Pathways TO DISCOVERY
AT T H E FO R E F R O N T O F C ANCE R CARE AND DIS COVE RY
Risk and Prevention: Stopping Cancer Before It Starts FEATURE STORY 2
COHORT STUDIES: COMPASS AND ALL OF US PROJECTS
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 1
MOKING CESSATION PROGRAM GIVES S PATIENTS THE COURAGE TO QUIT
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COMPREHENSIVE CANCER RISK AND PREVENTION CLINIC
11 UCHICAGO MEDICINE CERTIFIED TO OFFER BREAKTHROUGH CAR T-CELL GENE THERAPY
FALL 2017
Pathways TO DISCOVERY
AT THE FOREFRONT OF CANCER CARE AND D ISCOVERY
Fall 2017 E X E C U T I V E E D I TO R
Crystal Senesac M A N AG I N G E D I TO R A N D W R I T E R
Bethany Hubbard SENIOR SCIENCE WRITER
Kathleen Goss, PhD CO N T R I B U T I N G W R I T E R S
Kat Carlton John Easton E D I TO R I A L A DV I S O R S
Michelle Le Beau, PhD Marcy List, PhD P H O TO G R A P H Y
David Christopher Bethany Hubbard Robert Kozloff Jean Lachat DESIGN
Pivot Design, Inc. PRINTING
G Thomas Partners LLC
From the Director Each and every year, our researchers demonstrate their commitment to finding better ways to diagnose and treat cancer. But, we are also dedicated to stopping cancer before it starts through risk assessment and prevention. From lifestyle changes to vaccines to genetic testing, prevention is the ultimate goal. In this issue, we delve into the Comprehensive Cancer Center’s robust risk and prevention programs, including our Comprehensive Cancer Risk and Prevention Clinic and expertise in establishing cohorts for assessing population health. Pinpointing the exact cause of cancer is not an easy task. By studying the environment, the health and behavior of specific populations, and the role of genetics, we are making great strides in our efforts to minimize cancer’s impact. Ultimately, we want to help people understand their risks so they can take action before they become our patients. In this issue, you will also find examples of our most recent research breakthroughs, new faculty, member honors, and clinical trials. Thank you for your support, and we hope you enjoy the rest of the year! Regards,
Pathways to Discovery is a triannual publication of the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center. T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F C H I C AG O M E D I C I N E CO M P R E H E N S I V E C A N C E R C E N T E R 5 8 41 S . M A RY L A N D AV E . MC1140, H212 C H I C AG O , I L 6 0 6 3 7 P H O N E 1 -7 7 3 -70 2- 6 1 8 0 FA X 1 -7 7 3 -70 2- 9 3 1 1 F E E D B AC K@ B S D . U C H I C AG O . E D U
© 2017 The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center. All rights reserved.
