In Appreciation: Douglas Church

Tireless is often a figurative term, but in Doug's case it can be a literal adjective. Our lab team often comes in for a 'second shift'.  But we're often not the only ones up in the Biomedical Research Building...  Tonight, 9:13pm, as usual -- Doug is still doing his first shift... and a very long one at that!  Doug is a key administration and grants person who strives for excellence, and it shows not only in his hours but also the quality of what he does.  

  

Thank you, Doug!

  

Congratulations, Tohru !

Many congratulations to Tohru that his study of the role of the Rb1 gene in muscle stem cells has been accepted for publication in The Journal of Biological Chemistry.  This particular study was a lot of work, and it is the third paper by Tohru from his postdoctoral fellowship in our laboratory (the other in press & recent in print studies were on the muscle cancer rhabdomyosarcoma and a strangely muscle-like ontogeny of pituitary progenitor cells).  Tohru is truly a scientist for all seasons.
  
Co-authors of the JBC study include current KellerLab member, Guangheng Li, as well as KellerLab alumnists Suresh Prajapati and Koichi Nishijo.  
  
[ Pictured to the right is Tohru with his wife, Dr. Sachiko Ohshima-Hosoyama, who also is a KellerLab alumnist. ]
 
[ now Online! click here.  Print publication will be June 3. ]

Welcoming Sangeet

We are excited to welcome postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Sangeet Lal, to the Keller laboratory.  Sangeet brings expertise in malignant glioma tumor microenvironment and unique animal model to our laboratory & program.  


An introduction in Sangeet's own words, 


" My first exposure to basic science research happened during my M.Sc. at I.I.T., Bombay, India, and my interest in this career matured during my tenure as a research assistant at ICGEB, India. I want to establish my research career in developing tumor cell-specific targeting strategies. During my doctoral training in Jeffrey Greenwood’s lab at Oregon State University, I developed my knowledge of cancer cell biology while studying the mechanisms regulating invasion of glioblastoma cells using transparent zebrafish as in-vivo and organotypic mouse brain slices as ex-vivo approaches. My post-doctoral research in Dr. Keller’s lab will focus on investigating factors responsible for leptomeningeal metastasis in pediatric brain tumors. "


We're very glad to have Sangeet on our team!

AACR Annual Meeting

Today at the American Association for Cancer Research in Orlando, Ken presented his poster on The role of protein kinase Cι in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma.  Charles also began his term on the tumor microenvironment (TME) steering committee. 
   
An emerging theme is that targeted (non-chemotherapy) drugs probably need to be given in combination for most solid tumors, and that the complexity of cancer and nearby non-cancerous tissue needs to be considered for targeted treatment, too.  

COG Brain Tumor Preclinical Symposium

Our thanks to all the speakers and thought leaders that participated in the COG-CNS Developmental Therapeutics (DVL) Symposium on Friday.  This Children's Oncology Group special science symposium on childhood brain tumors was designed to bring together scientists and clinicians to create systematic approaches to integrating recent advances in brain tumor research and newly emerging preclinical resources to create tangible, actionable 6 month milestones.  Organizers included Amar Gajjar (St Jude; Chair of COG-CNS cmte), Maryam Fouladi (Cincinnati Children's Hospital; co-chair CNS-DVL) and Charles Keller (OHSU; co-chair of CNS-DVL).  Speakers were Jim Olson (Univ of Washington/FHCRC), Anita Hjelmeland (Lerner Institute/Cleveland Clinic), Xiao-Nan Li (Baylor/Texas Children's Cancer Center), Anang Shelt (St Jude), Clinton Stewart (St Jude) and Richard Gilbertson (St Jude).  Particularly impressive were the special pharmacokinetic models from Dr. Stewart, the new preclinical models from Dr. Li, and the outstanding eppendymoma science from Dr. Gilbertson. It was an active session with important ideas from many thought leaders across North America, and importantly, an inclusive plan is in place to bring new drug (and new drug combinations) into effect for the most devastating of childhood brain tumors.    
  

Imran selected as a 2011/212 HHMI Fellow

Many congratulations to Imran Alsam who has been selected as a Medical Research Fellows Program of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.  This unique and prestigious program permits high-achieving medical students to take a year away from medical school to conduct focused research.  For his year, Imran will work on tumor cell evolution in a collaborative project between the Keller and Druker laboratories.  
  
  Congratulations again, Imran, on this great achievement along your path to becoming leading physician-scientist!    
  
  
[ update 7/17/2011:  Imran was highlighted in the AMA Foundation June e-news! ]
  

  

Congratulations, Tohru and Imran !

We are excited that Tohru and Imran's study of IL-4 Receptor as a therapeutic target in rhabdomyosarcoma has been accepted for publication in the journal, Clinical Cancer Research.  Co-authors include PPTI Scientific Manager Jinu Abraham, as well as lab alumni Suresh, Koichi and Laura.  Collaborator co-authors are Lee Ann Zarzabal & Joel Michalek (UTHSCSA), Denis Guttridge (Ohio State) and Brian Rubin (Cleveland Clinic).  This work was funded in part by the Scott Carter Foundation, the AMA Foundation, the Joanna McAfee Childhood Cancer Foundation and the National Cancer Institute.   
  
[ update 5/11/2011:  view the article online here.  ]