Inside the Tulane Cancer Center December 2003 Newsletter Accolades: Faculty Honors and Awards

Asim B. Abdel-Mageed, Ph.D. Melissa Brammer, M.D. Matthew E. Burow, Ph.D. Richard J. Campeau, M.D. Tyler J. Curiel, M.D., M.P.H Prescott Deininger, Ph.D. Melanie Ehrlich, Ph.D. Erik K. Flemington, Ph.D.

Robert F. Garry, Ph.D. Charles S. Hemenway, M.D., Ph.D. Steven M. Hill, Ph.D. Frank E. Jones, Ph.D. Marc J. Kahn, M.D. Erich K. Lang, M.D. Vincent F. La Russa, Ph.D. Laura S. Levy, Ph.D. Arthur J. Lustig, Ph.D.

Gilbert F. Morris, Ph.D. Raja Mudad, M.D. Kim O'Connor, Ph.D. Timothy Pearman, Ph.D. Janet L. Schmid, M.D. Roy S. Weiner, M.D. Paul K. Whelton, M.D. Weiping Zou, M.D., Ph.D.

Asim B. Abdel-Mageed, Ph.D.

• Published:
  • Davis R, Jia D, Cinar B, Sikka SC, Moparty K, Zhau HE, Chung LW, Agrawal KC, Abdel-Mageed AB: Functional androgen receptor confers sensitization of androgen independent prostate cancer cells to anticancer therapy via caspase activation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 309(4): 937-45, 2003.
  • Flynn Jr. V, Ramanitharan A, Moparty K, Davis R, Agrawal KC, Abdel-Mageed AB: Adenovirus-mediated inhibition of NF-kappa B confers chemosensitization and apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. Int J Onc, 23: 317-323, 2003.
  • Eid MA, Lewis RW, Abdel-Mageed AB, Kumar MV: Reduced response of prostate cancer cells to TRAIL is modulated by NF-kappa B-mediated inhibition of caspases and Bid activation. Int. J. Oncol, 21(1):111-7, 2002.
• Presented:
  • Re-Expression of Androgen Receptor Sensitizes Prostate Cancer Cells to Anticancer Therapy via Caspase Activation, American Cancer Association, Washington, D.C., July 2003.
• Principal Investigator, DOD, Functional Characterization of Two Novel Human Prostate Cancer Metastasis Related Genes, $125,000 (annual direct), $555,000 (annual total), 12/03 - 1/06.
• Member, DOD Prostate Cancer Study Section and Breast Cancer Concept Awards
• Mentor and alternate Principal Investigator, HBCU Collaborative Partnership Award between Tulane and Xavier Universities, Training HBCU Faculty and Students in Prostate Cancer (PC) Research: Signal Transduction and Receptor-Inhibitor Interactions in Progress of PC.

Melissa Brammer, M.D.

• Graduated in May 2003 as part of the first class of graduates from the Clinical Research Curriculum Award Training Program leading to a Master of Science of Public Health in Clinical Research.
• Presented:
  • Communication in Healthcare, Fifth Annual Ethics in Healthcare Conference, sponsored by Memorial Hospital, Gulfport, MS, September 2003.
  • Endocrine Therapy of Breast Cancer, Tulane Women's Health CME Series "Contemporary Issues in Women's Health," April 2003.
  • The Breast Center of MCLNO, Tulane Epidemiology Seminar Series, April 2003.
  • Breast Cancer Screening and Treatment, The Breast Center of MCLNO, Cancer Screening and Prevention Disease Management Seminar, Pennington Conference Center, Baton Rouge, 2003.
• Was appointed Cancer Liaison Physician, Commission on Cancer, MCLNO.
• Served as Co-Chairman of the Treatment and Care Planning Group for the Louisiana Comprehensive Cancer Control Partnership, an effort by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Louisiana Cancer and Lung Trust Fund Board, the American Cancer Society, the Louisiana Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, and the Louisiana Tumor Registry to develop a statewide comprehensive cancer control plan.

Matthew E. Burow, Ph.D.

• Principal Investigator, NIH-NIDDK, R01 DK59389-01A1, P13K/AKT Crosstalk with ER Signaling and Cell Survival, $250,000 (annual direct), $371,250 (annual total), 4/03 -3/08.

