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APRIL 2025
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IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
- From the Cancer Consortium
- Consortium Kudos
- Current Funding Opportunities
- Save the Date - Upcoming Events
- From the Institute of Translational Health Services
- From Clinical Research Services
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FROM THE CANCER CONSORTIUM
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Consortium Kudos
Drs. Nora Disis and Megan Shen Receive 2025 Rivkin Center/CARE Fund Award
Congratulations to Drs. Nora Disis and Megan Shen, who were recently named the 2025 Rivkin Center/CARE Fund awardees.
The Rivkin Center/CARE Fund awards are the outcome of a public-private partnership between the Rivkin Center and the Andy Hill CARE Fund that is investing $1M in ovarian cancer research in Washington state over two years. According to an announcement from the CARE Fund, "[t]hese awards exemplify the shared dedication of CARE Fund and the Rivkin Center to invest in research that has the potential to significantly enhance understanding, prevention, detection, and treatment of ovarian cancer."
Dr. Disis, who is a member of the Consortium's Breast & Ovary Cancers program, was awarded funds to support her project, "A vaccine to prevent ovarian cancer metastatic spread."
Dr. Shen, who is a member of the Consortium's Cancer Epidemiology, Prevention & Control program, was awarded funds to support her project, "Adaptation of Helping Ovarian Cancer Patients Cope (HOPE) for Clinician Burnout."
Please join us in congratulating these investigators!
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Dr. Liz Swisher Publishes Exciting New Study on Genetic Testing for Cancer in Primary Care Settings
Congratulations to Dr. Liz Swisher and collaborators, who recently published a new study in JAMA Network Open on the primary outcomes of the EDGE (Early Detection of Genetic Risk) trial. The trial sought to evaluate the efficacy of two different approaches to providing genetic testing for cancer risk to patients in a primary care setting.
In a press release published by UW Medicine, Dr. Swisher said, “We don’t routinely screen for cancer susceptibility genes in primary-care settings because genetic testing is often considered too complicated and primary care doctors already have so many things they need to address. But it is an opportunity lost."
The study lays the groundwork for creating an effective plan to engage with patients who might benefit from genetic cancer risk screening, but Swisher noted that more work will need to be done to improve testing uptake and reduce barriers that patients might face.
Dr. Swisher is the co-leader of the Consortium's Breast & Ovary Cancers program, and also serves as Deputy Director representing the University of Washington. Notably, the EDGE trial was part of the Cancer Moonshot program.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Swisher!
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Do You Have Good News to Share?
We welcome news of exciting new accomplishments from all Consortium members! This includes:
- Significant research advancements (eg, news of large grants, groundbreaking publications, important clinical trials, etc.)
- Honors, recognitions, or awards
- New roles or leadership opportunities.
Submitting your news not only allows us to celebrate them here, but also helps us keep track Consortium member accomplishments for CCSG purposes. Please send submissions to amiller2@fredhutch.org.
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CURRENT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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TRPCD Career Enhancement Program and Developmental Research Program Awards
The Translational Research Program in Cancer Disparities (TRPCD) SPORE is pleased to announce the following funding opportunities.
1. Career Enhancement Program
The purpose of TRPCD’s Career Enhancement Program (CEP) is to support early career investigators interested in pursuing translational cancer disparities research projects related to any cancer type with a well-documented disparity, as well as Associate Professors without a prior track record in cancer disparities research to become engaged in this field. The CEP award provides a flexible means of funding basic, clinical, and population sciences research with outstanding translational promise. Cornerstones of our program include identifying and providing multi-disciplinary mentors, assigning sponsors, and providing opportunities for leadership development as appropriate.
For more details, click here to see the CEP RFA. Applications are due by EOD on April 18th.
2. Developmental Research Program
The purpose of the Developmental Research Program (DRP) for the TRPCD is to support early-phase translational cancer disparities research projects related to any cancer type with a well-documented disparity. The DRP provides a flexible means of funding basic, clinical, and population sciences research with outstanding translational promise.
For more details, click here to see the DRP RFA. Applications are due by EOD on April 18th.
About the Funder
The Translational Research Program in Cancer Disparities (TRPCD) SPORE grant addresses gaps in understanding drivers of disparities in cancer risk and outcomes.
