Promise Spring 2017 a Publication for Friends of Md Anderson News Makers
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A PUBLICATION FOR FRIENDS OF MD ANDERSON SPRING 2017 A LEGACY OF IMPACT & INNOVATION MD Anderson’s fourth full-time president continues quest to end cancer CONTENTS UPCOMING EVENTS IN THIS ISSUE JULY 19: Houston Third Party Appreciation Luncheon 3 TIME 100 24: Aspen, Colorado Jim Allison, Ph.D., makes list of Making Cancer History® Seminar world’s most influential people. 7 Still riding strong SEPTEMBER Texas 4000 alumna remains 12: Houston dedicated to fight to end cancer. Julie and Ben Rogers Award for Excellence 14: Dallas 14 Peace of mind A Conversation With a Living Legend®: Florida donor provides for unmet Santiago Calatrava, Ph.D. needs of patients and families. 20: Atlanta ® 15 Springtime fun Making Cancer History Seminar Kids and parents enjoy festivities ADOLFO CHAVEZ III ADOLFO CHAVEZ Jamie Broach Byrd helps son Oliver as he and at Bunny Hops and Photo Ops. OCTOBER brothers Parker and Harrison donate to brain cancer research. p. 8 16: Houston Brown Foundation Award for Excellence 6 in Oncology Nursing Neurofeedback Melissa and can ease symptoms Brendan Locke, with sons of neuropathy Jackson, left, NOVEMBER and Carter, are 7-8: Houston Pilot study in Cancer committed to MD Anderson’s Board of Visitors Reception and mission to end cancer. Annual Meeting 15: Houston Back Cover SARAH NICOLE KRUEGER A Conversation With a Living Legend®: Rich Kinder SECTIONS 3 News Makers 7 Moon Shot Momentum ACCESS ANSWERS 8 Donors Make a Difference To become a patient: Call 877-632-6789 or fill out the self-referral form at www.mdanderson.org. 12 Among Friends 13 Spotlight For more information, please visit www.mdanderson.org/gifts or call 800-525-5841. Philanthropy in Action 14 Download Promise at www.mdanderson.org/Promise. 15 Survivors Say If you do not want to receive certain fundraising communications from MD Anderson, please visit our Back Cover: iPromise website at www.mdanderson.org/FundraisingOptOut or ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/ STARAS contact us at 855-344-5272. Marshall Hicks, M.D. Allison Schaffer President Ad Interim Assistant Editor Senior Communications Specialist Tadd Pullin Senior Vice President for Leslie Friedman The University of Texas Institutional Advancement Senior Communications Specialist MD Anderson Cancer Center Patrick Mulvey Marily Scaria Development Office - Unit 705 Vice President for Development Senior Communications Designer P.O. Box 301439 Brette Peyton Contributing Writers Houston, TX 77230-1439 Executive Director, Public Relations Sarah Kettles Lany Kimmons 713-792-3450 Sarah Watson Brendan Locke ON THE COVER: 800-525-5841 Editor, Program Director Scott Merville Development Communications Charlie Nater MD Anderson salutes its fourth full-time president, mdanderson.org/gifts Ronald DePinho, M.D., as he continues to pursue Karlee Steele his passion for research. p. 4 [email protected] Comments? Suggestions? We welcome your perspective. JIM OLIVE youtube.com/MDAnderson Email us your thoughts: [email protected]. NEWS MAKERS www.mdanderson.org/newsroom PHYSICIANS, RESEARCHERS ACCELERATE MISSION TO END CANCER Board of Visitors members honor faculty efforts with endowed awards BY ALLISON SCHAFFER Dozens of MD Anderson physicians and researchers were in the spotlight April 18 at the President’s Recognition for Faculty Excellence, an annual event that honors faculty members whose exceptional efforts have brought distinction to the institution. Among the many awardees, four received cash prizes endowed by members of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors (BOV). III ADOLFO CHAVEZ TIME 100 TAPS The Jack and Beverly Randall Prize for IMMUNOTHERAPY PIONEER Dickey discovered a highly innovative drug Excellence in Cancer Research to prevent and treat pneumonia, the second Jim Allison, Ph.D., makes Funded through an leading cause of death in cancer patients prestigious annual list endowment established after cancer itself, and he is bringing the MD ANDERSON Chair of Immunology by BOV member Jack drug to clinic. Jim Allison, Ph.D., whose pivotal insight Randall and his wife, to attack cancer by treating the immune Beverly, in 2015, the The Shirley Stein Scientific Endowed system instead of the tumor revived Randall Prize honors Research Award cancer immunotherapy, has been named creative faculty members Funded through an to the 2017 TIME 100. The list, in its who have shown Nicholas Navin, Ph.D. endowment established 14th year, recognizes the world’s most uncommon foresight and by Triple S-Steel/Gary influential individuals. ingenuity in the fight against cancer. Stein, a BOV member, the “Each year our TIME 100 list lets us Nicholas Navin, Ph.D., associate Stein family and longtime step back and measure the forces that