MAY 2024
 
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:

  • From the Cancer Consortium
  • CCSG Updates
  • Congratulations to the 2024 Cancer Consortium Pilot Awardees!
  • Consortium Kudos
  • In the Spotlight
  • Current Funding Opportunities
  • Save the Date - Upcoming Events
  • From the Consortium Shared Resources
  • From Clinical Research Support
  • From the Office of Education and Training
 

FROM THE CANCER CONSORTIUM

CCSG Updates

After many months of preparation, we are thrilled to announce the successful completion of the Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) NCI site visit on April 25! The site visit was the final step in the CCSG competing renewal process, which also included the submission of the written grant in January 2024. The CCSG is largely responsible for funding Consortium activities, and is essential for retaining our designation as a comprehensive cancer center.

We expect to receive our score in the coming months, and look forward to sharing our results! On behalf of Director Dr. Tom Lynch and the administration team, thank you to everyone who provided support or assistance throughout the competing renewal process! We couldn't have done it without you.

Congratulations to the 2024 Cancer Consortium Pilot Awardees!

The Cancer Consortium is pleased to announce that the following individuals have received CCSG pilot funding to support cancer-related projects:

  • Dr. James Alvarez (Fred Hutch; Breast & Ovary Cancers Program): Investigating the Role of Natural Killer Cells in Residual Tumors
  • Dr. Evan Newell (Fred Hutch; Cancer Immunology Program): Bronchoalveolar Lavage for Lung Cancer Tumor-Specific Immune Monitoring and Potential as a Source for Cellular Therapy
  • Dr. Anthony Rongvaux (Fred Hutch; Cancer Immunology Program): Discovering molecular mechanisms of T cell exclusion from human melanoma
  • Dr. Liz Swisher (UW; Breast & Ovary Cancers Program): Implementing HPV Self-Swab For Cervical Cancer Screening In A Community-Based Addiction Recovery Clinic [Catchment Area Pilot Project]
  • Dr. Lisa Tachiki (UW; Cancer Immunology Program): Immunologic correlates of efficacy and toxicity from low-dose nivolumab in cancer patients at high risk of immune-related adverse events

Consortium Kudos

Congratulations to Dr. Marie Bleakley and colleagues, who just published a new article, "HA-1-targeted T cell receptor (TCR) T cell therapy for recurrent leukemia after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation," in Blood. This article covers a phase I trial employing a novel T cell product. These T cells were genetically engineered to target specific minor histocompatibility antigens and given to leukemia patients following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, with the ultimate goal of treating post-transplant relapse. "This is the first reported trial to use a class I-restricted TCR and a CD8 co-receptor to enable antigen-specific CD4+ T cell function," said Dr. Bleakley. "This type of co-receptor could also be useful in other TCR-T cell therapy products for different types of cancer."

Although this particular trial was only intended to address the safety and feasibility of such a treatment, four of the nine trial participants achieved or maintained complete remission following treatment. Dr. Bleakley also noted, "The research is exciting in that the primary endpoints of feasibility and tolerability were met in the phase I clinical trial of HA-1 TCR-T for recurrent leukemia post-HCT, so the new immunotherapy will proceed to subsequent clinical trials and could ultimately lead to a new immunotherapy for patients with very few effective treatment options."

In addition to Dr. Bleakley, who is a co-leader of the Cancer Immunology program, a number of other Consortium investigators collaborated on this trial, including Drs. Elizabeth Krakow, Corinne Summers, Ryan Cassaday, Ann Dahlberg, Brian Till, Cecilia Yeung, Ted Gooley, David Maloney, Stanley Riddell, Philip Greenberg, Aude Chapuis, Evan Newell, and Scott Furlan.

