Announcements
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research – Endeavor RFA The Mark Foundation Endeavor Awards support collaborative research projects that bring together investigators with diverse areas of expertise to tackle challenges in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. One goal of the program is to plant seeds for research projects that could eventually lead to even bigger projects that could be funded by the Mark Foundation. These grants are awarded to teams of 3 or more investigators to generate and integrate data from diverse lines of research and transform those insights into advances for cancer patients that could not be achieved by individual efforts. Particular focus on preventing and overcoming metastasis, decoding the whole-body response to cancer, and understanding the molecular mechanisms of tumor plasticity and progression. Deadlines: March 1st (Letters of Intent due) May 2021 ( Application Invitations) Total funding to support a total budget of up to $1,000,000/yr for a total of 3yrs. Full info link: https://themarkfoundation.org/endeavor/
Alex’s Lemonade Stand – Foundation for Childhood Cancer – 2021 Research Grant The purpose of the Research Grant is to advance ALSF’s mission to find cures and better treatments for childhood cancers by providing support to move hypothesis-driven research into the clinic. The goal of this award is to supported selected late-translational studies with preference given to those whose research projects, if funded, will likely result in the initiation of a clinical trial in 2-3ys from the start of the project. Deadlines: March 22nd (proposals due) Proposed budgets should be at or under $250,000 in direct costs over 2yrs. (ALSF does not pay indirect costs) Full info link: https://www.alexslemonade.org/sites/default/files/images/2020/2021_reach_grant_application_guidelines.pdf?utm_campaign=Grant%20Application%20Openings&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=107718206&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9GhL2XtUIlXCtfVq_p6ljEAc4Dh9CQm8tH8Dxx1O0hYV78KD2a4ayZnby
Michael J Fox Foundation – Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Parkinson’s Disease Research – seeking applications This RFA to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in Parkinson’s research is open to proposals that will increase inclusivity and broaden our understanding of PD. Such projects will help accelerate the discovery of strategies for reducing risk and developing treatments for all people. Applications should focus on studies in underrepresented populations around one or more of the following areas Disease Burden Risk and Pathology Assessments Clinical Course Access to Care Info Webinar (MARCH 9th @ 12 pm EST) To register https://www.michaeljfox.org/webinar/promoting-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-parkinsons-research Funding: from $50,000 to $400,000 for 18-36 months Deadlines: April 21st (Pre-Proposals due) June 21st (Full Proposal Invites) August 5th (Full Proposals due) Full info link: https://www.michaeljfox.org/grant/promoting-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-parkinsons-disease-research?em_cid=mc-a1b1R000009f2R2&et_cid=1794537&et_rid=225403121&et_lid=Funding+to+Promote+Diversity%2c+Equity+and+Inclusion+in+Parkinson%e2%80%99s+Disease+Res
Internal Pilot, Foundation, and NIH funding opportunities: https://ctsi.wakehealth.edu/Funding-Opportunities?utm_source=Master+Research+Rundown+%26+Funding&utm_campaign=99a86a4600
Upcoming Events
Comparative Medicine Research Strategy Meeting Date/Time: Tuesday, Feb 23rd (3:30 pm – 4:30 pm) Speaker 1: Alistaire Ruggiero (Graduate student – Dr. Kavanagh’s Lab) Title: “Adipose Cellular Characteristics and Inflammation in Health and Weight Diverse Nonhuman Primates” ( overview of thesis project) Speaker 2: Ravichandra Vemuri (Research Fellow – Dr. Kavanagh’s Lab) Title: “Network Approaches to Understand Age-Related Changes in Mucosal Microbe-Immune Crosstalk” (update on K99-R00 grant submission) Webex: https://wakehealth.webex.com/wakehealth/j.php?MTID=mcff06de809e7590aa981b77e9a3bdd3c Meeting #: 185 343 1808 Passcode: dbJQX9v2V3P
Molecular Medicine – Post Doctoral Fellow Candidate Seminar Date/Time: Tuesday, Feb 23rd (4 pm – 5 pm) Speaker: Conner W. Wallace, PhD University of NC Greensboro (interviewing for Dr. Key and Dr. Solberg Woods labs) Title: “Effect of Fasting on Nucleus Accumbens Dopamine Neurotransmission” Webex: https://wakehealth.webex.com/wakehealth/j.php?MTID=m8cf8b682ca3655cedfbc63668ccc5b0c Meeting #: 185 980 4965 Passcode: 9JRrJXvT7y6
Hypertension & Vascular Research Journal Club/Research in Progress Date/Time: Wednesday, Feb 24th (1:30 pm – 2:30 pm) Speaker: Mohamed Gaber (Graduate Student – Cancer Biology) Title: “miR-324-5p Protects Against Oxidative Stress-induced Endothelial Progenitor Cell Injury by Targeting Mtfr1” Webex: https://wakehealth.webex.com/wakehealth/j.php?MTID=m5affff5e0761e7bd753d710ae8ab9b34 Meeting #: 185 536 1945 Passcode: 8mrJ3cyyim5
