Division News
Melissa Loh Part of Team that Received Inaugural Aging Pilot Grant
Tuesday, September 7, 2021
Wilmot Cancer Institute and the University of Rochester Aging Institute teamed up to offer a $50,000 grant to Melissa Loh, MBBCh, Michelle Janelsins, Ph.D., and Paula Vertino, Ph.D. The team is looking at DNAm age, a promising biomarker, and its association with physical and mental decline as a way to identify older patients at more risk during cancer treatment. They plan to use their pilot data to submit an R03 to the National Institute of Aging.
O'Regan Named Deputy Editor of CANCER Journal
Monday, September 6, 2021
Ruth O’Regan, M.D., Chair of the Department of Medicine at URMC, has been named deputy editor of the American Cancer Society’s journal CANCER. She will continue overseeing the breast cancer section while also working with CANCER Editor-in-Chief Suresh S. Ramalingam, M.D., who is also Executive Director of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, to oversee review and publication of critical manuscripts focused on all aspects of oncologic practice. CANCER publishes high-impact, peer-reviewed original articles on the latest clinical cancer research findings.
Wilmot Faculty Contribute to Hematology Textbook
Monday, September 6, 2021
A number of Wilmot faculty have contributed to the 10th edition of Williams Hematology, the leading textbook of hematology, published in spring 2021 by McGraw-Hill Education. The book is authored by experts from around the world, including six from Wilmot: Andrew G. Evans, M.D., Ph.D.; Jonathan W. Friedberg, M.D., M.M.Sc.; Marshall A. Lichtman, M.D.; Jane Liesveld, M.D.; James Palis, M.D., and George B. Segel, M.D. Lichtman also served as one of the editors of the text.
Richard Dunne, M.D., Among Group Shortlisted for Cancer Grand Challenges Award
Wednesday, June 23, 2021
Richard Dunne, M.D., along with the Department of Surgery’s Karen Mustian, Ph.D., were on a team shortlisted for the next Cancer Grand Challenges funding. Founded by Cancer Research UK and the US National Cancer Institute, Cancer Grand Challenges supports a community of diverse, global teams to come together, think differently and take on some of cancer’s toughest challenges. Mustian and Dunne’s team includes scientists from across the United States and the United Kingdom, and their project is focused on cancer cachexia. They are one of 11 teams competing for a share of $100 million to develop smarter, faster and bolder ways to solve some of cancer’s toughest problems. Four teams will be selected to receive approximately $25 million and the freedom to unite above boundaries to unleash their scientific creativity.
Getting to Know Ruth O'Regan, URMC’s Chair of Medicine and Wilmot's Education Leader
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Ruth O’Regan, M.D., began in her role as Chair of the Department of Medicine, but her background is in hematology/oncology as a renowned breast cancer researcher. Watch this video to get to know her.
Heme/Onc Fellow Ash Alpert Publishes Editorial About Transgender Equity in Oncologic Care
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Ash Alpert, M.D., M.F.A., Hematology/Oncology Fellow, and collaborators at the Transgender Cancer Patient Project published an ASCO Daily News Editorial entitled “Degendering Oncologic Care and Other Recommendations to Eliminate Barriers to Care for Transgender People with Cancer.” Read it here.
Carla Falkson Named Guest Editor and Board Chair
Friday, January 15, 2021
Carla Falkson, M.D., Ph.D., has been named guest editor of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences for its special issue on Breast Cancer Immunotherapy. In other news, she has been appointed Chair of the Board of Directors of Frontier Science (Scotland), an organization that works in the design, conduct and analysis of clinical trials.
Arpan Patel Named Chief Quality Officer in the Division of Hematology/Oncology
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Arpan Patel, M.D., has been named Chief Quality Officer in the Division of Hematology/Oncology. In this role, Patel will champion quality and patient safety, while promoting a culture of teamwork and strengthening Wilmot’s commitment to improving clinical practices that achieve the highest standard of care.
“This is an important role for our Division, and I’m proud to welcome Arpan into it,” says Aram Hezel, M.D., Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology. “Arpan has already been involved with our quality team for the last year, so his progression is a natural fit. His organizational prowess, along with his team-focused attitude, are important attributes that will help further the Division’s goals around quality moving forward.”
Loh Named to SIOG Board
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Melissa Loh, MBBCh, Senior Instructor in the Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology at URMC with Wilmot, has been named to the Board of Directors for the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG). She will serve a two-year term starting in 2020. On the board, she will help further SIOG’s mission of strengthening the capacity of health professionals in the field of geriatric oncology.