In the Spotlight

The following interinstitutional collaborations by Consortium members were featured in the most recent edition of the Science Spotlight:
  • "For the first time! Kinetochore architecture of a thermophilic yeast" featured collaborative work by Drs. Charles Asbury (Cancer Basic Biology) and Sue Biggins (Cancer Basic Biology).
  • "Targeting B cells – a new approach to HIV treatment?" featured collaborative work by Drs. Hans-Peter Kiem (Hematologic Malignancies) and Keith Jerome (Pathogen Associated Malignancies).
  • "A model that reflects the genetic complexity and heterogeneity of human cancers" featured collaborative work by Drs. John Lee (Prostate Cancer), Michael Haffner (Prostate Cancer), Andrew Hsieh (Prostate Cancer), Hung-Ming Lam (Prostate Cancer), Jonathan Wright (Prostate Cancer), and Qian (Vicky) Wu (Biostatistics & Computational Biology).
  • "Transforming prostate cancer management through the power of diet and exercise" featured collaborative work by Drs. Marian Neuhouser (Cancer Epidemiology, Prevention & Control), Jonathan Wright (Prostate Cancer), Dan Lin (Prostate Cancer), John Gore (Prostate Cancer), Ruth Etzioni (Prostate Cancer), and Stephen Plymate (Prostate Cancer).
Please join us in congratulating these investigators!
 

CURRENT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Cancer Consortium New Investigator Award - Competition Now Open!

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 associated F&A at the appropriate institutional rate) will be made from Consortium funds. Applications are due Friday, May 17th, by 5:00pm PST.

For more information about the award, including eligibility criteria, visit the Consortium website or refer to the RFA. To apply for this opportunity, visit InfoReady. 

Note: To access InfoReady and apply, Fred Hutch faculty can start by using the Single Sign-On on the InfoReady landing page. Seattle Children’s and University of Washington applicants will first need to set up an account.
 

UPCOMING EVENTS

» April 3 - May 29, 2024: PAM IRC Seminars

Please see below for a list of upcoming seminars hosted by the Pathogen Associated Malignancies Integrated Research Center and organized by PAM IRC trainees:

Wednesday, May 22, 2-3pm: Dr. Heather Brandt (St. Jude's)
Talk Title: TBA
Details: Pelton Auditorium (Fred Hutch Campus) or Zoom (click here for link)

Wednesday, May 29, 2-3pm: Dr. Manuel R. Amieva (Stanford University School of Medicine)
Talk Title: "Beyond the Surface: Helicobacter pylori's hideouts in the gastric glands link pathogenesis with persistence"
Details: Pelton Auditorium (Fred Hutch Campus) or Zoom (click here for link)

Questions? Please contact Marcie Dominguez (mdomingu@fredhutch.org) for more information.

» May 24 - September 5, 2024: IIRC Seminars

Please see below for a list of upcoming seminars hosted by the Immunotherapy Integrated Research Center:

Friday, May 24, 2-3pm: Dr. Ying Yuan, (MD Anderson)
Talk Title: TBA
Details: Pelton Auditorium (Fred Hutch Campus)

Thursday, June 6, 2-3pm: Dr. Marcela Maus (Harvard Medical School)
Talk Title: TBA
Details: Pelton Auditorium (Fred Hutch Campus)

Thursday, June 27, 2-3pm: Dr. Eiu-Cheol Shin (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology)
Talk Title: TBA
Details: Pelton Auditorium (Fred Hutch Campus)

Thursday, July 18, 2-3pm: Dr. Anushka Dongre (Cornell University)
Talk Title: TBA
Details: Pelton Auditorium (Fred Hutch Campus)

Thursday, September 5, 2-3pm: Dr. Stephen Schoenberger (La Jolla Institute)
Talk Title: TBA
Details: Pelton Auditorium (Fred Hutch Campus)

Questions? Please contact Marcie Dominguez (mdomingu@fredhutch.org) for more information.

» [Ongoing] Steam Plant Seminar Series, Wednesdays at 4pm

Please join us for the Steam Plant Seminar Series (O’Mack Suites, Steam Plant Building, Fred Hutch Campus). Seminars will be followed by beer hour in the first floor lounge. See below or visit our CenterNet page* for a list of upcoming dates and hosts:

  • Wednesday 5/1/2024 - Adair Lab
  • Wednesday 5/15/2024 - Setty Lab
  • Wednesday 5/22/2024 - (Rob) Bradley Lab
To receive notifications, please join the mailing list https://lists.fhcrc.org/postorius/lists/steamplant-seminar.lists.fhcrc.org/. (Note that 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.)