Michelle M. Le Beau, PhD Director, The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center; Arthur and Marian Edelstein Professor of Medicine
Smoking Cessation Program Gives Patients the Courage to Quit ©
Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of cancer in the world and is responsible for 6 million deaths (from cancer and other diseases) worldwide each year, according to the World Health Organization. In fact, according to the American Cancer Society Andrea King, PhD (ACS), smoking cigarettes kills more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, HIV, guns, and illegal drugs combined. The University of Chicago Medicine’s Courage to Quit® program uses evidence-based smoking ces sation methods including behavioral skills, cognitive skills, and prescription and over-the-counter medications to help participants successfully quit smoking. The program, adopted by the Respiratory Health Association of Chicago in 2007, was developed by Andrea King, PhD, professor of psychiatry and co-leader of the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Cancer Prevention and Control Program. King is a licensed clinical psychologist with extensive experience in the treatment of tobacco and other addictions. “I am delighted that this program is being implemented across hospitals, community centers, substance abuse programs, and homeless shelters,” she said. “It is truly inspiring to know that this program is reaching so many people who want to make changes in their tobacco use and improve their health.” Courage to Quit® has been delivered to over 2,000 smokers across the Chicagoland area, many of whom are underserved low-income smokers, and has been translated into Spanish, Polish, and Mandarin Chinese. King, who directs the Clinical Addictions Research Laboratory, also uses the program in her research
studies. In her lab, she aims to understand what factors lead a person to use alcohol, tobacco, and other substances in excess, and is developing more effective interventions in the treatment of substance abuse disorders. “Research is crucial in our efforts to provide evidence-based interventions to patients,” she said. For example, in a recent study1 of smokers aged 18–35, King found that seeing someone use an e-cigarette or vape pen (often used as a substitute for tobacco products) produced “an immediate, significant, and lasting increase in the desire to smoke.” “Currently, there is no evidence that electronic cigarette devices help in quitting smoking,” King said. “While we may hear testimonials from persons who have switched from smoking to vaping or used e-cigarettes to quit smoking, large-scale clinical research is lacking.” King’s research has also shown that binge drinking increases smoking urges and certain medication combinations—nicotine patch and naltrexone, for example—help heavy-drinking smokers both quit smoking and decrease drinking. King recently received funding from the NCI Cancer Moonshot Initiative to augment and expand Courage to Quit® in the community and integrate a tobacco treatment program technology platform with the electronic medical record system to better manage patient care. To learn more about Courage to Quit®, visit http://stopsmoking.uchicago.edu/ couragetoquit.html and call 1-773-702-6685 to make an appointment. Read more about King’s research on the Science Life blog: https://sciencelife.uchospitals. edu/2017/01/12/seeing-vape-pen-use-boostsdesire-to-smoke-among-young-adults/ 1 King et al., Nicotine Tob Res [epub ahead of print]
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Cohort Studies: COMPASS and All of Us Projects In fiscal year 2016, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI), which will enroll one million or more participants in a national research effort designed to find better ways to prevent and treat disease based on lifestyle, environment, and genetics. Cancer is a major focus of the PMI, given the promise of more effective tailored treatments and prevention modalities. A portion of the funds allocated for the PMI are dedicated to the National Cancer Institute’s efforts in cancer genomics, and the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center is playing a key role through the All of Us Research Program, a key element of the PMI.
“We are hoping to leverage our extensive experience engaging diverse research participants in UChicago projects to enhance minority representation in All of Us and boost the ability of the program to make breakthroughs relevant to our patient population,” said Brisa Aschebrook-Kilfoy, PhD, research assistant professor of public health sciences and a key investigator.
The All of Us leadership hopes to extend precision medicine for prevention and treatment of all diseases by building a diverse national research cohort that will be followed for decades. Cohort studies provide a unique opportunity for scientists to follow a large group of people over an extended period of time to see how exposure—environment, occupation, city of residence, for example—may relate to incidence of chronic diseases such as cancer.
Aschebrook-Kilfoy helps run the Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Chicago Multiethnic Prevention and Surveillance Study (COMPASS), which aims to understand disparities in disease incidence and mortality in Chicago’s population where there are higher rates of cancer and chronic diseases than in other parts of the United States.
The University of Chicago is working alongside Northwestern University, University of Illinois at Chicago, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, and the Alliance of Chicago Community Health Services LLC as members of the Illinois Precision Medicine Consortium (IPMC), which will help recruit 150,000 All of Us participants. The Comprehensive Cancer Center has been committed to this area of research for many years by supporting the development of longitudinal cohorts in Chicago that also have the scientific capacity to promote precision health and medicine.
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Through the efforts of a multidisciplinary team, COMPASS investigators plan to recruit 100,000 Chicago residents to study the lifestyle, environmental, and genetic factors that impact health and chronic diseases, with an emphasis on cancer. The study was launched in 2013, and thus far close to 4,000 diverse residents have enrolled in the cohort. Eligible participants complete an in-depth interview, provide blood, urine, and saliva samples for scientific analysis, and agree to complete follow-up questionnaires every two to three years. “Through extensive community engagement efforts, diversity and disparities trainings, and hands-on learning experiences, our team in the
Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Epidemiology Research and Recruitment Core consistently reaches some of the most at-risk and marginalized groups in Chicago in both the medical center and in the community,” Aschebrook-Kilfoy said.
