Weekly briefing • Oct. 3, 2023

The Calvin and Mayho Tanabe Address on Sept. 28 featured oncologist and author Siddhartha Mukherjee, M.D., followed by an on-stage conversation with Knight Cancer Institute Director Brian Druker, M.D.

A grateful cancer patient recounted his life-saving experience at OHSU. When David Brockman was diagnosed with a rare type of lymphoma, tumors had spread to his spine and skull and resisted chemotherapy. He was referred to the Knight Cancer Institute for CAR-T cell treatment. His PET scans now show no visible tumors. He told his story to the OHSU Foundation after making a donation to support cancer research. 

OHSU named new leaders at the Center for Biomedical Data Science. Sadik Esener, Ph.D., will serve as the interim director while retaining his role as CEDAR director. Xubo Song, Ph.D., and Emek Demir, Ph.D., are joining Esener as scientific co-directors of the center, a collaboration with the University of Oregon. Shannon McWeeney, Ph.D., will serve as advisory board co-chair.

Explore funding sources that seek to support diverse candidates. At the next meeting in the Knight Gender Equity Series, Sudarshan Anand, Ph.D., and Cristina Tognon, Ph.D., will discuss DEI-directed grants including the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Gilliam Fellowship, the Soros Fellowship for New Americans, and the National Institute of Health F31 Diversity grants. Join in-person at 1 p.m. on Oct. 10 in KCRB 1011, or online via Webex. 

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office needs your feedback. The online questionnaire is anonymous and takes about 5 minutes to complete. Associate Dean Leslie Garcia will review each response and share findings with School of Medicine leaders to shape DEI offerings. Learn more in the latest Belong, Include Empower newsletter.

During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and Sickle Cell Awareness Month, Doernbecher Children’s Hospital celebrated pediatric hem-onc team members from 10 South who provide excellent care for patients and families. October is breast cancer and liver cancer awareness month. As you or your teams mark these observances, you’re invited to share your photos with Knight News or on social media by tagging @OHSUKnight on Instagram or using hashtag #OHSUKnight.

Laurels

Carolyn Schutt Ibsen, Ph.D., received a 5-year, $1.9 million R35 grant from the National Institutes of Health to support the development of ultrasound-tunable hydrogels that enable noninvasive genetic manipulation of cells in 3D culture. Ibsen’s lab is using these novel biomaterials to decipher how the presentation of proteins in time and space coordinates 3D cell behaviors, including guided cell migration processes involved in both tissue regeneration and cancer.

The American Cancer Society spotlighted Rajan Kulkarni, M.D., Ph.D., at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute. Kulkarni's lab is focused on studying tumor heterogeneity through single cell isolation and analysis, for all cancers, but primarily in melanoma, prostate and lung cancers.

Calendar

Oct. 4

Research social: Mingle with colleagues before the Knight Cancer Research seminar • 3:30-4 p.m. • KCRB, outside the auditorium

Knight Cancer Research Seminar: The CEBPβ/IL1β/TNFα Axis Drives Intrinsic and Extrinsic Resistance to BCL2 and MDM2 Inhibitors in Monocytic Leukemia Cells • 4-5 p.m. • KCRB auditorium and Webex

Oct. 7

Community event: O-Vary Funny Dinner and Fundraising Auction, Ovarian Cancer Alliance • 6:30 p.m. • Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, Portland

Oct. 9

BTS Seminar: Molecular archeology of cancer • Peter Van Loo, MD Anderson Cancer Center • 4-5 p.m. • KCRB auditorium and Webex 

Oct. 10

Knight Cancer Gender Equity Series: DEI Directed Grant Funding Opportunities • Sudarshan Anand and Cristina Tognon, OHSU • 1-2 p.m. • KCRB 1011 and Webex 

Oct. 11

Research social: Mingle with colleagues before the Knight Cancer Research seminar • 3:30-4 p.m. • KCRB, outside the auditorium

Knight Cancer Research Seminar: Sherrie Umpierre • 4-5 p.m. • KCRB auditorium and Webex 

Oct. 13

Pancreas Research Monthly: Immunometabolism in Pancreatic Cancer Cachexia • Aaron Grossberg, OHSU • 9-10 a.m. • Rood Pavilion B,C 

Oct. 14

Day and Knight Hikers: Mirror Lake Trail • 8 a.m. • Mount Hood National Forest • Advance registration required

Community event: Light the Night, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society • 4:30 p.m. • Zidell Yards, Portland

Oct. 16

BTS seminar: Sex disparities in cancer immunoediting • Elise Alspach, Saint Louis University • 4-5 p.m. • KCRB auditorium and Webex 

Oct. 17

CEDAR seminar: Multiscale Diffusion Geometry For (Deep) Learning Of Graphs, Manifolds, And Flows • Smita Krishnaswamy, Yale School of Medicine • 9-10 a.m. • online via Zoom

Oct. 18

Research social: Mingle with colleagues before the Knight Cancer Research seminar • 3:30-4 p.m. • KCRB, outside the auditorium 

Knight Cancer Research Seminar: Deciphering and harnessing the butterfly effect in PARP-ligand interactions • Michael Cohen • 4-5 p.m. • KCRB auditorium and Webex 

Hem-Onc office hours: Brandon Hayes-Lattin, deputy division head • 5-6 p.m. • Webex

About this newsletter:

Knight News is a weekly update on accomplishments, opportunities and events at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute. Have news to share? Send a note to KnightCancerCom@ohsu.edu.