Innovation Insider
Spring 2024
Introduction
The work we do each day at the Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL) gathers around a common aim: to solve cancer problems for the benefit of individuals and communities affected by cancer.
The CCIL’s unique vision and mission guides our efforts and the pace of innovation is quickening. Ideas are moving to discoveries, discoveries are leading to the development of novel technologies, technologies and interventions are being translated to better diagnostics and therapies with our clinical partners, where physicians implement CCIL solutions—that’s the pipeline of cancer research you’ll read about in this latest edition of Innovation Insider.
Contents
Director’s Message
Education
Honors & Awards
Facilities
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Research
Membership
Honors & Awards
Paul Hergenrother Receives 2023 National Cancer Institute (NCI) Outstanding Investigator Award
The CCIL’s Deputy Director is the first Illinois researcher to receive this celebrated award.
Zeynep Madak Erdogan Receives American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Award
Erdogan and her team received the prestigious 2024 Michael B. Kastan Ward for Research Excellence.
Jun Song Awarded Funding by the National Cancer Institute (NCI)
The multi-year grant funds Song’s project “Predicting Transcriptional and Epigenetic Networks in Cancer from Sequencing Data.”
CCIL Powers Up Pioneering Glioblastoma Research Team
The research team is investigating how neurons communicate with tumors to improve treatments for patients with brain cancer.
NSF Accelerates Cancer Imaging through Interdisciplinary Convergence Program
The team’s bioinspired imaging tech aims to solve one of oncology’s great challenges in the OR.
CCIL Develops Next Generation of Leaders
Sayeepriyadarshini Anakk, Zeynep Madak Erdogan, Cecilia Leal, Erik Nelson, and Kim Selting are the CCIL’s inaugural FLDP cohort graduates.
Research
Clinical Trial Aims to Help Canines with Osteosarcoma
Veterinary comparative oncologists are making progress on a new cancer immunotherapy.
Clinical Trial Shows Promise for Canines with Aggressive Malignant Melanoma
Tim Fan reports findings on a clinical trial of 14 pet dogs with promising results.
New Infrared Microscope Transforms Chemical Imaging for Pathologists
The system dramatically improves the speed and quality of chemical imaging over current methods.
CCIL Researchers Identify Potential Target to Treat Brain Tumors
Brendan Harley and Rex Gaskins collaborate on study pointing to possible new target for glioblastoma therapeutic strategies.
Collaborative Team Starts New Joint Center for mRNA Delivery and Cancer Immunotherapy
CCIL members, bioengineering faculty, and Zhejiang University will focus on mRNA vaccine development.
Seeing the Unseen: Butterfly Vision Helps Scientists Detect Cancer Biomarkers
Bioinspired camera sees the UV spectrum, distinguishing cancer cells with 99% confidence.
Unprecedented Compound Takes a Step Toward Breast Cancer Clinical Trials
David Shapiro and Paul Hergenrother led the development of the compound for ER+ breast cancer treatment.
Hacking Cell Communication: Researchers Develop Promising Cancer Vaccine
Hua Wang’s interdisciplinary team sets their sights on personalized medicine with novel extracellular vesicle-based immunotherapy.
Education
CCIL Trains Future Cancer Researchers in ResearHStart Program
Six central Illinois high school students gained hands-on experience in CCIL labs.
CCIL Undergraduate Works Toward Improving Healthcare Disparities
Cancer Scholar Cindy Mu’s history informs her healthcare career plans.
Imaging Technology Grad Student Focuses on Novel Tech for Biomedical Optics
Janet Sorrells credits the TiME program in her research journey.
Postdoc Researcher Enjoys Small Part in Big Changes for Cancer Research
Kia alahkheirkha aims to transform field of pathology with AI-powered tools.
Where Are They Now?
Ege Gungor Onal
Former CCIL Cancer Scholar is now a M.D./Ph.D. student at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
Where Are They Now?
Qianying Zuo
Former CCIL lab member continues cancer research as a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University.
Facilities
Tumor Engineering & Phenotyping Facility Accelerates Discoveries for Campus Researchers
The TEP continues to expand with recent additions to personnel and equipment.
Membership
New Research Member:
Rachel Adler
Associate Professor, School of Information Sciences
New Research Member:
Yun-Sheng Chen
Assistant Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering
New Research Member:
Claudius Conrad
Professor, Carle Illinois College of Medicine
New Research Member:
Bumsoo Han
Professor, Mechanical Science & Engineering
New Research Member:
Yang Liu
Professor, Bioengineering
New Research Member:
Samy Meroueh
Professor, Biochemistry
New Research Member:
Huanyu Qiao
Associate Professor, Comparative Biosciences
Read the Full Edition
Innovation Insider
Spring 2024
Innovation Insider
Fall 2023
To learn more about the stories in this issue of Innovation Insider, email us at cancercenter@illinois.edu.