Issue 10 | December, 2024

Holiday Message from Dr. El-Deiry

The Legorreta Cancer Center has had an incredible year of growth. We’ve welcomed 17 new members and appointed three new leaders: Michelle Dawson as the Associate Director of the Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination; Sheldon Holder as Associate Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; and Cara Matthews as the co-chair of the Scientific Review and Monitoring Committee. We’ve engaged our community through Cancer Talk Cafes as part of our Color of Cancer program, and built partnerships with Progresso Latino in Central Falls and the Cape Verdean Community Center. We’ve continued advocacy efforts through our partnership with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS-CAN), as well as the leadership roles our members hold through the American Society for Clinical Oncology and American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. We’ve organized exciting retreats and symposia throughout the year, such as our RNA & Cancer Biology Symposium held in partnership with the Brown RNA Center, our annual Translational Oncology Symposium held this year at The Warren Alpert Medical School, and our annual Membership Retreat, to cultivate space for sharing new ideas focused on team science and to continue to expand the culture of our cancer center. We’ve funded three junior faculty through the American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant, six Cancer Behavioral Research pilots and five Translational Oncology pilots to support new research directions.

We could not achieve such progress without our incredible community of cancer researchers and clinicians. We lost a vital member of that community in Alexander Brodsky, a pioneer in mRNA and microRNA research and a dear friend to many. He will remain in our memory. 

This year we also lost Diana Richardson, a beloved member of the BioMed Advancement office, who helped to organize our incredible luminaria event at Brown Family Weekend this October. Her unexpected loss has been felt deeply by our community. 

I would like to extend my gratitude to all of our members, faculty, staff, trainees and patients for your contributions to the work of our cancer center. Your commitment to our mission drives us forward, and your contributions are invaluable. 

We are looking forward to 2025 with impressive goals - continuing to support innovative research through two calls for pilot projects in translational oncology and in cancer data science, finalizing our strategic plans with our clinical partners and our community advisory board, and submitting a cancer training grant (T32) for pre-doctoral and postdoctoral students and trainees with a marked interest in cancer research. I look forward to all that our Cancer Center will accomplish in the coming year. 

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season.

Wafik El-Deiry, MD, PhD
Director, Legorreta Cancer Center

Fundraising

Luminaria Campaign

The Legorreta Cancer Center hosted a table at Brown Family Weekend on Saturday, October 26 to provide cancer screening information to students and families. The center's inflatable colon was on display as an interactive tool to bring awareness to colon cancer. Families were encouraged to create luminaria lanterns to memorialize those lost to cancer, which were then displayed at Waterfire that same evening along the Providence River. 

The luminaria campaign continues during the holiday season. You can help the Legorreta Cancer Center improve cancer treatment and survival through research, patient care, and community outreach by purchasing a luminaria in honor of those who are in treatment, are cancer survivors, or have passed away from cancer. Your light will join those from all over the Brown community in a moving display at The Warren Alpert Medical School in February 2025 to mark World Cancer Day.

Please make your gift, in any amount, at our dedicated giving page. Under Gift Options, select “This is a tribute or memorial gift” and provide the name that you would like on your luminaria.

Community

Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island

Sheldon Holder, MD, PhD, Associate Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, was selected as the keynote speaker for the 10th Annual Rhode Island Cancer Summit held by the Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island on October 16. Dr. Holder presented “Unlocking the Code in the Cell, Clinic and Community." The Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island aims to create a cancer-free Rhode Island through leadership and community engagement. 

Pictured above, left to right: Nikki Hayes, MPH, CDC, Jim Willsey, M.Div, PRCRI Member and Summit Facilitator, Dr. Holder, Megan Daniel, Executive Director for the Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island, Joseph Dziobek, MSW, PRCRI Member, Linda Dziobek, RN, Cancer Survivor, 2024 Summit Co-Chair. 

Research

Behavior Health Pilot Awards

The Behavioral Health Working Group has awarded pilot funding to eight researchers with interest in cancer prevention and control. We extend our congratulations to the following:

• Philip A. Chan, MD MS and Amy S. Nunn ScD - “Implementing comprehensive anal cancer screening for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men and transgender women”

• Tayla von Ash, ScD, MPH - “Mixed methods research to inform the adaption of a technology-based physical activity promotion intervention to better meet the needs of Latina mothers”

• Aditya Khanna, Ph.D. and Lauren Micalizzi, Ph.D - “Characterizing Lifetime Cancer Risk from Early Alcohol Use Trajectories: An Evidence Synthesis and Simulation Modeling Study”

• Maggie Salinger, MD, MPP, MPH - “Characterizing ableism in the interpretation and application of an oncological performance status measure”

• Rachel Cassidy, Ph.D. - “Testing the Effects of Oral Nicotine Products on Reducing Combustible Cigarette Use in Young Adults”

• Katelyn Fox RD, PhD - “A formative evaluation of a quality improvement toolkit to increase community health workers capacity to address food and nutrition security in historically marginalized communities”

Cancer Prevention and Control Program

The Population Sciences Program has a new name: Cancer Prevention and Control. This program will continue to focus on the societal and behavioral factors impacting cancer in Rhode Island and beyond, as well as the vital data analysis and bioinformatics that support our laboratory research. Cancer Prevention and Control encapsulates the greater goal of this research program towards identifying successful prevention factors and illustrating the impact of cancer control efforts on our community at large.

Member Achievements

In Memory

Passing of Alex Brodsky, PhD

In November, we lost a treasured member of our research community, Dr. Alex Brodsky. With his passing, we’re reminded of the importance of our cancer research mission. His colleagues, Dr. Sean Lawler and Dr. Paul Bertone, have composed a message in his honor, which can be viewed on our website. Read more