Head & Neck Cancer Program News
Greater Boston Head and Neck Cancer SPORE Proposal Submitted
The proposal for a Greater Boston Head and Neck Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) was submitted to the National Cancer Institute earlier this month. Led by Dr. Maria Kukuruzinska, Associate Dean for Research at the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, and Dr. Robert Haddad, Disease Center Leader in Head and Neck Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the SPORE brings together exceptional scientific expertise, resources and clinical care in head and neck cancer at six major Boston area institutions, with the long-term goal of mobilizing and enhancing the research workforce dedicated to the treatment of head... More
Researcher Spotlight: Jennifer Snyder-Cappione
OCRI member Dr. Jennifer Snyder-Cappione is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Associate Director of the Center for Immunobiology, and Director of the Flow Cytometry Core Facility at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Snyder-Cappione and her team investigate the progression of immune cell subsets into exhausted (checkpoint-inhibited) states in a variety of chronic diseases, including HIV, systemic scleroderma, and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). She works to improve ex vivo methodologies to help determine the functional interchanges between cell subsets in vivo that dictate the fate of a diseased site and surrounding areas, and to clarify... More
OCRI Explores Biorepository Collaboration with Erie County Medical Center
On February 1, Dr. Jennifer Frustino visited Boston University and met with OCRI researchers to explore biospecimen repository collaboration opportunities. Dr. Frustino is the Director of Oral Cancer Screening and Diagnostics in the Division of Oral Oncology and Maxillofacial Prosthetics at Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, NY. Previously, she worked at the nearby Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Erie County Medical Center recently established an Oral Cancer Screening Program, and is collecting biopsies, buccal cells, and microbiota. Dr. Frustino and her colleagues are collecting many biospecimens from their diverse patient group and have been looking for a collaborative partner with the... More
Paper Published by OCRI Members Selected as AACR Editors’ Pick
The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) selected an article written by members of the Boston University Medical Campus (BUMC) community as one of the AACR Journals Editors’ Picks for 2015. The article, “A YAP/TAZ-Regulated Molecular Signature is Associated with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma” was published in Molecular Cancer Research in June, 2015. The paper is the product of a collaboration between investigators at the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) as part of the Etiology and Pathogenesis of Oral Cancer (EPOC) Affinity Research Collaborative (ARC), co-funded by the... More
Etiology and Pathogenesis of Oral Cancer ARC Funded For a Third Year
The Etiology and Pathogenesis of Oral Cancer (EPOC) Affinity Research Collaborative (ARC) was recently successful in its application for a third year of funding. The EPOC ARC is co-funded by the Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research and the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM). The group is made up of a number of investigators who work collaboratively on multidisciplinary projects with the overarching goal of deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying oral cancer development and progression to metastasis, and identifying novel druggable targets for effective and lasting oral cancer therapies. The ARC is led by Dr. More
Second Head and Neck Cancer Symposium a Big Success
On September 21, 2015, Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute co-hosted the second Head and Neck Cancer Symposium. This event, titled From Pathways to Therapies, brought together experts from across the country to present on current research, developments, challenges, and therapies in head and neck cancer. Well over one hundred faculty, clinicians, researchers, residents and students attended the symposium. After welcoming remarks from Associate Dean for Research Dr. M. Kukuruzinska, Dean Jeffrey Hutter, BU VP for research Gloria Waters , and Dr. Robert Haddad, Disease Center Leader, Head & Neck Oncology Program, More
GSDM Hosts Symposium On The Etiology And Pathogenesis Of Oral Cancer
On Tuesday, October 20, 2015, faculty, researchers, and students gathered in Room 714 of the Evans Biomedical Research Center at 650 Albany Street (X-building) for a symposium hosted by the Etiology and Pathogenesis of Oral Cancer (EPOC) Affinity Research Collaborative (ARC). This Symposium offered an opportunity to discuss some of the projects the ARC has been working on over the past year, and to discuss areas for future growth. There was a special emphasis at the meeting on presentations by trainees or junior faculty. Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Molecular & Cell Biology, Dr. Maria Kukuruzinska opened the symposium... More
OCRI Prepares for Upcoming Head & Neck Cancer Symposium
Over the last several months, members of the Oral Cancer Research Initiative (OCRI) have been working to organize the second annual head & neck symposium titled, Head & Neck Cancer Symposium: From Pathways to Therapies which will take place on Monday, September 21, 2015. This event builds upon the success of last year’s inaugural meeting, Head & Neck Cancer Symposium: Translating Research to Therapy and Cure, which boasted strong attendance, robust discussions, and outstanding presentations from leading head and neck cancer researchers and clinicians. As with last year, the objective of the symposium is to promote discussions and collaborations between clinicians and... More
OCRI Hosts “Lunch & Learn” to mark World Head and Neck Cancer Day
The Oral Cancer Research Initiative (OCRI) hosted a “Lunch & Learn” on July 27, 2015, to mark World Head and Neck Cancer Day. This event aimed to raise awareness about head and neck cancer among members of the Boston University community. Students, residents, clinicians, and researchers were invited to attend to learn about the latest developments and best practices in head and neck cancer research and therapy. Dr. Vikki Noonan, Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Oral Pathology in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Division of Oral Pathology, and Dr. Andrew Salama, Assistant Professor in the Department of... More
Researcher Spotlight: Stefano Monti, PhD
OCRI member Dr. Stefano Monti is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the BU School of Medicine with a joint appointment in Biostatistics. He maintains affiliations with the BU Bioinformatics Program, the Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering, and the Cancer Program at the Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard. Dr. Monti’s research focuses on the study of the biological mechanisms of cancer formation and treatment based on the analysis of genomic and genetic data. In particular, his lab works extensively with data generated from high-throughput biological assays and develops new methodologies of integrative data analysis aimed... More