Questions?
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Fred Hutch Bench-to-Bedside (B2B) Adult Oncology Awards
Funds are available to support three unique funding mechanisms available over the next three years for projects in adult oncology.
In 2022, the Bezos family pledged a landmark gift to Fred Hutch Cancer Center to dramatically increase the pace and scale of cancer research, with the goal of driving collaborations amongst clinical, laboratory, and population scientists. To facilitate transdisciplinary bench-to-bedside cancer research in adult oncology, Fred Hutch is using these philanthropic funds to offer three unique funding mechanisms available over the next three years to support:
1. Small, investigator-initiated, proof-of-concept trial in humans using a novel therapy.
- Click here to view the full RFA and submit your application via InfoReady.
2. Non-interventional cross-disciplinary studies.
- Click here to view the full RFA and submit your application via InfoReady.
3. Preclinical projects to enable the next generation of cellular therapies.
- Click here to view the full RFA and submit your application via InfoReady.
Proposed projects should be focused on adult cancers and represent a new project or new research direction for the principal investigator that will provide preliminary data needed to seek external funding and continue scientific investigation. Collaborations amongst clinical, laboratory, and population scientists across disciplines as well as inclusion of patient advocates in study design, implementation, analysis, and dissemination of results are highly encouraged where relevant, if not explicitly required. Faculty can only serve as PI on one application per year for any of the three mechanisms; however, they may be collaborators/co-Investigators on more than one application.
To be eligible for these funding opportunities, principal investigators (PIs) must:
- Have a primary or joint faculty appointment at any rank (i.e. assistant, associate, or full professor) at Fred Hutch Cancer Center
- Be a member of the Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Cancer Consortium.
Applications may be submitted via InfoReady and are due May 9th at 5pm.
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Cancer Consortium New Investigator Awards
Funds are available from the Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) to provide developmental support to new or junior faculty who are establishing their research within the Cancer Consortium. These funds provide a flexible source of funding designed to allow new investigators to work toward obtaining future, independent research funding. Departments are also eligible to apply for this funding to support new faculty being hired by a Consortium institution.
Two to three New Investigator Awards of up to $100,000 direct costs each (plus F&A/indirect costs) will be made from Consortium funds. All proposed research must be cancer-focused and may include projects aligned with Cancer Consortium strategic priorities (see appendix to learn more about priority areas). Financial need will be taken into consideration for those who did not receive substantial research funds as part of their negotiated start-up package.
More information about this award, including the full RFA, can be found on this page of the Cancer Consortium website. Applications are due May 16th by 5pm PST and may be submitted via InfoReady.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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» [Ongoing] Steam Plant Seminar Series
Please join us in the Steam Plant O’Mack Suites (Fred Hutch Campus) at 4pm on Wednesdays for a seminar series organized by Steam Plant trainees.
- April 9: Nick Petty (Kiem Lab) *virtual only
- April 16: TBD (Srivastava Lab)
- April 30: Rebecca Reeves (Flow Core)
- May 7: TBD (Bleakley Lab)
- May 21: Alex Wolfe (Markey Lab)
A schedule of talks can be found on the Steam Plant’s Community CenterNet site ( *requires FH credentials). To receive notifications, please join the mailing list at https://lists.fhcrc.org/postorius/lists/steamplant-seminar.lists.fhcrc.org/. You will need to copy and paste this link into your browser, if using a Mac. If you are working remotely, you will need to be on VPN to access the listserv.
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» [Ongoing] Monthly Shared Resources Seminar Series
Please join the shared resources team for their new monthly seminar series. Each hour-long seminar will be presented by a different shared resource, and will focus on a topic pertinent to the work of that core.
Upcoming Seminar Dates:
- April 9 (11:30am): "DNA and RNA Sequencing Methods," hosted by Genomics & Bioinformatics (D1-080, Sze Suites, Thomas Building, Fred Hutch Campus). Coffee and doughnuts will be provided for those who register to attend!
- May 14 (11:30am): "Introduction to Image Analysis," hosted by Cellular Imaging (B1-072, Weintraub Building, Fred Hutch Campus)
- June 11 (11:30am): IVIS & MicroCT Applications (full talk title TBD), hosted by Preclinical Imaging & Revity (D1-080, Sze Suites, Thomas Building, Fred Hutch Campus
Click here to sign up for the upcoming April seminar.
