W ED N ESD AY, TH U R SD AY & F R ID AY
October 9–11, 2013
K E N T WYAT T H A L L | J O B E A U D I TOR I U M | H . L . N O W E L L U N I O N
THE ELLIOTT-ELLIOTT-HEAD
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Center DR. ROBERT L. ELLIOTT
Founder, CEO and Director of The Elliott-Elliott-Head Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Center Dr. Robert Elliott is the driving force behind this Center. Colleagues often remark that his energy seems boundless. Indeed, it often is. In 1973, when the Center was founded, Dr. Elliott’s dream was to create the finest center for total breast care. With that step behind them, the dream continues. Dr. Elliott carries out research to discover new treatments and therapies and has implemented a team approach to bring total breast care to his patients. Dr. Elliott sees patients from all over Louisiana, the Southeast, and across the United States. He collaborates on research projects with other scientists around the world. Most recently, he has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Norwegian Radium Hospital in Norway, the largest cancer treatment and research facility in Europe, to share research data and collaborate closely in the development of new breast and prostate cancer vaccines and other therapeutic approaches. Dr. Elliott has spoken to medical audiences in the United States and Europe and has authored many papers and abstracts. He has also authored Breast Cancer-Anger at the Enemy, which deals with the lack of total breast cancer care available for women. He shares his own frustrations and heartaches of caring for dying cancer patients as they struggle for survival, and finally sends a message of hope as he and his research team search for a cure for breast cancer. Trained as a general surgeon, Dr. Elliott feels that breast care should be a specialty of itself, with patients being able to receive the highest quality of care from one physician who reads their mammograms, examines them, performs their surgery, and administers their therapies. To advance this concept and to share his experience with other physicians who specialize in breast care, Dr. Elliott founded the American Mastology Association. He currently serves as President of this society. In spite of a busy calendar of meetings and research, Dr. Elliott’s first love is his patients. He devotes the majority of his time to the Center and to helping women overcome breast disease. Dr. Elliott was bestowed an honorary degree of Doctor of Science from Delta State during the 2009 spring commencement ceremonies for his humanitarian service, his research success, and his extraordinary contributions to the university community.
DR. MARY C. ELLIOTT
Founder and Vice President of The Elliott-Elliott-Head Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Center Dr. Mary Elliott has been an integral part of the Mastology Center since it began in 1973. She is a Board-Certified Family Practitioner who has devoted the last 15 years entirely to primary breast health care. In addition to routine examinations, she teaches breast self-examination to patients, reviews their mammograms, does ultrasonography, and does follow-up of patients with fibrocystic mastopathy and other breast conditions. But her primary aim is the early detection of breast cancer in order to provide less devastating treatment and hopefully better outcomes. She also assists Dr. Robert Elliott in surgery.
SCHEDULE of EVENTS ARMCHAIR SESSION KENT WYATT HALL | JANICE WYATT CONFERENCE ROOM 3:30 P.M. Traveling the Road to Excellence Robert L. Elliott, M.D. Hon. Sc.D.
THE JOHNNY OUTZS MEMORIAL LECTURES JOBE HALL | AUDITORIUM 4:30 P.M. Recent Advances in Nanomedicine: Synthetic Architectures for Targeted Gene Delivery • Dr. Charles L. McCormick Immune Response in Cancer Treated With Radiotherapy Dr. Dennis E. Hallahan
THE ROY LEE WILEY MEMORIAL LECTURES JOBE HALL | AUDITORIUM 7:45 A.M. Continental Breakfast 8:15 A.M. The Student Internship Experience • Justin Badon 9:00 A.M. The Use of Protein Crystallography to Study Vitamin Biosynthesis and Cell Motility • Dr. Christopher Jurgenson 10:00 A.M. Veterinary Medicine: It’s More than You Think Dr. Brian D. Ghere 11:00 A.M. Panel of Speakers
DR. JESSE S. WHITE
MR. H.L. NOWELL
The Elliott-Nowell-White Symposium is held each year in honor of Mr. H.L. Nowell and Dr. Jesse S. White.