professor, Genetics and Bioinformatics, and BOV member Regina move us,” says TIME Editor-in-Chief an Andrew Sabin Family Fellow, is the 2017 Rogers, the Stein Award Nancy Gibbs. “One way or another they recipient of the Randall Prize. Navin, who Sinchita Roy-Chowdhuri, offers a cash prize for M.B.B.S., Ph.D. each embody a breakthrough: They focuses on understanding genome evolution outstanding clinical broke the rules, broke the record, broke in human cancers, received the $100,000 research by faculty with the silence, broke the boundaries to cash award for his seminal contributions in limited project resources. reveal what we’re capable of.” single-cell genomics and for groundbreaking Sinchita Roy- Allison’s breakthrough liberates the research that established single-cell Chowdhuri, M.B.B.S., immune system to find and destroy sequencing. Ph.D., assistant cancer cells, an approach called professor, Pathology, immune checkpoint blockade. This The Finneran Family Prize for Translational and Simona Shaitelman, Simona Shaitelman, M.D. new class of drugs is saving the lives Research M.D., assistant of significant numbers of patients with William B. Finneran, a professor, Radiation Oncology, are a variety of advanced cancers and longtime BOV member, co-recipients of the 2017 Shirley Stein is transforming the course of cancer established the Finneran Scientific Endowed Research Award. research. Family Prize in 2013 Roy-Chowdhuri is recognized for research “I’m grateful to TIME for recognizing through a $1 million in defining conditions to optimize the the increasing importance of endowment. Leading use of routine cytological specimens immunotherapy as a new pillar of cancer faculty members in Burton Dickey, M.D. for multiplex DNA mutation testing. Her treatment,” says Allison, who also is translational cancer findings have improved the likelihood executive director of the Immunotherapy research who apply findings from basic of obtaining a successful molecular platform, part of the institution’s Moon science to effective cancer therapies are test result from a patient’s diagnostic Shots Program™ (see page 7). “We’re eligible for the $50,000 cash prize. pathology material. Shaitelman is honored in the early days of successful cancer Burton Dickey, M.D., professor and chair, for building the Lymphedema Screening immunotherapy. Our next step is to Pulmonary Medicine, is the latest recipient Initiative in MD Anderson’s Breast Center. extend these treatments to benefit more of the Finneran Family Prize for Translational Her pioneering work has led to the largest patients, and our platform is intensely Research for exceptional productive lymphedema screening program for breast focused on making that a reality.” translational work in lung epithelial biology. cancer patients in the U.S. SCOTT MERVILLE LEARN MORE AT www.mdanderson.org/gifts 3 A legacy of Ronald DePinho, M.D. impact innovation MD Anderson’s fourth president turns focus to cancer research, advocacy BY SARAH WATSON Anderson salutes Ronald DePinho, M.D., in gratitude for his service as the institution’sMD fourth full-time president, Sept. 2011-March 2017. A visionary leader, DePinho leaves a legacy of historic innovation and global impact. Throughout his tenure, he set an ambitious agenda to recruit and retain world- class clinicians and researchers, speed technology CARTER SMITH F. transfer, develop national and international At the April 2016 International Conference on the Progress of RONALD DEPINHO, M.D., professor collaborations, and mobilize faculty and staff Regenerative Medicine and Its Cultural Impact at the Vatican, Vice President Joe Biden, left, and Ronald DePinho, M.D., discuss of Cancer Biology, Division of Basic to effect significant change — in the way teams MD Anderson’s Moon Shots Program™ and its practice-changing advances. Science Research, is internationally work, the way research is enabled, the way ideas LIENEMANN DAVID recognized for his groundbreaking are applied to create new treatments and digital From left, Pat White, president of ACT for NIH; Rep. Diana basic and translational cancer solutions, and the way knowledge and expertise DeGette; Ronald DePinho, M.D.,; Jed Manocherian, MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors; and Rep. Fred Upton attend research and for his studies in aging can inspire health policies that aim to reduce the December 2016 signing of the 21st Century Cures Act in Washington, D.C. and age-associated degenerative youths’ cancer risk. As he resumes his passion disorders. Effective June 1, he for research, DePinho remains a champion holds the Harry Graves Burkhart III of MD Anderson’s efforts in Making Cancer Distinguished University Chair in History®, conducting translational science to Cancer Research. In 2012, DePinho make a meaningful impact in the clinic and led MD Anderson in launching