Issue 5 | September, 2023

Welcome to another issue of the Legorreta Cancer Center at Brown University Newsletter. Read on for the latest news about cancer research, education and training, community outreach, and more. 

Spotlight

Cell City Chronicles is a comic series by Alper Uzun, MS, PhD, that explores the world of cells and cell biology through the use of animated characters. The series features a variety of characters that represent different types of cells, such as cancer cells, healthy cells, stem cells, and macrophages. The storylines of the series incorporate important concepts in cell biology and medicine, such as the functions and interactions of different types of cells in the body, the role of DNA and genetic mutations in the development of diseases (i.e. cancer), and the importance of the immune system in fighting off infections and diseases. Cell City Chronicles is a fun and engaging way to learn about important concepts in cell biology and medicine.

Alper Uzun is director of Cancer Bioinformatics at the Legorreta Cancer Center.  In addition to being a scientist, he is a professional cartoonist and creator of Biocomicals.   

News  

Education

Summer Research Experience

The El-Deiry lab hosted Leadership Alliance student Nicole Jensen-Velez, of the University of Puerto Rico (center), for an undergraduate Leadership Alliance Summer Research Early Identification Program. Nicole undertook innovative experiments in the lab under the mentorship of Pathobiology graduate student Lindsey Carlsen (right).  A preprint describing this work, "miR-6883 downregulates HIF1α in colorectal and breast cancer cells," is available on bioRxiv.

Research

RI Researchers Working to Make Strides Against Glioblastoma 

WPRI Channel 12 reporter Ted Nesi produced a two-part series on glioblastoma, the brain cancer that killed his mother, Anne, 20 years ago this summer. Nesi visited the Lifespan Cancer Institute and the Legorreta Cancer Center to learn more about the latest treatments and research. Sean Lawler, associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine (above), is optimistic that research, including his own, may soon yield new treatments for a disease that has confounded physicians and scientists. Lawler's lab published a study in April that showed an ingredient of the traditional Chinese medicine Dang Gui Long Hui Wan improved the survival of mice with malignant brain tumors.

Events

Tumor Plasticity Symposium

The Legorreta Cancer Center hosted the Symposium on Tumor Plasticity in Diagnosis and Treatment on September 21 and 22 at Providence's Graduate Hotel. Among the 10 outstanding speakers was Nobel Laureate William Kaelin, PhD, of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. He shared the 2019 Nobel Prize in medicine or physiology for discoveries related to how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability. A poster session gave students an opportunity to discuss their work with the invited speakers.

Membership Retreat

On September 26, the Cancer Center held its annual membership retreat at The Warren Alpert Medical School. Lynne Elmore, PhD, senior scientific director, Cell Biology and Preclinical Cancer Research at the American Cancer Society, and Razelle Kurzrock, MD, FACP, associate director of the Cancer Center - Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin, made presentations. State Rep. Mia Ackerman (above, center) attended to hear about the progress that Cancer Center researchers and clinicians have made over the last year. The day ended with another poster presentation from a broad array of students. 

In Brief