“Given the shared and complementary research objectives, it is expected that complementary recruitment for PMI programs at UChicago, including both All of Us and COMPASS, will occur in the next five years,” Aschebrook-Kilfoy said.
COMPASS is led by Habibul Ahsan, MBBS, MMedSc, Louis Block Professor of Public Health Sciences, Medicine and Human Genetics, who established the University of Chicago Precision and Population Health Initiative (PPHI) by integrating COMPASS and All of Us. All of Us, like COMPASS, aims to build a diverse cohort and Ahsan’s team will help with the recruitment of 50,000 of the 150,000 All of Us participants that will be coming from Illinois.
Anyone can join All of Us by registering on the program’s website. The All of Us van is also traveling the country and stopping at universities and community events to recruit participants and there will eventually be a direct volunteer program at Walgreens. Participants’ information will be de-identified in order to maintain privacy. Researchers using data gathered through All of Us will have no way of linking the information to an individual participant.
“Once we know and understand what leads to the development of disease and the underlying biological processes, we are in a better position to identify prevention and treatment solutions,” said Ahsan, who also serves as associate director for population research at the Comprehensive Cancer Center. For example, COMPASS researchers are investigating the role of the bacteria in a person’s mouth in the development of head and neck, and lung cancers. Using the saliva samples from approximately 1,500 participants, the oral microbiome will be analyzed using a robust technology (called microbial 16s rRNA sequencing) and compared to data on known risk factors such as tobacco use and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
Large-scale participation will help All of Us create a future where health care is tailored to the individual. “This effort will involve extensive engagement across the institution and with community partnerships as the scale and scope of the project is unprecedented,” Aschebrook-Kilfoy said. Join All of Us by visiting www.joinallofus.org and download the free app for both iOS and Android. Learn more about the Illinois Precision Medicine Consortium: www.uchospitals.edu/ news/2016/20160707-precision-medicine.html
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Comprehensive Cancer Risk and Prevention Clinic There are many factors that can increase a person’s risk of developing certain cancers including age, lifestyle, and genetics, to name a few. Though it is not possible to identify the exact cause for most cancers, scientists continue to identify risk factors that may play a role. At the University of Chicago Medicine, the Comprehensive Cancer Risk and Prevention Clinic is dedicated to identifying and caring for individuals who have an increased risk of cancer due to family history, or medical and genetic factors. Founded in 1992, the Clinic was the first in Illinois to provide comprehensive preventative services and is currently led by Olufunmilayo Olopade, MBBS, FACP, Walter L. Palmer Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine and Human Genetics, Sonia Kupfer, MD, assistant professor of medicine, and Jane Churpek, MD, assistant professor of medicine. Today, more than 3,000 patients are closely monitored for the very earliest signs of breast, ovarian, and gastrointestinal cancers. These patients include both cancer survivors with a high risk of recurrence and individuals with a family history or personal genetic profile that makes them more vulnerable to the disease.