Richard J. Campeau, M.D.

• Medical Director of the New Orleans Regional P.E.T. Center

Tyler J. Curiel, M.D., M.P.H

• Published:
  • Knutson KL, Curiel TJ, Salazar L, Disis ML: Immunologic principles and immunotherapeutic approaches in ovarian cancer. Hematology and Oncology Clinics of North America, 17(4):1051-1073, 2003
• Ad hoc reviewer for NCI SRG-Subcommittee C - Basic and Preclinical Sciences (P30 Program) - May 2003.
• Ad hoc reviewer for NIH Experimental Immunology Study Section, June 2003.
• Principal Investigator, $120,000 grant from Johnson & Johnson to develop novel chemotherapy delivery systems.
• Initiated a clinical trial, Phase I/II Trial of Ontak to Improve Tumor Immunity in Patients with Cancer, which represents the first attempt to test discoveries made in the Curiel lab in humans.
• Invited to serve as running and fitness consultant for Runner's World magazine.

Prescott Deininger, Ph.D.

• Chair, Medical Genetics Review Panel, which evaluates grants for the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program.
• Published:
  • Perepelitsa-Balancio V, Deininger P: RNA truncation by premature polyadenylation attenuates human mobile element activity. Nature Genetics, 35(4):363-366, 2003.

Melanie Ehrlich, Ph.D.

• Invited speaker at the recent joint annual conference of the German/Austrian/Swiss Human Genetics Societies in Marburg, Germany (Epigenetics: Cancer and the ICF Syndrome), at the recent Annual Meeting of the American Society for Human Genetics in Los Angeles (DNA Methylation Silencing and Human Disease), and at the Fascioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy Society Consortium (Epigenetics and FSHD) in Los Angeles.

Erik K. Flemington, Ph.D.

• Principal Investigator, NIH, Characterization of EBV BZLF1 Gene Product, $190,000 (annual direct), $282,000 (annual total), 4/03-3/07.
• Advisor to Zhen Li, winner of the Tulane Cancer Center Award for Cancer Research at the 2003 Tulane Health Sciences Center Research Days. Li's poster was titled Role of Cell Cycle Control Factors in Regulation of Epstein-Barr Virus Lytic Reactivation.

Robert F. Garry, Ph.D.

• Working in conjunction with LSU professor William Gallaher, developed a model of a critical surface protein of the virus that causes SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), which could pave the way for development of new antiviral drugs to treat SARS.

Charles S. Hemenway, M.D., Ph.D.

• 2003 Mauvernay Research Excellence Scholar
• Published:
  • Srinivasan RS, deErkenez AC, Hemenway CS: The mixed lineage leukemia fusion partner AF9 binds specific isoforms of the BCL-6 corepressor. Oncogene, 22:3395-3406, 2003.
• Principal Investigator, Development of a Model of Infant Leukemia for Targeted Therapeutics, Ladies Leukemia League, $34,187 (direct costs), 6/03 - 5/04.
• Principal Investigator, NIH, NCI RO-1, Targeted Therapy for 11q23 Acute Leukemias, 9th percentile in review, funding anticipated 3/1/04, $150,000 (annual direct) for three years.
• Invited speaker, The AF9 Transactivation Domain as a Therapeutic Target for Acute Leukemia, Hematologic Malignancies Translational Research Group, University of Pennsylvania, February 2003.

Steven M. Hill, Ph.D.

• Co-Principal Investigator with Nitsa Rosenzweig, Ph.D., Xavier University (P.I), Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) grant, BC030300, Developing Breast Cancer Program at Xavier: Genomic and Proteomic Analysis of Signaling Pathways Involved in Xenohormone and MEK5 Regulation of Breast Cancer, $996,109, 2004-2008.

