February 2012 Researchers at Hollings Cancer Center Study Disparities and Genomics A landmark grant awarded recently by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to the Hollings Cancer Center (HCC) at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and South Carolina State University is among the first of its kind in the country to support cancer disparities research that includes Sea Island residents. This grant, exceeding $800,000, will investigate cancer disparities and train future researchers by establishing the South Carolina Cancer Disparities Research Center. Dr. Marvella Ford, principal investigator and associate director of cancer disparities at the Hollings Cancer Center said, “the more we know about how genetic makeup contributes to cancer onset and progression, the better we will be able to develop drugs targeted toward each person’s genetic make-up, which will give us greater ammunition in our cancer-fighting arsenal." Research will initially focus on breast and prostate cancers, two types of cancer that affect African Americans and Caucasians at markedly disproportionate rates. Studies will explore whether genetic differences play a role in disparities. The Hollings Cancer Center has also co-invested in the recruitment of a number of new senior cancer researchers for 2012. Dr. Chanita Hughes-Halbert recently joined the faculty in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences as Professor at the Hollings Cancer Center. Dr. Hughes-Halbert will lead the development of a Center for Clinic and Community-Based Research in the Mental Health Disparities and Diversity program in Psychiatry. The goal of Dr. Hughes- Halbert’s research program is to identify sociocultural, psychological, and environmental determinants of health promotion and disease prevention efforts in racially and ethnically diverse populations and to translate this information into sustainable interventions in clinics and community based settings to improve health outcomes in medically underserved populations. This Center will mirror her leadership appointment as section leader for Cancer Disparities within the HCC’s Cancer Prevention and Control research program. In addition, Dr. Hughes-Halbert holds the AT&T Distinguished Endowed Chair in Cancer Equity in the HCC and the SmartState™ Center of Economic Excellence Endowed Chair in Cancer Disparities. Dr. Hughes-Halbert comes to MUSC from the University of Pennsylvania where she was director of the Center for Community-Based Research and Health Disparities in the Department of Psychiatry and the Community and Diversity Initiative at the Abramson Cancer Center. continued on page 2 Research INKlings Research INKlings is an on-line monthly newsletter prepared by the Office of Research Development providing research news, policy changes and other relevant information for MUSC faculty, staff and students. Inside this Issue P2 Researchers at Hollings Cancer Center P2 Recovery Act Awards P2 Research Project Grant (RPG) Retreat P3 NIGMS Reorganizes P3 White House Announces $2 B in Capital and Resources for Startups P3 Grants & Contracts Accounting Update P4 Light Microscopy for the Biosciences Workshop P4 SmartState Conference
Transcript
February 2012
Researchers at Hollings Cancer Center Study Disparities and Genomics
A landmark grant awarded recently by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to the Hollings Cancer Center (HCC) at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and South Carolina State University is among the first of its kind in the country to support cancer disparities research that includes Sea Island residents. This grant, exceeding $800,000, will investigate cancer disparities and train future researchers by establishing the South Carolina Cancer Disparities Research Center. Dr. Marvella Ford, principal investigator and associate director of cancer disparities at the Hollings Cancer Center said, “the more we know about how genetic makeup contributes to cancer onset and progression, the better we will be able to develop drugs targeted toward each person’s genetic make-up, which will give us greater ammunition in our cancer-fighting arsenal." Research will initially focus on breast and prostate cancers, two types of cancer that affect African Americans and Caucasians at markedly disproportionate rates. Studies will explore whether genetic differences play a role in disparities. The Hollings Cancer Center has also co-invested in the recruitment of a number of new senior cancer researchers for 2012. Dr. Chanita Hughes-Halbert recently joined the faculty in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences as Professor at the Hollings Cancer Center. Dr. Hughes-Halbert will lead the development of a Center for Clinic and Community-Based Research in the Mental Health Disparities and Diversity program in Psychiatry. The goal of Dr. Hughes-Halbert’s research program is to identify sociocultural, psychological, and environmental determinants of health promotion and disease prevention efforts in racially and ethnically diverse populations and to translate this information into sustainable interventions in clinics and community based settings to improve health outcomes in medically underserved populations. This Center will mirror her leadership appointment as section leader for Cancer Disparities within the HCC’s Cancer Prevention and Control research program. In addition, Dr. Hughes-Halbert holds the AT&T Distinguished Endowed Chair in Cancer Equity in the HCC and the SmartState™ Center of Economic Excellence Endowed Chair in Cancer Disparities. Dr. Hughes-Halbert comes to MUSC from the University of Pennsylvania where she was director of the Center for Community-Based Research and Health Disparities in the Department of Psychiatry and the Community and Diversity Initiative at the Abramson Cancer Center. continued on page 2
Research INKlings
Research INKlings is an on-line monthly newsletter prepared by the Office of Research Development providing research news, policy changes and other relevant information for MUSC faculty, staff and students.