Genetic testing is not required for cancer risk counseling and assessment. However, in some cases results from a genetic test may help patients and their phy sicians make important decisions about care. Undergoing genetic testing is the personal choice of each patient. Genetic testing and counseling may be helpful if:
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Olopade is an expert in breast cancer risk, and has identified breast cancer mutations in African families that are distinct from those found in Caucasian women, transforming screening and treatment in Africa and beyond. Her research team also made the seminal discovery that the majority of African women diagnosed with breast cancer have triplenegative tumors (a type of breast cancer that is aggressive and hard to treat). Kupfer researches colon cancer risk in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease and in AfricanAmerican families with inherited predisposition. In one study,1 she and her colleagues characterized the specific mutations and risk for colorectal cancer in African Americans with a genetic condition called Lynch syndrome, identifying new mutations and cancer risk factors for this population. Churpek and Lucy Godley, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, offer personalized risk assessment to
<50 The patient or a close adult relative is diagnosed at a young age (less than 50 years old)
The patient has more than one blood relative with the same type of cancer
The patient or someone in the family has more than one type of cancer
Today, more than 3,000 patients are closely monitored for the very earliest signs of breast, ovarian, and gastrointestinal cancers. e J an
patients and families who may be at an increased risk for developing hematologic (blood) malignancies compared to the general population due to genetic factors. Through the Clinic, they provide genetic testing, cancer prevention counseling and strategies, and long-term follow-up of individuals with known or suspected familial myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute leukemia syndromes. Churpek, Godley, and collaborators are focusing their research efforts on identifying and studying gene mutations associated with inherited forms of MDS and acute leukemia.
A male member of the family is diagnosed with breast cancer
The patient has cancer that developed in a set of paired organs (e.g., both breasts, both kidneys)
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Through research and patient assessment, the Clinic continues to help patients stop cancer before it starts. To learn more, visit www.uchospitals.edu/ specialties/cancer/risk/index.html and call 1-855-702-8222 to make an appointment. 1â&#x20AC;&#x192;Guindalini et al., Gastroenterology 149:1446-53, 2015.
The patient is related to someone who has an inherited mutation known to cause cancer
Genetic testing involves a simple blood test. The blood sample is then sent to a lab that determines if there is a mutation, or change, in the genes that raises the risk of cancer for a patient and family members.
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Research
Meet the Expert Habibul Ahsan, MBBS, MMedSc LOUIS BLOCK PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCES, MEDICINE AND HUMAN GENETICS, COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR POPULATION RESEARCH
Dr. Ahsanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research interests focus on studying the interrelationships between environmental and genomic factors in cancer and other diseases, and exploiting information on these relationships at a population level by developing and evaluating prevention interventions in humans. Specifically, his research integrates environmental, nutritional, and lifestyle factors with measures of modern molecular biology (involving DNA, RNA, and protein variations) to understand the pathogenesis, prognosis, and prevention of cancer and other disorders of national and international public health significance. What is the focus of your research? My research focuses on the identification of specific environmental exposures, lifestyle/behavior, or genes and their unique combinations that drive human disease risks. These studies involve obtaining and analyzing data from a large number of research volunteers at a population level. I also test
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interventions on modifiable risk factors to prevent disease or improve outcomes by early diagnosis. What is the impact of your research? Results of my research studies inform the public and policy makers about potential causes of disease and avenues of prevention. My research also
Research
informs health care providers about how to identify high-risk individuals and diagnose disease early. What do you hope to accomplish during your career? My career goal is to help generate research knowledge that matters. I aspire to make a difference in peoples’ lives, especially those with the greatest needs, both locally and globally, through my research. How did you get interested in studying cancer and/ or treating cancer patients? During my medical school years, I saw patients diagnosed with cancer, especially in resourcepoor settings, dying due to lack of life-saving treatments. I learned that most of these deadly cancers are likely caused by known or unknown modifiable environmental, lifestyle, or behavioral factors. These early observations motivated me to work on cancer prevention research so that cancers can be prevented or diagnosed early before it is too late. What is the most rewarding part of your job? The hope that my work may potentially make a difference in peoples’ lives during my lifetime. Who inspires you? Professionally, my first boss the late Dr. Alan Rosenfield, then Dean of Columbia School of Public Health, whom I saw working relentlessly and selflessly through his last day of life, despite being feeble with protracted illness, to improve human health throughout the world. Personally, my 90-year-old mother who wanted me to be a physician, and she is proud (from the other side of the world where she lives) to see me working towards improving human health. What do you love about working at the University of Chicago? The recognition and support of worthwhile ideas, even if they are bold and often risky. What is one thing on your bucket list? To be able to become more involved in policy decisions where I can use my research experience and know-how to identify, prioritize, and promote promising research to help translate impactful results and known solutions into policy faster.