Frank E. Jones, Ph.D

• Published:
  • Jones FE, Burow ME, Hill SJ: Signal transduction in breast cancer: silencing the cross-talk. European Biopharmaceutical Review, Spring, 70-73, 2003.
  • Jones FE, Golding JP, Gassmann M: ErbB4 signaling during breast and neural development: novel genetic models reveal unique ErbB4 activities. Cell Cycle, 2:555-559, 2003.
  • Long W, Wagner KU, Lloyd KCK, Binart N, Shillingford JM, Hennighausen L, Jones FE: Impaired differentiation and lactational failure in ErbB4-deficient mammary glands identify ErbB4 as an obligate mediator of Stat5. Development, 130:5257-5268, 2003.
• The Jones lab was selected for two platform presentations at the recent FASEB Summer Research Conference on Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinases, Tucson, AZ:
  • Allison J, Vidal G, Marrero L, Jones FE: Identification of an ErbB4 nuclear localization signal (NLS): an intact ErbB4 NLS is required for ErbB4-induced Stat 5 transactivation (presented by G. Vidal)
  • Long W, Burow ME, Marrero L, Jones FE: ErbB4, a pro-apoptotic BH3-only protein, induces cell death of breast cancer cells but not normal breast epithelium (presented by W. Long)

Principal Investigator, Influence of ErbB4 Activity on Metastatic Breast Cancer, 1 R01 CA 096717-01A1, NIH, $1,831,710, 7/03-6/08

Mentor on recently awarded DOD prostate cancer research program collaborative partnership training award, a three-year award to foster research collaborations between Xavier University and Tulane University Health Sciences Center.

Marc J. Kahn, M.D.

• Published:
  • Kahn MJ, Lazarus CJ, Owens DE: Allowing patients to die: practical, ethical, and religious concerns. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 21:3000-3002, 2003.
• Recently selected as associate editor of ASH-SAP, the educational publication of the American Society of Hematology.
• Recently quoted in the Lancet regarding his opinions on the Schiavo case in Florida.

Erich K. Lang, M.D.

• Presented:
  • At the European Congress of Radiology, Vienna, March 2003:
    • Lang EK, Davis R, Thomas R, Ruiz D, Macchia R, Richter F, Watson RA, Gayle B, Choi A, Meyers L, Marberger M, Lechner G, Sabel A: Multiphasic helical CT in diagnosis of microscopic hematuria.
    • Lang EK, Meyers L: Superselective embolization of uterine fibroids, assessment of impact on fertility.
  • At the American Urologic Association meeting, Chicago, April 26 - May 1, 2003:
    • Lang EK, Thomas R, Davis R, Meyers L, Richter F, Watson R, Cho K, Lechner G, Marberger M, Helbich F, Gayle B, Sabel A, Mendez F, Shaw K: Multiphasic helical CT in assessment of microscopic hematuria (a prospective study).
    • Lang EK, Thomas R, Richter F, Watson R, Macchia R, Cho K, Lechner G, Meyers L, Sabel A: Tailored CT in diagnosis of bladder lesions causing hematuria.
    • Lang EK, Thomas R, Watson R, Irwin R, Davis R, Gerhard V, Uremar E, Meyers L: Management of ureteral obstruction by carcinoma of the cervix with wall stents and endostents: long term results and impact on chemotherapy.
  • Lang EK, Meyers L: Results of embolotherapy in treatment of menorrhagia long term follow-up (10 plus years), Society of Interventional Radiology, Salt Lake City, Utah, March 2003.
  • Lang EK, Davis R, Thomas R, Shaw K: Management of vascular complications attendant renal access procedures for percutaneous lithotripsy. Southeastern Section of the American Urologic Association, March 2003.

Vincent F. La Russa, Ph.D.

• Published:
  • Jiang G, Yang F, Li M, Weissbecker K, Price S, Kim KC, La Russa VF, Safah H, Ehrlich M: Imatinib (STI571) provides only limited selectivity for CML cells and treatment might be complicated by silent BCRABL genes. Cancer Biology and Therapy, 2:1661-1667, 2003.
  • Ramdas J, Warrier RP, Scher C, La Russa VF: Effects of amifostine on clonogenic mesenchymal progenitors and hematopoietic progenitors exposed to radiation. J Ped Hem Onc, 25:19-26, 2003.
  • La Russa VF, Mondal D, Miller A, Safah H, Rozans MK, Curiel TJ, Agrawal K, Weiner RS: Neuronal stem cells biology and plasticity. Cancer Investigation, 21:792-804, 2003.
• Presented:
  • La Russa VF, Lee M, Price S, Safah H, Miller AM, Rozans MK, Weiner RS: Engraftment and production of mesenchymal colony forming cells (M-CFC) in vitro. Tandem BMT Meetings, Keystone, Colorado, 2003.