All seminars are hybrid. Attendees will receive a Teams link once they sign up. Please contact Tony Bohn ( abohn@fredhutch.org) with any questions.
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» April 2: ACCA Team Science Network Meeting
Each other month, ACCA's Team Science Network holds a virtual meeting to discuss various topics related to facilitating team science at Cancer Centers. Please see below for information about the upcoming Team Science Network Meeting.
- Date: Wednesday, April 2nd, 12-1pm (PST)
- Location: Virtual (Zoom)
- Speaker: Jim Spohrer, PhD.
- Talk Title: "Discover and Learn about Digital Twining: Where AI and Team Science Come Together."
Click here to access the Zoom link for the meeting.
Dr. Spohrer was the former Chief Technology Officer at IBM and a Distinguished Scientist in Learning and Research at Apple Computer. he currently serves on the Board of Directors for the ISSIP (International Society of Service Innovation Professionals) and for ServCollab ("Serving Humanity through Collaboration").
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» April 16: Pathogen Associated Malignancies (PAM) Integrated Research Center (IRC) Seminar
Join the PAM IRC on Wednesday, April 16th, for a another seminar series event.
- Date: Wednesday, April 16th, 2-3pm
- Location: Pelton Auditorium (Fred Hutch Campus)
- Speaker: Olivia Martinez, PhD (Professor, Stanford University School of Medicine)
- Talk Title: "New Insights into Viral and Immune Determinants of Post-Transplant EBV+ B Cell Lymphomas."
*Requires FH credentials.
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» May 1: STTR Innovation Retreat 2025
The Office of Translational Research is proud to host the next Seattle Translational Tumor Research (STTR) Retreat, bringing together a network of researchers and clinicians for an engaging and collaborative event. The event will take place on Thursday, May 1st, at the Museum of Flight. The theme for the retreat is "Innovation." The event will feature scientific talks, a poster session, and a late afternoon reception.
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» May 6: Pathogen Associated Malignancies (PAM) Integrated Research Center (IRC) and Microbiome Research Initiative Joint Retreat
The 2025 Pathogen Associated Malignancies IRC and Microbiome Research Initiative Joint Retreat will take place on Tuesday, May 6th, at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. The retreat is open to all Consortium members, including trainees and staff. Click here for more information about the retreat.
The deadline to register for this event is April 4th. Click here to register.
This year's event will feature the following keynotes:
- Eric Engels, MD, MPH: "Cancers that are elevated in persons living with HIV"
- Sean Gibbons, PhD: “Microbial community-scale metabolic modeling enables microbiome-mediated precision nutrition”
There will also be talks from the following:
Jim Boonyaratanakornkit, MD, PhD
Meghan Koch, PhD
Michael Lagunoff, PhD
Jared Mayers, MD, PhD
Sam Minot, PhD
Viswam Nair, MD, MS
Warren Phipps, MD MPH
Nick Salisbury, PhD
Rachel Winer, PhD MPH
Albert Yeh, MD
Lightning Talks from Postdocs, Graduate Students or Research Technicians
Are you a Postdoc, Graduate Student, or Research Technician interested in presenting your research?
You are invited to submit an abstract of your research to participate via poster and/or lightning talk. Please indicate on the registration form if you wish to receive submission instructions. If interested, the deadline to submit your abstract is April 15th, 2025.
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» May 6: Seattle DROP (Discover Research Opportunities for Postdocs)
Explore engaging postdoc opportunities in Seattle, WA! Join us on Tuesday, May 6th, from 8am-1:00pm PST for Seattle DROP (Discover Research Opportunities for Postdocs), a virtual postdoc recruitment event for biomedical researchers seeking the next step in your scientific journey. This event is a collaboration between the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, University of Washington, and Seattle Children’s Research Institute. All postdoc candidates are invited to attend.
Click here to learn more about this event or register to attend. Enjoy lunch on us via a delivery voucher for the first 250 registrants within the US!
