AACR Annual Meeting Provides Programs for High School and Undergraduate Students

Newswise — In an effort to educate and inspire the future generation of cancer researchers, the American Association for Cancer Research is holding several programs for high school and undergraduate college students who are embarking on a career in science or medicine.

These programs, sponsored by the AACR Science Education Committee, will take place at the AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010, which will be held April 17-21 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C.

The events provide students with the opportunity to learn about cancer from the experts, while also interacting with scientists and their peers.

High School Program: “The Conquest of Cancer and the Next Generation of Cancer Researchers”

The AACR 10th Annual High School Program, “The Conquest of Cancer and the Next Generation of Cancer Researchers,” will take place on Monday, April 19. The program includes three segments: lectures, tours of exhibits and poster areas with mentors and a networking lunch.

Distinguished experts will present a series of lectures from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET, in room 204 of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Lecture topics include: understanding cancer, the keys to controlling cancer, career opportunities, why cancer research needs high school students, and a special message from a cancer survivor. Guest speakers include:

• Stewart Sell, M.D. – Wadsworth Center - N.Y. State Department of Health, Albany, N.Y.• Donald S. Coffey, Ph.D. – Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md. • Beverly D. Lyn-Cook, Ph.D. – Food and Drug Administration, National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, Ariz. • Francis R. Balkwill, Ph.D. – Barts & the London School of Med. & Dent.• Josh Sommer – Chordoma Foundation, Greensboro, N.C.

From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET, students will be matched with mentors to participate in a tour of state-of-the-art exhibit booths and scientific posters describing the causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer. This portion of the event will take place in the exhibit halls of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

In the afternoon, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET, students will participate in a networking luncheon at the Renaissance Ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C., where they can meet personally with leading scientists, participate in an Ask-the-Experts session and view a presentation about why cancer research needs young minds.

This year, an estimated 300 students are expected to participate in the high school program.

Fifth Annual Undergraduate Student Caucus and Poster Competition

The Fifth Annual Undergraduate Student Caucus and Poster Competition will take place on Saturday, April 17 from noon to 4 p.m. ET in Congressional Hall A-B of the Marriott Renaissance Washington, D.C., Downtown Hotel.

This event provides undergraduate students with an opportunity to learn more about exciting research being conducted, to hear from investigators about educational pathways and career development and to explore various career options in the cancer field.

Guest speakers for the Undergraduate Student Caucus and Poster Competition include:

• Chair: Stewart Sell, M.D. – Wadsworth Center - N.Y. State Department of Health, Albany, N.Y.• Speaker: Donald S. Coffey, Ph.D. – Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md.• Speaker: Kimberly Brown Dahlman, Ph.D. – Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, Tenn.• Moderator: Antonio T. Baines, Ph.D. – North Carolina Central University, Durham, N.C.• Panelist: Tom C. Badgett, M.D., Ph.D. – National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md.• Panelist: Brandi C. Brandon Knight, Ph.D. – Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Ga.• Panelist: Jamaica D. Cass – Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada• Panelist: Paul M. Weinberger, M.D. – Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Ga. In addition, students will present their own scientific abstracts and compete for prizes during the AACR-Gary J. Miller Undergraduate Prize for Cancer and Cancer-Related Biomedical Research. The first place winner will receive a $1,500 award to help support hotel accommodations, travel arrangements, expenses and participation in the AACR Annual Meeting 2011; second and third place winners will also receive monetary prizes.

Ralph Passarella, the recipient of last year’s first place prize and a student from Vanderbilt University, will be a special guest speaker during this event.

Gary J. Miller, M.D., Ph.D., was a long-standing supporter of the AACR and one of the leading prostate cancer researchers in the world. This award honors his many accomplishments in the cancer research field, while providing funds for students to aid in further education.

AACR-Thomas J. Bardos Science Education Awards for Undergraduate Students

Twenty talented, young students will be presented with the 14th Annual AACR-Thomas J. Bardos Science Education Awards for Undergraduate Students. This two-year award is supported by generous annual contributions from Thomas J. Bardos, Ph.D., a long-time, valued member of the AACR.

Each student will receive complimentary registration to attend the AACR Annual Meeting for two consecutive years and $3,000 to cover the cost of hotel accommodations, travel arrangements and expenses for two annual meetings. Any remaining funds may be put toward continuing education efforts. The awardees will also receive multiple opportunities to present their abstracts during the conference.

Recipients of this year’s award must return to the AACR Annual Meeting next year to receive their prize for next year’s portion of the award. The 10 scholars who received awards last year will return to be honored and receive their award for 2009. Students will participate in a Bardos Meet and Greet and Awardees’ Luncheon at the conference.

Award recipients were selected by an AACR Awards Committee, chaired by Bardos, for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 time periods. Selection was based on a review of the students’ applications, referrals and personal statement.

The recipients of the 2009-2010 AACR-Thomas J. Bardos Science Education Awards for Undergraduate Students include:

• Eric L. Abhold – University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, Calif. • Stephen A. Allsop – North Carolina Central University, Durham, N.C. • Danielle S. Daniels – The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Ala. • Caroline M. Garber – Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio • Kelly A. Gewain – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, N.C. • Joanna Maya – Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, Ala.Abstract# 3129. Regulation of expression and role of the pigment epithelium derived factor in Ras-mediated pancreatic oncogenesis. • Tyler E. Miller – The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio• Rangarajan D. Nadadur – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass • Bianca S. Oliver – North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, Greensboro, N.C. • Wenhui Zhou – University of California, Davis, Davis, Calif.

The recipients of the 2010-2011 AACR-Thomas J. Bardos Science Education Awards for Undergraduate Students include:

• Krister J. Barkovich – University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif.Abstract # 1973. Targeting activated alleles of EGFR derived from glioma and lung cancer: Correlating kinase active-site occupancy with efficacy.• Raul Caso – University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Fla.Abstract # 3816. Blood monocytes from tumor-bearing mice exhibit a mixture of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory genes and downregulate differentiation markers.• Kevin Chen – The College of New Jersey, Ewing, N.J.Abstract # 749. Predicting and improving potential anti-cancer proteomimetics with computational modeling.• Dustin L. Gable – The Ohio State University, Columbus, OhioAbstract # 2096. The role of microRNA-1 as a candidate tumor suppressor in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.• Daniel T. Huynh – Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.Abstract # 4292. Parthenolide and structurally related natural products as anti-cancer stem cell agents: A new era in treatment of multiple myeloma.• Orli Kadoch – University of California, Davis, Davis, Calif.Abstract # 1195. Oct-1 as a potential biomarker for oxaliplatin-based therapy in non-small cell lung cancer.• Elizabeth J. Kennedy – University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.Abstract # 3174. Visualization of the activation/deactivation cycle of RhoC in inflammatory breast cancer.• Alan Kiang – University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, Calif.Abstract # 4262. Characterization and regulation of a CXCR4-expressing subpopulation in head and neck cancer stem cells.• Natalie A. Vandeven – University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.Abstract # 3259. HIV protease inhibitors induce apoptotic and non-apoptotic cell death in ovarian cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.• Sarah Chao ying Xu – University of Toronto, Toronto, OntarioAbstract # 459. Caveolin-1 mediated signaling and proliferation is regulated through the oxygen sensing pathway.

Download interviews with cancer researchers and recordings of the teleconferences by subscribing to the AACR Scientific Podcasts via iTunes (http://www.aacr.org/itunes) or an RSS Reader (http://www.aacr.org/rss).

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, the AACR is the world’s oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes 31,000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 90 other countries. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants, research fellowship and career development awards. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. The AACR publishes six major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention; and Cancer Prevention Research. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy.