Weekly briefing • April 9, 2024

‘Symptom science’ aims to ease the burden of cancer treatment. An expanding research program at OHSU is seeking better ways to control cancer symptoms and limit the toxic side effects of treatments. “As urgently as we develop new therapies, we just as urgently need to determine best strategies to make them as tolerable as possible so that people can live their lives,” said Eric Roeland, M.D.

It’s the leading cause of cancer death, but stigmatized and neglected. At the Go2 for Lung Cancer Voices Summit in Washington, D.C., OHSU's Eliza Kaiser, RN, B.S.N., briefed Congressional leaders on the urgent needs of the lung cancer community and to advocate for funding to support lung cancer research and the development of new treatment options. "We need to remove the stigma and stop blaming its victims for their disease," Kaiser said.

Clinical trials are barely reaching some communities. Increasing participation by people from under-represented populations is the subject of an April 17 panel discussion hosted by the FDA’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity. Learn about other opportunities to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in the latest Belong, Include, Empower newsletter.

The Spring Town Hall is next week. Hear from OHSU Knight Cancer Institute leaders, vote on the top names for the Knight’s new giant inflatable colon, and more at this April 16 virtual get-together. There will be time for questions throughout the presentation. Employees are invited to ask questions during the event or to email them in advance to knightcancercom@ohsu.edu.

The annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research is underway in San Diego. We’ll have a roundup next week of presentations by OHSU researchers. Pictured here (left to right) are graduate students Michael Henderson, Rawan Makkawi, M.S., Haylie Helms, M.S., and Vaibhav Murthy.

Laurels

For the latest Paper of the Month, the School of Medicine spotlighted a publication by first author Katie Blise, Ph.D., and senior author Katelyn Byrne, Ph.D. They used machine learning to discover new insights about T cells in the pancreatic tumor microenvironment and their association with clinical outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients.

Ileana Esquivel, PA-C, has been appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Oregon Senate to sit on the Oregon Medical Board for a 3-year term. She is the only OHSU provider seated on the board and fills the new physician assistant seat added this year.

Brigit Hatch, M.D., M.P.H., was named the Charles R. and Velma E. Sharp Professor, endowed to support a public health expert focused on cancer research, prevention and outreach. In addition to her primary care practice, Hatch works at an OHSU family medicine specialty clinic teaching procedural skills for the screening, testing and surveillance of endometrial and cervical cancers. She’s also leading work to improve HPV vaccination rates in rural settings.

Katie Blise, Ph.D., Katelyn Byrne, Ph.D., Ileana Esquivel, PA-C, and Brigit Hatch, M.D., M.P.H.

Calendar

April 10

Knight Cancer seminar: Optimizing Lung Cancer Screening and Treatment Strategies through Computer Simulation Analysis • Chung Yin Kong, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai • 4-5 p.m. • Webex only

April 13

Day and Knight Hikers: Fort Stevens State Park Loop • 8 a.m. • advance registration required, email Tiera Liby

Community event: Kidney Cancer Association 82K Challenge • 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. • Tualatin Community Park

April 15

BTS seminar: AI in cancer imaging: opportunities and challenges • Jayashree Kalpathy-Cramer, University of Colorado • 4-5 p.m. • KCRB auditorium and Webex

April 16

Knight Town Hall: Updates from CEO Brian Druker, Director Tom Sellers and others • 12-1 p.m. • Webex 

April 17

Knight Cancer Seminar: Research at the Brenden-Colson Center for Pancreatic Care • Rosie Sears • 4-5 p.m. • KCRB auditorium and Webex 

OHSU Innovates series: Promoting inventor equity in patenting •  Stephen Sullivan of Schwabe Williamson and Wyatt, and OHSU’s Carmem Pfeifer and Ruchi Thanawala will discuss the barriers to inclusive inventorship and strategies to foster more equity in patenting • 10 a.m. via Zoom

April 22

Pediatric Hem-Onc recruitment seminar: The influence of lineage programs on tumorigenesis in hepatoblastoma • Peng Wu, Stanford Medicine Children’s Health • 11 a.m.-noon • Sam Jackson Hall 4248 and Webex

BTS seminar: Catch Me if You Can: Resistance to CAR T Immunotherapy • Marco Ruella, University of Pennsylvania • 4-5 p.m. • KCRB auditorium and Webex

April 23

CBDS/DOS recruitment seminar: Computational approaches for utilizing mutational signatures for cancer treatment and cancer prevention • Erik Bergstrom, UCSD • 11 a.m. • KCRB Auditorium

CEDAR Seminar: Neurofibromatosis Type 1: Targeting Immune Infiltration for Tumor Therapy • Nancy Ratner, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine • 9-10 a.m. • KCRB auditorium and Webex

April 24

Biostatistics seminar: To seq, or not to seq, that depends on the question • Lina Gao, Suzanne Fei and Shauna Rakshe, OHSU • 11 a.m.-noon • KCRB 1016 and Webex

Knight Cancer Seminar: Joshua Moreau and Megan Ruhland • 4-5 p.m. • KCRB auditorium and Webex 

April 25

Scientific meeting: OHSU Epigenetics Symposium • Keynote speakers Joe Ecker, UC San Diego, and Marisa Bartolomei, University of Pennsylvania • Program includes talks from investigators whose research focuses on epigenetics and posters from graduate students, postdocs, and research staff, with a reception to follow • 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. • KCRB

April 26

CME: Knight Cancer Community Symposium • Learn about recent advances in cancer care, research, and programs at OHSU and across Oregon • 7:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m. • KCRB and Webex

OCTRI Workshop Series: Doing Better Research: Improving Practice through Intersectionality • Natassja Pal and Kyla Tompkins, OHSU • 1:30-3 p.m. • Virtual • Register in Compass

April 27

Community event: PurpleStride fundraising walk with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network • 9 a.m. • Portland International Raceway

NAS research briefing: Inflammation and Cancer: From Basic Mechanisms to Therapeutic Targets • Lisa M. Coussens • 2:30 p.m. EDT • register for the livestream

April 29

BTS seminar: Forecasting carcinogenesis • Elana Fertig, Johns Hopkins University • 4-5 p.m. • KCRB auditorium and Webex

May 17

Workshop: Helping oncology staff process grief • Susan Hedlund, director of patient and family services • 9-11 a.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.