Inside this Issue
P2 Researchers at Hollings Cancer Center
P2 Recovery Act Awards
P2 Research Project Grant (RPG) Retreat
P3 NIGMS Reorganizes
P3 White House Announces $2 B in Capital and Resources for Startups
No-cost Extension for Recovery Act Awards The National Institutes of Health released notice NOT-OD-12-014 revising the terms and conditions on some active Recovery Act awards. This notice amends the current automatic no-cost extension authority by limiting the ability for awardees to extend the final budget period of a project period to no later than September 30, 2013 without prior NIH approval. For grants that currently end September 1, 2013 through September 30, 2013, the eRA commons no-cost extension module only allows grantees to request extensions in one month increments. Therefore, for grant awards in this category no automatic extension will be available. Research grant awards in this category (grants with project period end dates extending beyond September 30, 2013) include ARRA grants awarded under the NIH Director’s New Innovator Program. Many Recovery Act Construction grants are also in this category. If any provision for an automatic extension exists for these grants, awards will be revised to remove the automatic provision and replace it with a prior approval requirement. NIH staff administering these grants will also reach out to recipients to discuss possible strategies for accelerating progress and expenditures. For any Recovery Act award anticipated to continue past September 30, 2013, NIH recipients must notify the Grants Management Officer listed on the Notice of Award in writing that an extension of the final budget period of the project period is vital for the completion of the project. All requests must be received on or before June 1, 2012, regardless of the current project period end date.
Researchers at Hollings Cancer Center continued from page 1
Research Project Grant (RPG) Retreat – March 7th
The Office of Research Development is pleased to announce an upcoming Research Project Grant (RPG) Retreat. These interactive half-day sessions give individual investigators the opportunity to gain constructive criticism on a specific research concept or proposal. These retreats also provide an objective review and suggestions for competitive research proposals that will be submitted to NIH or another peer-review sponsor. While results cannot be guaranteed, many previous presenters have had success on their first or second submission. If you are interested in the RPG retreat, please contact Wanda Hutto (email [email protected]; 792-0867).
Dr. Stephen P. Ethier has been appointed as professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Countess Alicia Spaulding-Paolozzi Distinguished Endowed Chair in Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment and Research and co-leader of the Cancer Genetics Molecular Regulation program. Recruited from Wayne State University, Dr. Ethier will focus on understanding the genetic basis for the development and progression of human breast cancer and understanding how specific genetic alterations contribute to specific aspects of the transformed phenotype.
More recently, the Ethier lab has expanded its focus to genome wide studies of breast and other cancers. Genome wide sequencing and screening platforms are being used to distinguish novel oncogenes from passenger genes, and to identify novel oncogenomic targets. These screening strategies are also being used to identify synthetic lethal interactions between genetic/genomic factors in cancer cells to lay the ground work for therapeutic strategies using multiple targeted drugs. Dr. Ethier is charged with expanding the HCC’s capacity to do state-of-the-art cancer genetics research through new recruitment and bringing the latest technology to the Medical University. In addition to these two hires, Dr. Michael B. Lilly joins the Medical University in March from the University of California Irvine as a clinical scientist. Dr. Lilly will serve in the division of Hematology/Oncology as a senior medical oncologist and as the HCC associate co-director of translational research. Dr. Lilly’s research efforts are focused on ways to improve the care of patients with advanced prostate cancer. Cancer treatments often induce survival responses in cancer cells, resulting in limited efficacy. These survival responses are mediated in part by PIM kinases, enzymes that regulate cancer cells’ survival machinery. Current studies are looking at the biochemical events that are regulated by PIM1 kinase, using both experimental and bioinformatics approaches.
White House Announces $2 Billion in Capital and Resources for Startups The White House announced two
initiatives intended to help
entrepreneurs grow their businesses
and create jobs by increasing their
access to capital and resources.
The Small Business Administration
(SBA) announced a $1 billion dollar
"Early Stage Innovation Fund" and
Startup America announced a
commitment from more than 50
private-sector partners to deliver
services valued at over $1 billion.
SBA expects to issue a call for Early
Stage SBIC applicants through a
Federal Register notice in Spring
2012.
To learn more about the Startup
America initiative, please visit this
webpage:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/startup-america.