RECOGNITION LUNCHEON H.L. NOWELL UNION | STATE ROOM 12:00 P.M. Presiding • Lacey Fitts Invocation • Ben Lambert Welcome and Introductions • Dr. Robert Elliott Presentations of Awards • Dr. Robert Elliott Keynote Address • Louis Baioni Concluding Remarks • Dr. Robert Elliott
PROGRAM SPEAKERS
DR. CHARLES McCORMICK Dr. Charles McCormick is a Professor of Polymer Sciences and Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS. He earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from University of Florida. Career research has focused extensively on stimuliresponsive synthetic polymers and bioconjugates. Recently efforts have been directed at precise synthesis of polymer architectures for controlled delivery and release of bioactive agent. Seminal research in the area of reversible addition fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization as applied to water has led to reaction pathways for synthesis of functional block copolymers and their bioconjugates without the need of protecting group chemistry. This research has implications in developing polymeric carriers for delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic agents in nanomedicine. He has published over 260 manuscripts and graduated over 50 Ph.D. students.
DR. DENNIS E. HALLAHAN Dr. Hallahan is presently the McDonnell Distinguished Professor and Head of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Washington University of St. Louis in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Hallahan has treated patients with lung cancer using radiotherapy for 25 years. His primary focus is in drug development for the treatment of cancer. Dr. Hallahan has prioritized several peptides and antibodies that will now enter clinical trials. Dr. Hallahan has a laboratory with 20 members including students, fellows, residents, junior faculty, and research assistants that are all focused upon the drugs used in radiation of oncology. Dr. Hallahan is on the Leadership Committee of the Siteman Cancer Center and oversees all research conducted in the Department of Radiation Oncology. He has served as the Principal Investigator for many clinical
investigations and over a dozen R01 grants from the National Cancer Institute. Based upon his leadership experience, Washington University School of Medicine has named Dr. Hallahan as the Chairman of both the Entrepreneurship Committee and the Research Affairs Committee for the School of Medicine. Dr. Hallahan is the co-founder-of Genvec, Inc. He developed the radiation inducible gene therapy that proceeded through Phase III clinical trials. Dr. Hallahan is also the Principal Investigator on a Phase I clinical trial studying radiation protecting drugs. With Cumberland Emerging Technologies, Dr. Hallahan was the PI on the STTR (small business grant) to develop and study radiation protecting drugs for cancer. These topical agents are designed to protect the skin of patients receiving radiation therapy. Dr. Hallahan is the founder of RadTargX, which is a St. Louis based company that focuses on antibody development. This company will humanize antibodies that target radiation inducible antigens. Dr. Hallahan has had over 50 national and international patents issued or applied for (pending) for technology proposed within the present application. Based on his leadership ability as the head of the Department of Radiation Oncology for 15 years, together with his ability to develop technology within biotechnology companies, Dr. Hallahan is well-suited to serve as an Investigator on the proposed research.
JUSTIN BADON Justin Badon is a native of McComb, MS. He is a graduate of North Pike High School. Mr. Badon is currently a senior Biology Pre-Med major at Delta State University. He is a member of the Delta State Honors College, Alpha Epsilon Delta, Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, and the American Chemical Society. Mr. Badon has been the recipient of numerous awards. He was the salutatorian of North Pike High School Class of 2010. At Delta State University he has been awarded the CRC Chemistry Achievement Award, Jessie White Pre-Medical Scholarship, Dr. Robert L. Elliott and Dr. Mary C. Elliott PreMedical Scholarship, and the Ferretti-Karnstedt Pre-Medical Scholarship. Besides being an excellent scholar, Mr. Badon has also excelled as a baseball player. He has been awarded the Makamson Freshman of the Year Award, the Scholar-Athlete Award and the Athletic Director’s Hall of Fame Award. After graduation, Mr. Badon plans to attend medical school where he will specialize in orthopedics. His long-term career goal is to become an orthopedic surgeon in sport’s medicine.
