Legacy Gift paper accepted to PBC!

Congratulations to Jen and her co-authors, whose paper on legacy gifts (autopsy tissue for research) was accepted to Pediatric Blood & Cancer, the leading journal for pediatric hematology-oncology.  For more details of this project, see www.ccurefast.org as well as our open science forum.   
  
[ "Overcoming autopsy barriers in pediatric cancer research", now online here! ]

Pediatric Cancer Nanocourse 2012

We are grateful and inspired by the 12 participants that came to Portland for the one-week Pediatric Cancer Nanocourse.  The goal was to create science‐informed liaisons between childhood cancer researchers and the community in order to empower the public to drive the cure of rare cancers. We firmly believe liaisons like these dedicated individuals, many of whom experienced unthinkable loss, are needed to speed the development of new and effective childhood cancer treatments.  We welcome the opportunity to work together with these individuals and the community in this shared mission.

[ update 1/31/2014:  see details of the 2012 Nanocourse peer-reviewed publication. ]

Welcoming Summer Student, Melissa

“I am a student at Sheldon High School, where my main concentrations are math and science, particularly chemistry. The area that most fascinates me at this time is neuroscience, because the brain is the most complex organ in the body and works in such advanced and amazing ways. I find it riveting that I could study the brain for my entire life and never completely understand how it works. A related interest is oncology. Like the brain, there is much about this field that remains unknown. I consider cancer one of life’s greatest mysteries that I believe be solved through the hard work of enthusiastic scientists in medical laboratories.  I have the enthusiasm that comes from knowing the pursuit of a cure will have a profound affect on everyone.”

   

"My initial interest in pediatric oncology occurred after I first read My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult. When I read this book I was especially interested the character Kate who is diagnosed with leukemia at a very young age. Since then, I have developed this interest and hope to one day become a pediatric oncologist helping children in their fight against cancer. Because of this ambitious goal, I am already planning my future to make a medical career within reach. For instance, I have dedicated myself academically to the sciences and math at the college level during sophomore year. I became interested in the research being done at the OHSU Keller Laboratory when I heard Dr. Laura Davis speak at the Doernbecher Open House for Kiwanis Club. I eagerly await this summer and the research I will be doing at Keller Lab."

Melissa is a Faith Fulmer Foundation Summer intern for osteosarcoma research.  

Welcoming Summer Student, Claire

"I grew up in the Portland area attending Jesuit High School and am currently a sophomore in the Oregon State University Honors College majoring in Biochemistry & Biophysics with the hope of attending medical school. My interest in pediatric oncology began six years ago when I began volunteering and fundraising for the Children's Cancer Association, a small Portland-based nonprofit. My experience with children with cancer along with my passion for chemistry are what make me so excited to become a part of the Keller lab team and have the opportunity to learn from the other lab team members."

  

“I want to work at the Keller Lab this summer because I think that it will be a really great opportunity for me to get an idea of what I want to do career-wise. Also, it will give me great experience working in a real research laboratory and doing something worthwhile with my time. I have always been very interested in how cancer affects of the body and the ways that chemotherapy can cure cancer. I have also been very fascinated with all the different ways to treat cancer and all the new developments in the field, which is why I am so excited to get a chance to work in a lab where those developments are taking place. I have had a limited amount of experience working in an undergraduate Biochemistry/Biophysics lab doing an experiment with E. coli, but I have not had extensive experience in a research laboratory.  By the start of summer I will have completed a full year of Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, and Multivariable Vector Calculus, along with a number of Baccalaureate Core classes. I am a student in the Oregon State University Honors College, a member of National Society of Collegiate Scholars, on the Dean's List at Oregon State, and I am currently receiving multiple scholarships based on my academic achievements and campus involvement. I am a quiet, considerate person who is very eager to learn and help the Keller Lab team this summer. I look forward to what is ahead of me this summer.”

  

Claire is a Faith Fulmer Foundation Summer intern for osteosarcoma research.  

Welcoming Summer Student, Michelle

"I am going to be a senior at Lakeridge High school and am looking forward to an enriching, informative experience at Dr. Keller’s Lab this summer. Throughout my education, I have always loved science. In my AP Biology and Human Physiology classes during my junior year, I became enthralled in the study of the human body. I aspire to pursue a career in medicine in my future. Dr. Keller’s Lab is an ideal place to start my journey in the field of medicine and science.

   

I joined the OHSU Keller lab for a summer internship in order to be immersed in an intense program that will not only prepare me for a future in science but will also allow me to learn more about pediatric oncology and the nature of cancer. Working in Dr. Keller’s lab will not only help prepare me for research in college and beyond, but will also facilitate the expansion of my knowledge."

Welcoming Summer Student, MacGregor Ehlen

"I am currently a student at the University of Oregon going into my senior year and I am studying Human Physiology.  I plan on attending medical school and becoming a surgeon.  I have seen many other aspects of medicine but have not been involved in research of any kind.  I look forward to working with the team on various research projects and seeing a different side of the medical field.  Hopefully along the way I’ll pick up some knowledge that I would not have learned anywhere else.  I am a Portland native and I am excited to be working here for the Summer."

Welcoming Summer Engineering Student, Noah Berlow

"I am a recent graduate of the Texas Tech University School of Electrical Engineering and currently a graduate student in the Electrical Engineering program under Dr. Ranadip Pal. Though trained as an Electrical Engineer, I have been involved in Biomedical research since 2009, with a focus in bridging the gap between Engineering theory and Personalized Cancer Treatment strategies. The challenge of working in a field mostly removed from my training, and the tangible benefits to the medical community and society at large, captured my attention in my undergraduate career and has kept me heavily involved in this field of research!"

  

“I have been collaborating with the Keller group at OHSU for more than a year now on a novel drug panel analysis, inference, and treatment strategy development system. However, in Lubbock, I am often more focused on the theory than the practical applications of the project. My biggest goal in working in the Keller group for the Summer is to push hard towards turning the theory and limited practical toolset into a full-fledged tool that oncologists would want to integrate into their cancer treatment work in hospitals and clinics worldwide. My experience in all manner of theory and applied practice in my field (algorithmics, mathematics, systems modeling, programming, software engineering, etc.) provides a fresh new skill set to tackle problems outside the scope of, but certainly related to, the research of the Keller group. However, my knowledge of biology and medicine related to cancer is primarily what I have gained from my immediate work experience. My work in the Keller lab will expand my biological knowledge and make me a more valuable member in future collaborations.”

  

Noah is a Faith Fulmer Foundation Summer intern for osteosarcoma research.