Grants & Contracts Accounting Update Grants & Contracts Accounting has established two departmental email addresses for submission of cost transfer forms and subrecipient invoices. Effective January 1, 2012, please email cost transfer request forms and subrecipient invoices to the following addresses: [email protected] and [email protected]. This process has been created to improve the turn around time and increase effectiveness when processing your documents. With the addition of Thomas Li, Amanda Hoffman, Greg Horres and the promotion of Michael Laird, GCA has updated the administrator team list to reflect the hiring of new staff. This updated list may be found at http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/vpfa/finance/gca/about/distlist2.pdf.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Reorganizes
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The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), a part of the National Institutes of Health that supports basic research and research training, has established two new divisions. Each will administer existing NIGMS programs along with programs transferred to NIGMS from the former NIH National Center for Research Resources (NCRR). The new Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity merges NIGMS research training programs with activities that were previously in the institute's Division of Minority Opportunities in Research (MORE). The new division also houses the Institutional Development Award program from NCRR. "We created the new division because we recognize that training and the development of an outstanding and diverse biomedical workforce are intimately connected. The reorganization is consistent with key elements of our strategic plans and reflects input we received from many stakeholders," said NIGMS acting director Judith H. Greenberg.
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The new Division of Biomedical Technology, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology administers research and research training in areas that join biology with the computer sciences, engineering, mathematics and physics. It includes programs of the former NIGMS Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (CBCB) along with NCRR biomedical technology programs. "Great progress is often made at the intersections of scientific fields, and the Division of Biomedical Technology, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology is well-positioned to facilitate just such advances," Greenberg noted. Money allocated to these programs in the new divisions will not change as a result of the reorganization or transfer of NCRR programs. Most grants in the new divisions will continue to be managed by the same staff members. For more information about these new divisions, please visit their websites Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity and Division of Biomedical Technology, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology.
The inaugural conference, called “Realizing a Knowledge-Based Economy: Bridging Academia, Government and Industry,” was held at the Charleston Place Hotel on December 4-6, 2011. The conference provided attendees the opportunity to meet with the 41 scientists and engineers who serve as SmartState endowed chair holders at the state’s three research universities.
Dr. Richard Swaja -- who holds a SmartState-endowed chair in regenerative medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina as well as a faculty appointment at Clemson University -- said the conference's 250 attendees represented "probably the best collection of intellectual, political, industrial and academic leadership that's been assembled in South Carolina ever."
South Carolina’s SmartState Program is responsible for $1.2 billion in external investment in the South Carolina economy and the creation of nearly 7,000 jobs over the past nine years. The national conference provided insight into knowledge-based economic development and was designed for businesses, entrepreneurs, investors, and others.
Hosted by the SmartState program, a precedent-setting conference showcased experts in commercializing research and the knowledge-based economy. Speakers included Saul Singer, one of the author's of Start-Up Nation, Peter Beattie, former Prime Minister of Queensland, William Symonds, Director of the Pathways to Prosperity Project at Harvard, and the keynote lunch address by SC Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt. Industry representatives included AT&T, GE, The Intertech Group, Michelin, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, US Department of Commerce, and many others.
Research inklings February 2012
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The Fourth Charleston Workshop on LIGHT MICROSCOPY FOR THE BIOSCIENCES (LMB) will be conducted on June 24-29, 2012 at the Medical University of South Carolina. The workshop will provide a solid introduction to the concepts and practical applications of light microscopy relevant to modern cell and molecular biology. Participants will have opportunities for extensive hands-on experience with state-of-the-art equipment for optical imaging, digital image processing, and fluorescence and confocal/multiphoton microscopy guided by experienced academic and commercial faculty. Lectures and laboratory exercises will include: optics of image formation; microscope alignment; phase contrast and differential interference contrast
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microscopy; video and digital cameras; contrast enhancement by analog and digital image processing; principles of fluorescence and fluorescence microscopy; ion imaging and fluorescent probes, including green fluorescent protein; fluorescence resonance energy transfer; and laser scanning confocal and multiphoton microscopy. Representatives from leading microscope manufacturers will make available for students use of the latest and most advanced instrumentation for light microscopy, image detection and computerized image analysis. The LMB Workshop is designed for doctoral level scientists, advanced pre-doctoral students and high level technical personnel. No prior experience with microscopy is required. All students will benefit from
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in-depth interaction with instructors. Students are encouraged to bring their own specimens for analysis. To apply, send a curriculum vita and a brief letter describing your research interests and reasons for enrolling. Because the course is expected to be oversubscribed, applicants should inquire as soon as possible. Please indicate your complete mailing address, telephone/fax number and email address. Full consideration will be given to applications received by April 1, 2012. Tuition costs $650. For further information, please contact: Dr. Venkat Ramshesh (telephone at 843.876.2363; email: [email protected].)