DR. CHRISTOPHER JURGENSON Dr. Jurgenson graduated in 1998 with a B.S. in Biochemistry and minors in mathematics and biology. He spent the next five years working at Merck Pharmaceuticals in Rahway, NJ where he developed methods for the analysis of the carbapenem antibiotic INVANZ速 which was approved for use by the FDA in November of 2001. During that time Dr. Jurgenson attended graduate school part time at Seton Hall University and earned a M.S. in Chemistry in 2002. In 2003 Dr. Jurgenson left Merck to attend Cornell University full time in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. During his stay at Cornell, Dr. Jurgenson worked under the supervision of the prominent protein crystallographer Dr. Steven Ealick, and solved protein crystal structures of enzymes involved in thiamin and cysteine biosynthesis. His work was published in the journals Biochemistry, The Journal of the American Chemical Society and Annual Reviews of Biochemistry. Dr. Jurgenson received his doctorate in Biophysical Chemistry in 2008 and began a postdoctoral position at Yale University working in the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology under Dr. Thomas Pollard. Dr. Jurgenson conducted research on the structural biology of the Arp2/3 complex, which is involved in cell motility. He solved the crystal structure of the Arp2/3 complex bound to an important activator protein and published the results in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In 2013 Dr. Jurgenson joined the faculty at Delta State University in the Division of Biological and Physical Sciences where he is currently developing a biochemistry program.
DR. BRIAN GHERE Dr. Brian Ghere attended Washington State University and received his degree in Veterinary Medicine from Washington State University in 1986. He also studied at the University of Pretoria Veterinary School in South Africa during his senior year. In September of 1992, he founded and opened Prytania Veterinary Hospital with partner Dr. Nancy Nathan. Dr. Ghere is a member of the AVMA, LVMA, and SLVA. He has served as president of the state and local veterinary associations and was on an executive committee for the national association. Dr. Brian Ghere is married to Dr. Mary Elliott Ghere and is the proud parent of three daughters: Taylor, Laney, and Aubrey; and twins: Rhett and Callie Ann. He also has four cats: Claudia, Mr. T., Nietzen and Salsa; and a dog named Bernard. He is an avid outdoorsman and racquetball player.
THE ELLIOTT PROGRAM of EXCELLENCE HERO AND INSPIRATION AWARDS
ELLIOTT SCHOLARS
1992_____________________________ Dr. Arthur C. Guyton • Hero Dr. Bennie B. Wright, Jr. • Hero Mr. H.L. Nowell • Hero Ms. Nell Thomas • Hero Dr. Eleanor Walters • Hero Dr. Jessie S. White • Hero Mr. Roy Wiley • Inspiration 1993_____________________________ Dr. Harold J. Isard • Hero Dr. Henry E. Outlaw • Hero Mr. Hugh Ellis Walker • Hero Mr. Melbourne Miller • Inspiration Dr. Mabel Raspet • Inspiration Mr. Dean Spradling • Inspiration 1994_____________________________ Ms. Marine Cole • Hero Ms. Ruth Ellis • Hero Dr. Joe Greever • Inspiration Mr. Henry Lutrick • Inspiration Dr. James Steen • Inspiration 1995_____________________________ Mr. David “Boo” Ferriss • Hero Mr. Benoit Holloway • Hero Mr. Malcolm Norwood • Inspiration Mr. O.W. “Wig” Reily • Inspiration Mr. Billy G. Tatum • Inspiration Miss Nell Wynn • Inspiration 1996_____________________________ Mrs. Louise C. Chiz • Hero Judge Lucy S. Howorth • Hero Mr. Thomas E. Branning • Inspiration 1997_____________________________ Mr. B.F. Smith • Hero Mr. William Ray Wilson • Hero Dr. Milton L. Bradley • Inspiration Dr. Barbara Powell • Inspiration 1998_____________________________ Mr. N.L. (Nap) Cassibry, Jr. • Hero Mr. H.L. Sledge, Jr. • Hero Mr. James Donald Cooper • Inspiration Ms. Vicki Fioranelli • Inspiration 1999_____________________________ Dr. Nino A. Bologna • Hero Dr. Travis Casanova • Hero Dr. Stacy L. Davidson, Jr. • Hero Dr. Travis Q. Richardson • Hero Dr. Bennie B. Wright, Jr. • Hero Dr. W. Wayne Walley • Inspiration Dr. Travis Q. Richardson • Hero 2000_____________________________ Dr. Frank M. Acree • Hero Mr. Claude L. Stuart • Hero Mr. Burt Taggart • Hero Mr. Ed Kossman • Inspiration Dr. Tony Scarborough • Inspiration Dr. Barry Sullivan • Inspiration Dr. Robert Stewart • Inspiration Mr. Jim Tims • Inspiration 2001_____________________________ Dr. Walter Shurden • Hero Rep. Charlie Capps • Inspiration
Mike Hailey • 1992–93 Kevin Ward • 1992–93 Heather Ransome • 1994–95 Albert Tutor • 1994–95 Rachael Voth • 1994–95 Lee Aldridge • 1996–97 Chris Shelby • 1996–97 Laurie Thibodeaux • 1996–97 Brock Goodwin • 1996–98 Ben Hailey • 1997–99 Leigh Bailey • 1997–00 Chris Hanks • 1997–00 Katie Alford • 1999–02 Memorie McCreary • 1999–02 Jonathan Collins • 1999–02 Kristen Demoruelle • 2001–02 Ashley B. Pullen • 2001–02 John Mansour • 2002–03 Lindsey Farris • 2002–04 Duana Meseyton • 2002–04 Ginny Arrington • 2003–04 DeGail Hadley • 2003–04 Kristen Balius • 2004–05 Brooke Meyers • 2004–05 Valerie Dye • 2004–05 Lindsey Moore • 2005–06 Shernica Ferguson • 2006–07 Houssam Hajjhoussein • 2005–07 Nicole Carden • 2007–08 Logan Lynch • 2007–08 McKenzie McIntire • 2007–08 Dustin Pambianchi • 2006–08
Dr. Charlie Brock • Inspiration Mr. Dan Corley • Inspiration 2002_____________________________ Dr. John Polles • Hero Dr. Martin Dalton • Hero Ms. Sally Rogers • Inspiration 2003_____________________________ Dr. Rune Stjernholm • Hero Dr. Dick Myers • Inspiration Dr. Ed Williams • Inspiration 2004_____________________________ Coach Dave Dunaway • Hero Dean Spradling • Inspiration Joyce Spradling • Inspiration 2005_____________________________ Mr. Jett Rogers • Hero Mr. Aubrey Rozelle • Hero Mr. Wayne Lee • Hero James Holland • Inspiration Henry Pace • Inspiration 2006_____________________________ Dr. Albert Sonnier • Hero Jill Harper • Inspiration 2007_____________________________ Dr. James Hillier • Hero Dr. Roger Blake • Inspiration Dr. Robert Carlton • Inspiration Dr. Wayne Dotson • Inspiration Dr. Peter McArthur • Inspiration Dr. Derek Miles • Inspiration Dr. Scott Nelson • Inspiration Dr. Bennie B. Wright, Jr. • Inspiration Dr. D. Van Hipp, Jr. • Inspiration 2008_____________________________ Mr. Joseph Frazier • Hero Mr. Peter Johnson • Hero Dr. John Tiftickjian • Inspiration 2010_____________________________ Dr. W. Wayne Walley • Hero Dr. Barry Campbell • Hero Ms. Amelia T. Beckham • Inspiration Dr. Tanya McKinney • Inspiration Dr. Rose Strahan • Inspiration 2012_____________________________ Dr. Mary Elliott • Hero Barbara Knight • Hero Dr. Henry Laws • Hero Dr. Barry Campbell • Inspiration Dr. John M. Hilpert • Inspiration Neil Holcomb • Inspiration Billy Marlow • Inspiration Dr. Rie Somlai • Inspiration 2013_____________________________ Ms. Allison Rolston • Hero Mr.Bruce Gresham • Inspiration Mr. Louis Baioni • Inspiration Dr. Kent Wyatt • Inspiration Honorable Robert Dearing • Inspiration Dr. Elaine Fields • Inspiration
Daniel Plunkett • 2007–08 Spencer Richardson • 2007–08 Matthew Hyatt • 2008 Tracy Peyton • 2008–09 Justin Smith • 2008–10 Shaun Williams • 2008 Carrie Willis • 2010 Mabry Bailey • 2012 Holly Byrd • 2012 Ian Campbell • 2012 Sarah Deaton • 2012 Martha Elizabeth Fike • 2012 Bobby Horne • 2012 Sara Little • 2012 Wilson Moses • 2012 Rebekah Napier–Jameson • 2012 Natalee Pope • 2012 Jeremy Rochelle • 2012 Tressimee Stokes • 2012 Justin Badon • 2013 Steven Fulgham • 2013 Shelby Walters • 2013 Dave Triplett • 2013 Brennan Lewis • 2013 Rebekah Napier-Jameson • 2013 Megan Galloway • 2013 Nicole Nielsen • 2013 Emilee Grem • 2013 Clayton Boyd • 2013 Ammanda Bishop • 2013 Damian Mercier• 2013