Here's a sample of what you can expect from the event:
- Enjoy a stimulating conversation about “The Importance of Choosing the Right Mentor,” with Dr. Harmit Malik, Dr. Beth Lawlor, Dr. Christy McKinney and Dr. Bill Mahoney
- Engage with current postdocs about their research, our vibrant scientific community and life in Seattle
- Explore the research of faculty who are recruiting postdocs
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» May 20: Stuart and Molly Sloan Precision Oncology Institute AI Symposium
Please join the Sloan Precision Oncology Institute for a symposium to explore Artificial Intelligence and computational oncology. AI is rapidly innovating and holds great potential for more precise and personalized treatment, diagnosis and prevention strategies for cancer and other diseases. The AI Symposium is organized in partnership with our Data Science Lab (DaSL) and co-hosted by Dr. Jeff Leek, Vice President and Chief Data Officer at Fred Hutch Cancer Center. See additional event details below:
- Date: Tuesday, May 20th
- Time: 8:30am-3:30pm
- Location: Pelton Auditorium (Weintraub Building, Fred Hutch Cancer Center)
The symposium will feature a panel of local and national leaders in the field who will deliver talks and join in discussion on the latest advances in AI and its applications to cancer care. A primary focus of the symposium will be on clinical data utilization and sessions will likely cover topics around computer vision, cancer biology and electronic medical record (EMR). Following talks, all attendees are invited to meet the speakers and enjoy a selection of food and beverages at a reception from 3:30-4:30pm in Sze Suites (D1-080, Thomas Building, Fred Hutch Campus).
To learn more about the event and register, click here. Registering by Tuesday, May 13 th, will help us plan appropriately for the symposium and reception. For additional questions, please reach out to precisiononcology@fredhutch.org.
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» June 19-21: 4th International Symposium on Late Complications after Childhood Cancer (ISLCCC)
Please join us this summer for the 4th ISLCCC Conference, hosted by the Fred Hutch Survivorship Program. This in-person event will take place at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center in Seattle.
The 2025 symposium will provide a venue for the multidisciplinary exchange of innovative ideas among clinicians and researchers engaged in pediatric and adolescent cancer survivorship care and research. This year's topics will include emerging research results and insights from real-word clinical experience to promote research collaborations and improve survivorship care throughout the world, and will include the following keynote presentations and panels:
- Dr. Les Robison (St. Jude Children's Research Hospital): "Ann Mertens & Marilynn Stovall memorial lecture on childhood cancer survivorship, past, present, and future."
- Dr. Joshua Hill (Fred Hutch Cancer Center): "Immune reconstitution following cancer therapy."
- Dr. Angela Bradbury (University of Pennsylvania): “Cancer predisposition and genetic considerations in long-term cancer survivors."
- Dr. Ruth Etzioni (Fred Hutch Cancer Center): “Current evidence and future implementation of multi-cancer detection screening."
- Panel: "Transition of AYA survivors to adult care."
- Panel: "Development of survivorship care and research in LMIC settings."
The meeting will immediately follow the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS) Investigators' Meeting and a meeting of the International Guideline Harmonization Group (IGHG).
Registration is now open for ISLCCC 2025. Click here to register.
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» June 27: Dr. Rainer Storb Symposium
The Fred Hutch Cancer Center Clinical Research and Translational Science and Therapeutics Divisions invite colleagues and friends of Dr. Rainer Storb to a scientific symposium and reception in his honor.
- Date: Friday, June 27, 2025
- Location: Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Thomas Building (1100 Fairview Ave N., Seattle, WA)
- Schedule: Scientific Talks: 8am-4pm; Reception: 4-6pm
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FROM THE INSTITUTE OF TRANSLATIONAL HEALTH SCIENCES (ITHS)
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FROM CLINICAL RESEARCH SERVICES
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Updates to the Research Group Review Form
The Research Group Review form has been updated to include a question on the use of Radiology or Cancer Imaging services (see screenshot below). If a new protocol requires PRMS review and may include services from Radiology or Cancer Imaging, ensure the RGR form indicates this involvement so they may be notified prior to implementation. If you have questions for Radiology or Imaging, please contact them at imagingresearch@fredhutch.org.
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FRED HUTCH/UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON/SEATTLE CHILDREN'S CANCER CONSORTIUM
1100 FAIRVIEW AVE. N., SEATTLE, WA 98109
Award number P30 CA015704-50
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