From Paul A. Bunn, Jr., MD
Director's Message: July 1, 2008
Members,
Andrew Thorburn, PhD, associate director for Basic Research, has been appointed as a member of the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Brease Cancer Research Program as a member of the BCRP Integration Panel. That means he will be working on the panel that sets the program vision and funding strategy for the USAMRRMC and will conduct second-tier reviews of proposals for funding.
::::::::
Kate Horwitz, PhD, distinguished professor of Medicine and member of our Hormone Related Malignancies Program, has received a $1 million grant from the Avon Foundation. So far, Avon has given UCCC $6.4 million for breast cancer prevention, treatment and research.
This grant, which was facilitated by the University of Colorado Foundation, will be used for patient access to care programs, the Comadre Program and Project Survivorship Outreach to Latinas (Project SOL). In addition, funds support a high risk genetic screening program for the medically underserved and research projects that collectively aim to understand the role of breast stem cells in cancer, improve response to hormonal therapy and develop markers that characterize resistance, and characterize steps in breast cancer metastasis.
:::::::::
There are a couple of great things happening today. First, University of Colorado Hospital is becoming a tobacco-free campus and turning its smoking huts into secure bike racks. Second, the Colorado School of Public Health, which is a collaboration of UC Denver, CSU and UNC, officially opens today . Many of our members of the AMC Cancer Prevention and Control Program are in the new school.
::::::::
The event last Wednesday that celebrated the collaboration between CU and CSU on cancer research was a great success. We had about 80 people show up, including the presidents of both universities, the deans of our medical school and the CSU vet school, friends from the local American Cancer Society group, and key donors. I think that at the end of the evening, which featured a great video (you can watch it on youtube ), everyone there understood two things: UCCC isn't a single facility, but rather a collaborative group of people working hard to end cancer as we know it, and the collaboration between CU and CSU is unique.
Channel 4 also did a nice story about the collaboration. You can watch it here.
::::::::
Tim Byers, MD, Cancer Center deputy director, was interviewed in the summer issue of CURE magazine about the need for cancer rehab to help survivors become more active and healthy.Good behavior: Cancer survivors get motivated to change lifestyle, and reap the benefits.
:::::::
Finally, Director's Newsletter will be published next Tuesday afternoon.
Have a great holiday!
Paul A. Bunn, Jr., MD
James Dudley Chair in Cancer Research
Professor and Director, University of Colorado Cancer Center