Laura S. Levy, Ph.D.

• Led a winning team at the 15th International Workshop on Retroviral Pathogenesis in Glasgow, Scotland. The first prize winner in the poster competition was Karen Rulli, one of Levy's former students. The second prize was shared by three of her current students, Chandtip Chandhasin, Samantha Finstad and Chassidy Johnson. Chandhasin and Johnson have received fellowship support from the Tulane Cancer Center.

Arthur J. Lustig, Ph.D.

• Published:
  • Lustig AJ: Clues to catastrophic telomere loss in mammals from yeast telomere rapid deletion. Nat Rev Genet, 4:916-923, 2003.
  • Wyatt HR, Liaw JJ, Green GR, Lustig AJ: Multiple roles for Saccharomyces cerevisiae Histone H2A in telomere position effect, spt suppression and DSB repair. Genetics, 164: 30-48, 2003.
  • Williams B, Lustig AJ: The paradoxical relationship between NHEJ and telomeric fusion. Molecular Cell, April 2003.
• Invited speaker, Catastrophic Telomere Loss: Lessons from Yeast, St. Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, December 2003.
• Histone H2A is a Regulator of Heterochromatin, Silencing, and DSB Repair, Third NIH Symposium on the Eukaryotic Nucleus, Coolfront Conference Center, West Virginia, March 2003.
• Session Chair and presenter, An mre11 Allele that Bypasses Senescence in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Cold Spring Harbor Conference on Telomeres and Telomerases, Cold Spring Harbor Labs, May 2003.

Gilbert F. Morris, Ph.D.

• Published:
  • Zhuo Y, Hoyle GW, Zhang J, Morris GF, Lasky JA: A novel murine PDGF-D splicing variant results in significant differences in peptide expression and function. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 308:126-132, 2003.
  • Shan B, Xu J, Zhuo Y, Morris CA, Morris GF: Induction of p53-dependent activation of the human PCN gene in chromatin by ionizing radiation. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 278:44009, 2003.
• Presented:
  • Morris GF, Notwick A, David O, Fermin C, Brody AR, Friedman M: Development of lung tumors in mutant p53-expressing mice after inhalation exposure to asbestos. Thomas L. Petty Aspen Lung Conference 46th Annual Meeting, Aspen, CO, 2003.
• Chair, Curriculum Committee, and member, Recruiting Committee, Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, 2002 - present.
• Poster discussion moderator and review group member, Tulane University Health Sciences Center Fifteenth Annual Research Days, 2003.
• Mentor for Ximena Vanegas, LSU-Tulane NCI-Sponsored Summer Internship Program, 2003
• Mentor for recent graduate, Bin Shan, Ph.D., who won several awards, including the Cancer Association of Greater New Orleans Student Award, the American Society of Investigative Pathology's Young Pathologist Fellowship, and the Keystone Symposia Scholarship, and is currently in a post-doctoral position with Joe Lasky, M.D., Pulmonary Division, Department of Medicine.

Raja Mudad, M.D.

• Published:
  • Mudad R, Ramsey M, Kovitz K, Curiel TJ, Hartz R, Nedzi LL, Weiner RS, Zakris EL: Concomitant weekly docetaxel, cisplatin and radiation therapy in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a dose finding study. Lung Cancer, 39(2): 173-77, 2003.

Kim O'Connor, Ph.D.

• Published:
  • Song H, O'Connor KC, David O, Giordano CL, Pappas-LeBeau H, Clejan S: Immunohistochemical analysis of differentiation in mixed and static prostate cancer spheroids. J Cell Mol Med, 7:180-186, 2003.
• Presented:
  • Song H, Enmon R, Jain S, Lacks D, O'Connor KC: Monte Carlo Simulation of LNCaP Human Prostate Cancer Cell Aggregation in Liquid-Overlay Culture. American Institute of Chemical Engineers, San Francisco, CA, 2003.
  • Song H, David O, Giordano C, Pappas-LeBeau H, Clejan S, O'Connor KC: Expression of Multidrug Resistance Proteins in Static and Mixed Cultures of Prostate Cancer Spheroids. American Association of Cancer Research, Washington, D.C., 2003.
  • Song H, David O, Giordano C, Pappas-LeBeau H, Clejan S, O'Connor KC: Influence of Mixing on Phenotypic Differences in Well and Poorly Differentiated Prostate Cancer Spheroids. American Chemical Society, New Orleans, 2003.
• Hong Song, a graduate student who has been conducting prostate cancer research in Dr. O'Connor's lab, recently successfully defended his doctoral dissertation and began post-doctoral studies at Johns Hopkins Medical School, December 1, 2003.