Research Highlights
Lymphatic Vessels Promote Tumor Immunosuppression Lymphatic vessels filter and transport fluid away from tissues before returning it to the blood in order to maintain blood volume and pressure. The development of new lymphatic vessels, a process called lymphangiogenesis, has been linked to promoting the spread—or metastasis—of cancer. Using mouse models of the deadly skin cancer melanoma, Melody Swartz, PhD, William B. Ogden Professor of the Institute for Molecular Engineering, and her laboratory investigated the importance of lymphatics by blocking lymphangiogenesis in vivo (within a living organism). Unexpectedly, the research team found that, as a consequence, the immune response elicited by the host against the tumor was disrupted. These observations were then confirmed in metastatic melanoma patients enrolled in clinical trials. The researchers found that indicators of lymphangiogenesis (such as concentrations of the signaling protein vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF]-C) were associated with immune T cell activation and clinical response to cancer immunotherapy. This study suggests that lymphangiogenesis, and VEGF-C levels specifically, may be used as biomarkers to predict the response to immunotherapy, now an important therapeutic strategy for melanoma and other tumor types. (Fankhauser et al., Sci Transl Med 9:1-12, 2017; https://sciencelife.uchospitals.edu/2017/09/13/ double-agents-vessels-that-help-cancersspread-can-also-boost-immune-therapies/)
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Research
Research Highlights (continued) Trends for Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Older Adults In allogeneic blood (hematopoietic) stem cell transplantation, stem cells from a matching donor are collected and transplanted into a patient with blood cancer to suppress disease and restore the patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s immune system. Although this therapeutic approach offers the best possible long-term disease control, it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always thought to be suitable for older adults because of risk of toxicity and mortality. Recent advancements in the procedures and supportive care, however, have broadened its application to older adults.
New Therapy for FLT3-Mutated Acute Myeloid Leukemia FLT3 is a gene that encodes a signaling protein (a tyrosine kinase) required for the normal development of blood cells. It is also mutated in approximately 30 percent of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemias (AML) in adults, and patients with FLT3-mutated AML have particularly high rates of recurrence and overall poor prognosis. Therefore, there is urgent need for novel targeted therapies for this aggressive AML subset. A multicenter, international team led by Richard Larson, MD, professor of medicine and director of the Hematologic Malignancies Program, tested whether the addition of an oral kinase inhibitor (midostaurin) to standard chemotherapy would improve outcomes for FLT3-mutated AML patients in a phase III clinical trial. Overall survival and eventfree survival were significantly longer in the midostaurin group, and the benefit of this new agent was consistent across all FLT3 subtypes (i.e., was not dependent on the precise type of mutation). Based on these clinical trial data, midostaurin was approved in April 2017 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adults receiving chemotherapy for newly diagnosed AML with mutations in the FLT3 geneâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the first new treatment for AML in almost two decades. (Stone et al., N Eng J Med 377:454-64, 2017) 8
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A research team involving the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research and led by Andrew Artz, MD, associate professor of medicine, and former fellow Lori Muffly, MD (now at Stanford University), analyzed the incidence and outcomes of allogeneic stem cell transplantation performed in patients aged 70 or older. They found that there was increased utilization and survival after allogeneic transplant over the past decade. Specifically, the investigators reported a two-year post-transplant survival rate of 40 percent for patients in their 70s and 80s, providing evidence for the safety and feasibility of allogeneic stem cell transplantations for older adults. The data published in this study are particularly important because the incidence of almost all blood cancers increases with age and peaks in this patient population (>65 years) and they indicate that select patents aged 70 or older should be considered for transplantation. (Muffly et al., Blood 130:1156-64, 2017)
Research
Clinical Trials As an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and a lead site for the National Clinical Trials Network, we provide national leadership in developing clinical trials, which offer more options for patients. With more than 300 open therapeutic trials available, we enroll nearly 1,000 patients each year. For a full listing, visit clinicaltrials.uccrc.org