RESEARCH FELLOWS Mike Hailey • 1992–94 Edith Simmons • 1992 Kevin Ward • 1993 Amy Tucker • 1994 Albert Tutor • 1994 Seth Kleinbeck • 1995 John Dahu • 1996 Robert Keeton • 1996 Rick Martinchalk • 1996 Jeremy Ferris • 1997 Mary Henderson • 1997 Chris Hanks • 2000 Memorie McCreary • 2001 Duana Meseyton • 2002–03 Mark Barron • 2003
William Chandler • 2004 Reginald Herrington • 2004–05 Emily Boykin • 2005 Lindsey Moore • 2006 Trey Warrington • 2006 Nicole Carden • 2007 Logan Lynch • 2007 Justin Nichols • 2008 Justin Smith • 2008 Laura Blood • 2010 Brandi Ward • 2010 Carrie Willis • 2010 Martha Elizabeth Fike • 2012 Justin Badon • 2013
LIGHTING THE FIRE WITHIN Dr. Robert L. Elliott never forgot his undergraduate days at Delta State and how the faculty and staff at the institution inspired him to make the most of his life. That motivation helped carry him through The University of Mississippi School of Medicine where he graduated first in his class, and then to a distinguished career as a physician and medical researcher who founded the Elliott-ElliottHead Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Center, one of the leading privately-owned cancer research centers in the world. During a visit to the Delta State campus in 1991, Dr. Elliott’s feelings for Delta State and his pride in being a graduate were rekindled. He and his wife, Dr. Mary C. Elliott, also a Delta Sate graduate, decided to give something back to the school that had meant so much to them. Dr. Elliott said at that time: “I want to help perpetuate the legacy of Delta State as a school that helps the individual student to grow personally as well as academically and professionally. I want to be involved in a program to stimulate young minds, just as my mind was stimulated by teachers and administrators at Delta State who genuinely cared about me. I want to give something back to Delta State and its students, and I want the students to learn from these experiences that every time we give something we get something.” The Elliott-Nowell-White Science Symposium is the result of one of Dr. Elliott’s goals—to introduce Delta State students to scientists of international stature who can serve as role models. Or, as Dr. Elliott expressed it: “to light a fire in today’s student in the same manner that a fire was lit in me by those who influenced my life when I was a student at Delta State. Those who have the ability to inspire students to do their best, to achieve their full potential, are the real heroes of society even though they frequently go unrecognized.” The Elliott-Nowell-White Science Symposium is only one of several initiatives undertaken by Drs. Robert and Mary Elliott to benefit Delta State students through “The Elliott Program of Excellence.” Each year, one or more Delta State students participate in what has become an annual “Research Fellowship Program” with the Elliotts and other members of the staff at The Elliott Mastology Center in Baton Rouge. “I think the internship program is a great way for me and the members of my staff to receive some personal stimulation from young students coming to our facility, and I believe the experience will be a tremendous asset for Delta State University and its students,” Dr. Robert Elliott said. In addition, the Elliotts have established a scholarship program that provides fully funded scholarships for outstanding Delta State students. Recipients of these prestigious scholarships are honored with the title of “Elliott Scholar.”