Timothy Pearman, Ph.D.

• Published:
  • Pearman TP: Quality of life and psychosocial adjustment in gynecologic cancer. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 1(33), 2003.
• Presented:
  • Sanford RE, White AJ, Alleman SJ, Davis R, Zakris EL, Nedzi LA: Initial clinical experience with infrared-reflecting skin markers in patients treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy for prostate cancer. World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Sydney, Australia, August 2003.
  • Presented a poster entitled Quality of Life in Gynecologic Malignancies, 6th World Congress of Psycho-Oncology, Banff, Canada, April 2003. Robert Sanford, Ph.D.
• Invited speaker, Working with Multidisciplinary Teams and Patient Empowerment, Harrington Cancer Center's Supportive Care Conference, Amarillo, Texas, April 2003.

Janet L. Schmid, M.D.

• Contributing author to: Cools J, et al.: A tyrosine kinase created by fusion of the PDGFRA and FIP1L1 genes as a therapeutic target of imatinib in idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome. NEJM, 348(13): 1201-14, 2003.
• Tulane University Hospital and Clinic Apheresis was re-accredited by the National Marrow Donor Program as an Apheresis Center for the collection of peripheral blood stem cells, February 2003.
• Presented Sickle Cell Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Grand Rounds.

Roy S. Weiner, M.D.

• Received American Cancer Society Spirit Award at their Hope Gala, August 2003.
• Attended Oncology Round Table, Washington, D.C., July 2003.
• Published:
  • Khan MM, Weiner RS, Sawhney M: Economic benefits of establishing a National Cancer Institute designated cancer center in Louisiana. J La State Med Soc, 155: 247-252, 2003.

Paul K. Whelton, M.D.

• Received Distinguished Alumnus Award from the National University of Ireland, University College Cork, December 2003.
• Elected to The Johns Hopkins University Society of Scholars, recognizing former Johns Hopkins faculty who have gained distinction in their fields.
• Co-editor of Lifestyle Modification for the Prevention and Treatment of Hypertension (Marcel Dekker 2003) along with Tulane researchers Jiang He and Gail Louis.

Weiping Zou, M.D., Ph.D.

• Published:
  • Curiel TJ, Wei S, Dong H, Krzysiek R, Cheng J, Knutson K, Mottram P, Daniel B, Zimmermann MC, Borvak J, Gordon A, Dhurandhar NM, Myers L, Berggren R, Emilie D, Alvarez RD, Hemminki A, Curiel DT, Chen L, Zou W: Myeloid dendritic cell associated B7-H1 inhibits T cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity. Nature Medicine, 9(5): 562-567, 2003.
• Principal Investigator, DOD, DAMD1703-1-0078, SDF-1, DC1\DC2 & Tumor Angiogenesis, $125,000 (annual direct), $185,625 (annual total), 3/03 - 4/06.
• Principal Investigator, NCI, R01 CA092562, Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells and Tumor Immunity, $178,000 (annual direct), $264,330 (annual total), 7/03-6/08.

Return to the December 2003 "Inside the Tulane Cancer Center" newsletter.

---

Tulane Cancer Center
http://www.som.tulane.edu/cancer or http://www.canceriscurable.com
Box SL-68, 1430 Tulane Avenue
New Orleans, Louisiana 70122-2699
(504) 988-6060, fax (504) 988-6077



This page is http://www.som.tulane.edu/cancer/newsletterac1203.html
This page was last updated on

---

Return to the top of this page.
Return to the Tulane Cancer Center homepage.
Calendars Clinical Trials Faculty Links Location News

Search Site index