News and Job Opportunities

2022 The Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, M.D., Ph.D. Distinguished Scientist Award
Congratulations to Julie Sutcliffe, Ph.D., who was selected as the The Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, M.D., Ph.D. Distinguished Scientist Award at the 2022 WRSNM Annual Meeting, October 28-30. The Award is given annually at the WRSNM Meeting to an individual who has made significant contributions to the Clinical Science of Nuclear Medicine or Molecular Imaging.

2022 Lois O'Grady Lectureship: Lymphoma Data Science from Populations to Precision Medicine and Back”, October 28 at 1:10-1:55p - UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center Auditorium. Registration: 2022 Advances in Oncology

2022 Christine and Helen Landgraf Memorial Research Award
Congratulations to Mamta Parikh, M.D., M.S. who was selected as the 2022 Christine and Helen Landgraf Memorial Research Award Recipient. Dr. Parikh has been awarded $25,000 to support your research in immunotherapy for genitourinary malignancies.

Medical Director of Cancer Center Thoracic Oncology Program 
Congratulations to Jonathan Riess, M.D., M.S. as the new medical director for the Cancer Center Thoracic Oncology Program. Dr. Riess replaces David Gandara who will co-direct a new center in experimental therapeutics.
2021 Christine and Helen Landgraf Memorial Research Award
Congratulations to Janai Carr-Ascher, M.D., Ph.D. who was selected as the 2021 Christine and Helen Landgraf Memorial Research Award Recipient. Dr. Carr-Ascher has been awarded $30,000 to support her research in soft tissue sarcoma including how soft tissue sarcomas form, why they become resistant to treatments, and how the tumors metastasize to the lung.
FDA's Oncology Center of Excellence's Conversations - Guest Speaker
Moon Chen, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H. was a guest speaker at the FDA's Oncology Center of Excellence's Conversations on Cancer: Advancing Equity in Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities: Racism and Injustice
Grant Awarded
Congratulations to Moon Chen, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H.  and David Cooke on receiving a P30 supplement for their 12 months study "Impact of COVID-19 on cancer-related behaviors among non-metropolitan and minorities in inland northern California: Seeking mitigation strategies." The purpose is to measure the impact of COVID-19 on cancer-related behaviors among 1,000 adult respondents and to explore whether telemedicine could be a mitigating factor. Moon Chen and the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) received notice that their supplement "Towards Enhanced Access for State-of-the-Art Imaging Technologies for Racial/Ethnic Minorities: A Community Outreach and Engagement-Biomedical Technology Program Collaboration" has been funded through June 30, 2021. The intent of this pilot study is to bridge the divide represented by EXPLORER's high-impact science with the inclusion of our catchment area's racial/ethnic minority populations through COE in the fight against cancer. Anticipated outcomes include broadening the representation of healthy (non-diseased) racial/ethnic minority participants to improve the precision of EXPLORER's imaging for minority cancer patients.

CMO of International Society for Liquid Biopsy (ISLB)
Congratulations to David R. Gandara, M.D., Director of Thoracic Oncology, Senior Advisor to the Director of the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center and Professor of Medicine Emeritus in the Division of Hematology-Oncology, was named the Chief Medical Officer of International Society for Liquid Biopsy (ISLB) - an international professional organization committed to the advancement of the Liquid Biopsy and the promotion of a multidisciplinary approach for the diagnosis and treatment of patients based on then use of liquid biopsies.

AIMBE's 2021 College of Fellows Election
Congratulations to Julie Sutcliffe, Ph.D., who has been elected as an American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) Fellow, Class of 2021. Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to a medical and biological engineer. Full Article 
 
ANCO's 2020 Annual Election
Congratulations to Helen Chew, M.D., who has been elected as one of the ANCO Board of Directors for three year terms (2021-2023, inclusive). ANCO especially salutes incumbents Tatini Datta, M.D., and Joel Neal, M.D., for their service to the ANCO Board of Directors upon their retirement from the Board. Full Article
New Grant Awarded
Please join us in congratulating Drs. Moon Chen, Christopher Bowlus, Eric Chak, Julie Dang, Scott MacDonald, Susan Stewart and Elisa Tong. On July 12, the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health informed us that our NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center was awarded a grant of $1.5 million over a three year period to support “END B”, a collaboration with the Division of Hematology and Oncology and the Sacramento County Division of Public Health and the Health and Life Organization (HALO). END B focuses on ending the transmission of the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) from the perinatal period throughout the lifespan, assuring that all newborns are properly vaccinated, sparing the next generation from HBV-linked hepatocellular carcinoma.
Dr. Fred Meyers named president of Association for Clinical and Translational Science
Frederick Meyers, M.D., Director of the UC Davis Center for Precision Medicine & Data Sciences and Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Hematology-Oncology, was named president of the Association for Clinical and Translational Science (ACTS). The association fosters research, education, advocacy and mentoring in translational science – a broad area of scientific inquiry that ranges from basic discoveries with implications for human health to community-based epidemiologic and health services studies. Full Article
New treatment directs lymphoma patient's own cells to attack tumor
UC Davis Health oncologists treat first patient with CAR T cell therapy. Oncologists at UC Davis Health have treated their first patient with a revolutionary new kind of therapy developed for people with non-Hodgkin lymphoma for whom other treatment approaches have failed. Full Article
Physician-researchers earn clinical research honors
UC Davis Health research achievements are continuing to earn laurels and recognition. A research study co-authored by UC Davis Health physicians Jonathan Ducore and Adam Giermasz, M.D., Ph.D., co-directors of the UC Davis Health Hemophilia Treatment Center, has received a national “Top Ten” award by the Clinical Research Forum. Full Article
UC Davis scientist and surgeon team take on pancreatic cancer with SU2C grant
UC Davis scientist Julie Sutcliffe, Ph.D. and surgical oncologist Richard Bold have been awarded a $1 million “New Therapies Challenge” grant from the Pancreatic Cancer Collective in an effort to improve survival for people with the disease. The Collective is a strategic partnership of the Lustgarten Foundation and Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C). The UC Davis team was one of seven to receive the grant, which could be augmented by an additional $4 million in the second round of funding. Full Article