Center for Redox Biology & Medicine – Seminar Series Date/Time: Friday, Feb 26th (11 am – 12 pm) Speaker: Christine Foyer, PhD Professor of Plant Sciences – University of Leeds, UK Title: “The Role of Redox Processes in the Control of Plant Growth and Acclimation to a Changing Environment” Webex: https://bit.ly/3idD5iy Password: Foyer2021
Recent Publications
Lenchik L, Barnard R, Boutin RD, Kritchevsky SB, Chen H, Tan J, Cawthon PM, Weaver AA, Hsu F-C. Automated Muscle Measurement on Chest CT Predicts All-Cause Mortality in Older Adults From the National Lung Screening Trial. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2021 Jan 18;76(2):277-285. PMCID: PMC7812435. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glaa141
Harris KS, Shi L, Foster BM, Mobley ME, Elliott PL, Song CJ, Watabe K, Langefeld CD, Kerr BA. CD117/c-kit defines a prostate CSC-like subpopulation driving progression and TKI resistance. Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 14;11(1):1465. PMCID: PMC7809150. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc7809150/
McCarthy B, Cudykier A, Singh R, Levi-Polyachenko N, Soker S. Semiconducting polymer nanoparticles for photothermal ablation of colorectal cancer organoids. Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 15;11(1):1532. PMCID: PMC7810691. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc7810691/
Chappell MC, Pirro NT, South AM, Gwathmey TM. Concerns on the Specificity of Commercial ELISAs for the Measurement of Angiotensin-(1-7) and Angiotensin II in Human Plasma. Hypertension. 2021 Jan 5. [Online ahead of print]. PMID: 33399002. https://doi.org/10.1161/hypertensionaha.120.16724
Saccon TD, Nagpal R, Yadav H, Cavalcante MB, de Carvlho Nunes AD, Schneider A, Gesing A, Hughes B, Yousefzadeh M, Tchkonia T, Kirkland JL, Niedernhofer LJ, Robbins PD, Masternak MM. Senolytic combination of Dasatinib and Quercetin alleviates intestinal senescence and inflammation and modulates the gut microbiome in aged mice. J Getontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2021 Jan 6;glab002. PMID: 33406219. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glab002
Keele GR, Prokop JW, He Hong, Holl K, Littrell J, *Deal AW, Kim Y, Kyle PB, Attipoe E, Johnson AC, Uhl KL, Sirpilla OL, Jahanbakhsh S, Robinson M, Levy S, Valdar W, Garrett MR, Solberg Woods LC. Sept8/SEPTIN8 involvement in cellular structure and kidney damage is identified by genetic mapping and a novel human tubule hypoxic model. Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 22;11(1):2071. PMCID: PMC7822875. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc7822875/
Member News
The Center for Precision Medicine is pleased to welcome Dr. Tan Zhang as the newest CPM member! Dr. Tan Zhang is an Assistant Professor in Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine.
Member Highlights
Edward A. Levine, MD, FACS Professor of Surgery Chief, Surgical Oncology Edward A. Levine is Professor of Surgery and Chief of the Surgical Oncology Service at Wake Forest University. He joined the faculty at Wake Forest in 1998 after being a faculty member at LSU-New Orleans for 6 years. Dr. Levine’s clinical interests are related to general surgical oncology with a focus melanoma, sarcoma breast and gastrointestinal malignancy. He is the founding director of the Surgical Oncology Clinics, Chair of the the Hospital Cancer Committee, Associate Chair of General Surgery for operations, site PI for the NRG cooperative group, and senior advisor to the Director of the Cancer Center at Wake Forest University. He has had grant funding since 1994, published over 350 scientific articles, book chapters and a book Intraperitoneal Cancer Therapy, Principles and Practice. Dr. Levine has a research focus on peritoneal metastasis and is the leader of the Wake Forest University program of Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic IntraEritoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) for peritoneal metastasis, which is one of the most experienced centers worldwide. He published the only randomized trial for cancer of the appendix. Recent publications of note: A Multicenter Randomized Trial to Evaluate Hematologic Toxicities after Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy with Oxaliplatin or Mitomycin in Patients with Appendiceal Tumors http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc5890298/ Completion Dissection or Observation of Sentinel-Node Metastasis in Melanoma http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc5548388/ Health-Related Quality of Life After Cytoreductive Surgery/HIPEC for Mucinous Appendiceal Cancer: Results of a Multicenter Randomized Trial Comparing Oxaliplatin and Mitomycin http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc7034653/ Caregiver Quality of Life Before and After Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc7192323/ Prognostic Molecular Classification of Appendiceal Mucinous Neoplasms Treated with Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-020-08210-5