic Studies at Georgetown Lombardi. Join this seminar via Zoom. (Add to Google Calendar)

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Bhussry Seminar Series: “Policy Epidemiology for Global Health Security”

Presented by Rebecca Katz, PhD MPH, Professor and Director, Center for Global Health & Science and Security, Georgetown. Sponsored by the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology. Join this presentation via Zoom. (Add to Google Calendar)

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Cancer Research Data Meeting

Presented by Rachael Maynard, PhD student in the Tumor Biology Program. Join this meeting in-person in W302 New Research Building with Zoom option. (Add to Google Calendar)

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Oncology Grand Rounds Lecture Series: “The Adult Thymus and Cancer Risk”

Presented by David Scadden, MD, Gerald and Darlene Jordan Professor of Medicine, Harvard University, director, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Join in-person, New Research Building Auditorium, with Zoom option. (Add to Google Calendar)

12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Clinical and Translational Research Grand Rounds: “Limbic and Whole-Brain Functional Connectivity in Reward Centers of People Living with HIV and/or Substance Use Disorder”

Presented by Marjorie C. Gondré-Lewis, PhD, professor of neuroscience, Department of Anatomy, associate dean for faculty development & justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, Howard University College of Medicine. Sponsored by the Georgetown Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science (GHUCCTS) and its partner institutions. Join this presentation via Zoom. (Add to Google Calendar)

Publications

Effects of High-Linear-Energy-Transfer Heavy Ion Radiation on Intestinal Stem Cells: Implications for Gut Health and Tumorigenesis



Metabolomic Changes in Preterminal Serum Samples of Rhesus Macaques Exposed to Two Different Lethal Doses of Total-Body Gamma-Radiation

In the News

The ASCO Post ADRIATIC Trial: Durvalumab Consolidation Extends Survival in Limited-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer

WTOP Men Told To Be Aware Too During Breast Cancer Awareness Month

OncLive Increased ctDNA and MMR Testing May Alter Adjuvant and Neoadjuvant CRC Management

OncLive Dr. Weinberg on the Prognostic Use of ctDNA Testing in Resected CRC

Melanoma Research Alliance RFP for Multiple Awards

The Melanoma Research Alliance has issued a request for proposals for preclinical, translational and early clinical research with the potential to produce unusually high impact, near-term advancements in melanoma prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment.

This cycle, proposals will be accepted for Established Investigator Awards, Academic-Industry Partnership Award (for Established Investigator Awards), Young Investigator Awards, Pilot Awards, Dermatology Career Development Awards and Special Opportunity Team Science Awards, Academic-Industry Partnership Award (for Special Opportunity Team Science Awards). View full descriptions of each award opportunity offered, including all Special Opportunities, as well as eligibility criteria and instructions.

Key deadlines:

• October 21: Eligibility Checklist for Young Investigator & Dermatology Career Development Award applicants due
• November 4: Proposals for Established Investigator, Young Investigator, Pilot and Dermatology Career Development awards due
• January 6: Invited Special Opportunity Team Science Award full proposals due
• April 2025: Awardees notified of funding decisions

St. Baldrick’s Foundation Spring Grant Cycle

The following programs/categories are available in the Spring Cycle:

• St. Baldrick's Scholar (Career Development) Award: Intended to help develop the independent research of highly qualified individuals early in their careers.
• St. Baldrick's Research Grant Awards: For specific two-year research projects that are hypothesis driven and may be either laboratory, clinical, or epidemiological.

One LOI/application can be submitted per award per institution, with an exception for the following areas: brain tumors – all types, including rare forms; Burkitt lymphoma (all types, especially sporadic); Ewing sarcoma; rhabdoid tumors – extrarenal. Those interested should send the title of their project and a one-paragraph synopsis to Sharon Levy via email (sgl5@georgetown.edu) by Sunday, Dec. 1.

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 October 16, 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 | Sidharth Jain: “Understanding Treatment Responses in Metastatic Melanoma” | 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 | The Rennert Lecture: “One and Done: Gene Therapy Offers a New Paradigm for Cancer Immunotherapy” | New Research Building Auditorium / Zoom

12:00 PM | Dr. Dunleavy - Mediastinal Lymphoid Tumors | Podium A | Teams Conference Link (Text In Code: 81202 or 81203 / Text In Telephone: 202-796-7323)

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