News: Cancer News

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center’s Stem Cell Transplant ranks among the best in the nation for donor stem cell transplant survival rates among large centers, according to an annual report.

John Karijolich, PhD, a member of the cancer center’s Host-Tumor Interactions Research Program, has been named a Pew Biomedical Scholar by The Pew Charitable Trusts. His laboratory investigates viruses associated with human cancer.

Debra Friedman, MD, director of the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, has been awarded a $100,000 Hyundai Hope on Wheels Impact Award. The grant was celebrated in a “handprint ceremony” with Hyundai representatives on June 12.

A group of young lung cancer patients and their family members recently toured research laboratories to learn how investigators are working to find better therapies and possibly a cure for the disease.

The grant from the National Cancer Institute, establishes a research center for advancing the understanding and treatment of small cell lung cancer. Vito Quaranta, M.D., will direct the new center.

Madan Jagasia, MBBS, MSCI, MMHC, will succeed Michael Neuss, MD, as the Chief Medical Officer of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center Clinical Enterprise, upon Neuss’ retirement. The leadership change is effective July 1.

For the 10th year in a row Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) have been named a CEO Cancer Gold Standard employer by the CEO Roundtable on Cancer.

Jordan Berlin, MD, has been named associate director of Clinical Investigation Strategy and Shared Resources at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC). In his new role he will chair the Resource Allocation Committee and continue as chair of the Clinical Trials Shared Resource (CTSR) Steering Committee.

A new technology may allow doctors to better distinguish benign from malignant lung nodules in CT-based lung cancer screening.

Ben Ho Park, MD, PhD, has been named co-leader of the Breast Cancer Research Program, director of Precision Oncology and associate director for Translational Research at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. He will assume his new post Sept. 1.