• Oropharyngeal Tumor Induction Chemotherapy and Response-stratified Locoregional Therapy Trial in Order to Minimize Long-term Adverse Events (OPTIMA II), IRB 17-0104 • A Randomized, Double-Blind Phase II Study of Adjuvant Pembrolizumab Versus Placebo in Head and Neck Cancers at High Risk for Recurrence—the PATHWay Study, IRB 15-1632
• Study of Nivolumab in Combination With Ipilimumab Compared to the Standard of Care (Extreme Study Regimen) as First Line Treatment in Patients With Recurrent or Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (CheckMate 651), IRB 16-0680 • The Women Choosing Surgical Prevention (WISP) Trial for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer, IRB 16-0606
Upcoming Events APRIL
20–21
The 7th Annual Clinical Cancer Genetics and Genomics Conference: Frontiers in Precision Medicine for Inherited Cancers: From Risk Assessment to Targeted Therapies
APRIL 20–21, 2018 Gwen Hotel, 521 North Rush St., Chicago, IL 60611 To register, visit cme.uchicago.edu/CancerGenetics18
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News
Cook County CARES In 2015, the University of Chicago Medicine’s Center for Asian Health Equity received a $3.5 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to increase colorectal cancer (CRC) screenings in Chicago’s Cook County. The grant led to the formation of Cook County CARES (Colorectal Cancer Alliance to Reinforce and Enhance Screening), a partnership between the university and local community health organizations. Since its inception, the program has made great strides in increasing access to colorectal cancer
screenings and care. For example, the CARES team developed an innovative and sustainable web-based tool at ILColonCares.org to increase linkage to care for individuals referred for care from local community health clinics. This collaborative tool provides enhanced-quality CRC screening by providing clinics with access to available colonoscopy appointments at UChicago Medicine. The CARES program also continues to build community partnerships, which have helped increase CRC screening rates in Cook County.
“With interventions developed through the CARES program, colorectal cancer screening rates have already increased at multiple community centers.” CLINIC SCREENING RATES
ELIGIBLE PATIENTS AT EACH CLINIC
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0% Baseline
Asian Human Services
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Community Health
Heartland Health Center
Friend Family Health Center
Asian Human Services
Friend Family Health Center UChicago Medicine
UChicago Medicine
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News
UChicago Medicine Certified to Offer Breakthrough CAR T-Cell Gene Therapy To create CAR T cells, scientists remove some of a patient’s T cells, the workhorses of the immune system. Then they modify the cells to detect both normal and diseased B cells. They grow millions of these modified T cells in the lab and then return the re-programmed T cells to the patient, through a simple intravenous drip. Within a few days, these CAR T cells multiply in the body, then search for B cells and destroy them. Ninety percent of pediatric patients with ALL enrolled in early CAR T-cell clinical trials throughout the country went into lasting remission. DLBCL patients often relapse after standard treatments, but those treated with CAR T-cell therapy have doubled the long-term survival rate. Now, about 50 percent of those patients appear to have lasting complete remissions.
John Cunningham, MD
The University of Chicago Medicine is the first site in the United States to be certified by both Kite Pharma Inc. and Novartis to offer chimeric antigen receptor T-cell, or CAR T-cell, therapy for adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. UChicago Medicine is also among the first sites in the Midwest certified to offer the therapy for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Used to supplement forms of cancer treatment like chemotherapy, radiation, and stem cell transplants, CAR T-cell therapy works by using modified versions of a patient’s own blood cells to target and destroy cancer cells.
Michael Bishop, MD, professor of medicine, leads the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Program for adults and John Cunningham, MD, George M. Eisenberg Professor of Pediatrics, leads the Program for pediatrics. “This is going to change how we treat hematologic malignancies,” Bishop said. “This is just the beginning, the infancy of CAR T-cell therapy. We think variations of cellular therapy could be applied to a broad spectrum of diseases, including other forms of lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and maybe, over time, even solid tumors, like colon or pancreatic cancer.” Learn more about CAR T-cell treatments at uchicagomedicine.org/defeatcancer
“Ninety percent of pediatric patients with ALL enrolled in early CAR T-cell clinical trials throughout the country went into lasting remission.”