Questions? Please contact Becca Jourdan (rjourdan@fredhutch.org) for more information.
*Requires Fred Hutch credentials.

» May 16, 2024: Spring Open House at Fred Hutch

More than 45 groups representing teams at Fred Hutch and University of Washington who support scientific and clinical research will be hosting a fun and collaborative gathering in May. Please join us for our third annual Open House. Last year, we had more than 500 attendees! This year we have even more participants and a new location.

Who is invited? Everyone! Faculty, clinicians, postdocs, grad students, technicians, administrators, operations…
When: Thursday, May 16th, 2024, 11:30am-1:30pm
Where: Sze-Suites (Thomas Building) and B-Suites (Weintraub Building), Fred Hutch Campus
Snacks will be provided, and you will have an opportunity to enter a raffle for a prize!

Teams hosting this event include Shared Resources, Clinical Research Support, Integrated Research Centers (IRC), Office of Scientific Career Development, Cancer Consortium Programs, Global Oncology, Seattle Translational Tumor Research (STTR), Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcomes Research (HICOR), Arnold Library, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and more!
For questions, please contact Lena Schroeder (lschroed@fredhutch.org) or Liz Hirunmetakij (ehirunme@fredhutch.org).

» May 29: CBB Postdoc Symposium + Call for Abstracts

The Cancer Basic Biology (CBB) program’s postdoctoral event and symposium series is excited to announce its first 2024 event! Postdocs at all three Consortium institutions are welcome to attend and submit abstracts. Please find symposium details below:

Date: Wednesday, May 29th, 2024
Location: Behnke Suites, Arnold Building, Fred Hutch Campus (1100 Fairview Ave N)
Keynote: Dr. Maralice Conacci-Sorrel, UT Southwestern

Please submit abstracts here by Wednesday, April 24th. Applicants will be notified by Wednesday, May 1. If you have any questions, please reach out to cbb.postdocsymposium@gmail.com or Rachel Lex (rlex@fredhutch.org).

» June 6, 2024: Pathways to Equity Symposium - Registration now open!

Registration is now open for the 2024 Pathways to Equity Symposium on June 6th at Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle and online. This is a space for learning and dialogue between researchers, community members, and community-based organizations. Join us as we focus on our 2024 theme: "Taking the next step: Bidirectional partnerships for health equity."

Date: June 6th, 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location: Fred Hutch Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109

Click here to register.

More information about the symposium, including a preview agenda, can be found on the OCOE website. We’ll hear from keynote speakers Dr. Tabia Henry Akintobi and LaShawn Hoffman from the Morehouse School of Medicine. We’ll also learn from two panels of patients, researchers, and community-based organizations on building trust in research and taking the next step in collaborative partnerships.

Nominations are open for the Beti Thompson Community Health Champion Award, Beti Thompson Cancer Health Equity Research Award, and the Stephaun Wallace Health Equity Staff Champion Award. Please visit the OCOE Awards Page for award information or to submit a nomination before April 15th. These awards will be presented during the Pathways to Equity Symposium.

This event is free, and breakfast and lunch will be provided to those attending in person. This event will be livestreamed for those joining online.

» June 25 - 27, 2024: Cancer Prevention Research Conference

Registration is open for the Cancer Prevention Research Conference, which will take place in Boston from June 25-27th, 2024. In its first edition, the event is hosted by the American Cancer Society, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute and Cancer Research UK. This conference will feature sessions exploring health inequalities in cancer incidence and prevention, mechanistic insights in prevention strategies, and precision prevention in high-risk populations.

Early-Bird Registration Deadline: April 12, 2024
Registration Deadline: June 11, 2024

 Click here to register.

» November 14, 2024: Save the date for the joint BOC + CEPC Program Retreat!

Please save the date for a joint retreat hosted by the Breast & Ovary Cancers (BOC) and Cancer Epidemiology, Prevention & Control (CEPC) Programs. The retreat will take place from 8:00am – 3:00pm on Thursday, November 14th, in the O’Mack Symposium Suite in the Steam Plant Building (located on the Fred Hutch campus). 

