October 28, 2011

Announcements

Notables

Akiko Iwasaki, PhD, a member of the YCC Molecular Virology Program, has been selected to receive the 2012 Eli Lilly and Company Research Award. Dr. Iwasaki's research focuses on innate viral recognition mechanisms and their link to adaptive immunity.

Xiwen Gu, PhD

received an American Society of Hematology (ASH) Abstract Achievement Award for

Lieping Chen, PhD

has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (formerly the International Society for Biological therapy of Cancer).

Employee Profile:

Peter Roche

The Employee Profile recognizes the diverse contributions made by Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital staff have to meet our patient care, research, education, and outreach goals. The staff profiled are examples of the great work being done here, and the dedication and values we possess. To suggest someone to be profiled, please contact

Peter Roche has been in his current position as Major Gifts Officer for Yale Cancer Center, as part of the Yale School of Medicine development office, for just over a year now. However, he became a part of the Yale Office of Development in 2005 as a Special Gifts Officer, and before that he worked as an Annual Giving Officer at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Through his long-standing history with Yale he has been a part of many Reunion gift campaigns, record-breaking appeals, and large donations made to support Yale.  

As YCC continues to grow, so do the many opportunities for philanthropic investments.

"Most of the donors I work with have a personal connection to cancer and a strong desire to a make a difference," said Peter. "My job is to learn about their personal experiences and connect them to Yale Cancer Center in a significant and mutually beneficial way. Though everyone's experience with cancer is different, the end result is the donor's overwhelming sense of fulfillment from the meaningful investment they've made at Yale and the lives of cancer patients everywhere."

Peter's experience working with many of Yale's prominent donors and volunteers, and the relationships he has built with central development officers, helps in the effort to gain more support from Yale College alums for cancer research. His supervisor, Peter Lamothe, Director of Development for Yale Cancer Center, commented, "Peter Roche works closely with a broad range of donors that are often grateful patients and their families who wish to support Yale Cancer Center.

Development Update

Thank you to Danielle Bonadies, Hari Deshpande, Mike DiGiovanna, Scott Gettinger, Stephanie Halene, Roy Herbst, Paul Jubinsky, Anthony Kim, Harriet Kluger, Sheida Mani, Miguel Materin, Mario Sznol, and Joanne Weidhaas for attending the Yale Cancer Center Grateful Patient Workshop last Friday. The session provided a solid introduction to grateful patient fundraising - explaining the many reasons patients and their families choose to make philanthropic gifts, what cues and clues to listen for that indicate possible patient interest in giving, and how to respond to their interest. If you could not attend the workshop but are interested in learning more about the program, please contact Peter Lamothe.

Registration and Continental Breakfast

Funding Opportunities 

Lymphatic Research Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

The foundation's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is designed to support postdoctoral scientists at academic, medical, or research institutions throughout the world. The awards will support investigators who have recently received their doctorates. The goal of the fellowship program is to expand and strengthen the pool of outstanding junior investigators in the field of lymphatic research.

Projects in lymphocyte biology, leukemia, lymphoma, and conditions secondary to lymphedema such as cutaneous infections are outside the scope of this program.

Applicants must hold a PhD and/or MD or equivalent degree and have completed no more than three years of full-time postdoctoral research experience prior to the start of the grant cycle. The research project must be conducted under the supervision of a mentor who is an established investigator with an active and productive research program. The two-year fellowships provide $82,000 to $95,000 each.

Application Deadline: January 10, 2012

Melanoma Research Alliance Awards

The MRA is soliciting proposals that address the gap in translational science, i.e., turning scientific discoveries into tools and/or treatments for high-risk individuals or melanoma patients. Proposals will be accepted for Individual Investigator Awards: Young Investigator Awards, Established Investigator Awards, Pilot Awards, and Partnership Awards. Successful proposals will offer the potential for translational development that could lead to high impact near-term clinical application in areas of melanoma prevention, diagnosis, staging, and treatment.

Key Criteria:

• Innovative and transforming research: Novel approaches with clear capacity to revolutionize prevention, early diagnosis, staging, or treatment for patients with melanoma or for individuals at high risk for melanoma. Transformative ideas with strong scientific rationale are encouraged.
• Scientific merit: Outstanding and rigorous proposals as determined by peer review.
• Potential for rapid progression to clinical testing: Proposals that articulate a clear path to clinical applicability will be strongly favored.

Application Deadline: December 1, 2011