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News
Faculty Awards and Honors
John Cunningham, MBBCh, MSc, Donald N. Pritzker Professor of Pediatrics, has been named the George M. Eisenberg Professor in Pediatrics and the College. Cunningham is an internationally known expert in the treatment and research of childhood cancers and blood diseases.
Chuan He, PhD, John T. Wilson Distinguished Service Professor, was awarded the Paul Marks Prize for Cancer Research, which recognizes a new generation of leaders in cancer research who are making significant contributions to the field.
Bana Jabri, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, has been named as a 2017 recipient of UChicago’s Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, believed to be the nation’s oldest prize for undergraduate teaching.
Anne Sperling, PhD, has been appointed as Associate Vice Chair for Research for the Department of Medicine. She will specifically focus her efforts on the development and mentoring of senior fellows and junior faculty.
Alexander Pearson, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine, is interested in mathematical modeling of genomic and laboratorybased preclinical data to develop novel approaches to the treatment of head and neck cancer.
Jennifer Tseng, MD, assistant professor of surgery, is a surgical oncologist specializing in breast cancer, melanoma, and sarcoma. She also serves as the associate program director for the Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship at the University of Chicago.
New Faculty
Chih-Yi Liao, MD, assistant professor of medicine, specializes in the treatment of thyroid cancer and gastrointestinal cancers, with a particular emphasis in biliary tract cancers, cholangiocarcinoma, and neuroendocrine tumors. He is working to develop clinical trials of new treatment strategies for these diseases.
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James Melotek, MD, assistant professor of radiation oncology, special izes in the treatment of head and neck, lung, and gastrointestinal cancers. He is currently the co-primary investigator on multiple clinical trials that combine novel immunotherapy agents with radiation therapy.
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News
UChicago Medicine Adopts New Logo, to Rebrand Ingalls Facilities Brand initiative seeks to better reflect expanded reach and array of services The University of Chicago Medicine is rolling out a new logo and rebranding Ingalls Memorial Hospital and its ambulatory facilities as part of a major initiative to reflect the academic medical center’s growing geographic reach and expanded services. The new brand logo signals the organization’s transformation into a health system with multiple care locations, and builds on its connection to the University of Chicago while also elevating its brand promise by incorporating “at the forefront” into the wordmark for the first time in the institution’s history. The logo features a larger university shield to reflect its academic relationship, shortens “University of Chicago Medicine” to “UChicago Medicine” for a bolder look, and uses a more modern sans-serif font.
These changes follow an extensive discovery process that included interviews with leaders at Ingalls and UChicago Medicine, focus groups with consumers and patients, and key findings from a recent brand reputation study. The decision also supports the need to reflect UChicago Medicine’s expansion into a health system, which has included Ingalls since the two institutions merged in October 2016. “UChicago Medicine is now much more than an academic medical center in Hyde Park, and the time is right for us to show that transformation through our logo and a broadened brand promise of being at the forefront of medicine, science, and education,” said Kenneth S. Polonsky, executive vice president of medical affairs at the University of Chicago. “We now can provide a continuum of services in which academic medicine powers community care, fueled by our clinical excellence, research breakthroughs, and teaching mission.” “Our new leadership structure, coupled with the new brand, represents our transformation into a comprehensive academic health system,” said Sharon O’Keefe, president of the University of Chicago Medical Center, who will be responsible for administrative and operational oversight of the university medical center in Hyde Park, Ingalls Memorial Hospital and its facilities, and other practice locations in the community. “UChicago Medicine has benefitted, and will continue to benefit, from Ingalls’ expertise in successfully operating ambulatory facilities.” CANCER.UCHICAGO.EDU
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Pathways Summer '16 FIN.indd 4
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