The theme for this retreat is "Understanding disparities contributing to oncogenesis and cancer outcomes." This is a unique opportunity to learn from leading minds in the field, alongside basic scientists, epidemiologists, and clinicians involved in developing genetic tests for predicting patient outcomes and response to therapy.

We are especially thrilled to announce that our keynote speaker for this year's retreat is the esteemed Professor Melissa Davis from the Morehouse School of Medicine. Dr. Davis’s pioneering research is leveraging high-throughput genomics technologies to the uncover how genetic underpinnings interplay with social factors to drive health disparities. A testament to her original and highly rigorous research program is that her team was just awarded a Cancer Research UK Grand Challenge Award.

For questions or more information about this event, please contact Shauntel Thomas (srthomas@fredhutch.org).
 

FROM CLINICAL RESEARCH SUPPORT

Update to Submission Process for Industry-Sponsored Protocols

Beginning May 20th, an Investigator Brochure will be required for industry-sponsored protocols submitted to the Scientific Review Committee. Please plan to include the IB along with the protocol and completed RGR form when creating your Initial Review submission in OnCore. IBs are encouraged for all other trial types submitted to the SRC. Questions can be sent to PRMS@fredhutch.org.
 

FROM THE CONSORTIUM SHARED RESOURCES

Lower Prices and Increased Availability for NextSeq 2000 Flow Cells

Genomics is now offering even lower prices on most NextSeq 2000 P2 and P3 flow cells! Genomics also offers the P4 flow cell, which provides up to 1.8 billion clusters and is available in 50-, 100-, 200-, and 300-cycle kits. The P4 flow cells use the new XLEAP-SBS chemistry, with faster cycling times and greater base-calling accuracy. Contact Genomics (Genomics@fredhutch.org) for more information.

Genomics New Instrumentation: Takara Bio iCell8 cx

Genomics is pleased to announce a new instrument: the Takara Bio iCell8 cx single-cell system. This instrument uses microfluidics to dispense single cells into a 5184-well nanochip. The isolated cells can then be used for a variety of downstream applications, including SMART-seq whole transcriptome analysis, whole genome sequencing, and more! Contact Genomics (Genomics@fredhutch.org) today for more information and to plan your iCell8 cx experiments.

Shared Resources User Satisfaction Survey Campaign

The Shared Resources of the Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Cancer Consortium appreciate your engagement with our services. We want to hear your feedback, experiences, and perspectives!

The purpose of this survey is to gather actionable feedback on our shared resources and their services. We want to learn what’s important to our users!  Please complete the survey at this link by Friday, May 31st, at 5pm. The survey will only take about 5 minutes, and your feedback will help us to direct the continued improvement of shared resources.

To thank you for your feedback, we are offering the chance to win some great prizes!
  • Early submission prize (survey completed by end of day, May 7): Coffee/tea and donuts for your team!
  • YETI cooler prizes: all participants who complete the Shared Resources User Satisfaction Survey will be entered to win either a teal YETI Roadie 48’’ Wheeled Cooler or a teal YETI Daytrip Lunch Bag Cooler!
  • Grand prize: everyone who completes a survey will be entered into the grand prize drawing for a lab lunch provided by Shared Resources!
If you have any questions about the survey, please reach out to Shared Resources Administration at SRAdmin@fredhutch.org.

We look forward to your participation. Thank you!
 

FROM THE OFFICE OF EDUCATION & TRAINING

Seattle Diverse Research Opportunities for Postdocs - Virtual Recruitment Event

Please join the Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children's Cancer Consortium on Tuesday, May 7th, for a collaborative postdoc recruitment initiative! This virtual event, which will take place from 8:00am-2:30pm, is a great opportunity to learn more about research opportunities in Seattle, hear from leading Consortium mentors with T32 grants, and enjoy a free lunch!

All are welcome to attend; individuals from groups underrepresented in biomedical research are encouraged to come. For more information, including an agenda and list of presenters, visit our web page. To register, click here.
 
FRED HUTCH/UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON/SEATTLE CHILDREN'S CANCER CONSORTIUM
1100 FAIRVIEW AVE. N., SEATTLE, WA 98109
https://www.cancerconsortium.org/

Award number P30 CA015704-49