WINTER 2018 THE CRISPR REVOLUTION Northwestern Medicine scientists usher in a new era of genetic research • 16 INSIDE A REMARKABLE ONCOLOGY FULL SPECTRUM OF PRECISION YEAR • 10 CLOSE-UP • 20 GYNECOLOGIC CARE • 24 PATHOLOGIST • 28 FIRST GLANCE Northwestern Medicine Community Spotlight A Lighter Side of Medical School John Flaherty, MD, professor of Medicine JAMMING AT IN VIVO in the Division of Infectious Diseases, jams with second-year medical student Nick Volpe in a performance by “The Hypochondriacs” during the 39th annual production of In Vivo, Feinberg’s popular sketch comedy and variety show. Northwestern Medicine magazine Editorial Advisors: Eric G. Neilson, MD, Call or email us at 312-503-4210 or Connect with NM online: is published quarterly for alumni vice president for Medical Affairs and [email protected] fb.me/feinbergschoolofmedicine Lewis Landsberg Dean; Alan Krensky, ©2017 Northwestern University. and friends of Northwestern MD, vice dean for Development and Northwestern Medicine® is a federally twitter.com/nufeinbergmed University Feinberg School of Alumni Relations; Nicole Mladic, registered trademark of Northwestern flickr.com/feinbergschoolofmedicine Medicine, Northwestern Memorial executive director of Communications; Memorial HealthCare and is used by HealthCare and the McGaw Babette Nyka, director of Alumni Northwestern University. Don’t miss NM web extras! Relations Catch up on the latest Medical Center of Northwestern Material in Northwestern Medicine Northwestern Medicine news and University. Alumni Association: James P. 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Superior Street, Rubloff 12th Floor Anna Williams Chicago, IL 60611 PHOTOGRAPHY BY Randy Belice NORTHWESTERN MEDICINE MAGAZINE Winter 2018 CONTENTS Features 10 16 A REMARKABLE YEAR THE CRISPR REVOLUTION Reflecting on the medical school’s Northwestern Medicine scientists usher accomplishments in 2017. in a new era of genetic research. 20 24 28 ONCOLOGY CLOSE-UP FULL SPECTRUM OF PRECISION PATHOLOGIST GYNECOLOGIC CARE Discover a program and a leader putting Daniel Brat is spearheading transformations the Lurie Cancer Center at the forefront New clinical programs provide collaborative, in the field of pathology. of its field. cutting-edge care for women of all ages. Departments LEADERSHIP PULSE ALUMNI WARD ROUNDS® 02 Looking Forward in 2018 03 On Campus 31 Alumni President’s Message 41 Artifacts From Special New Simpson Querrey Center 32 Alumni Profile Collections for Epigenetics, Exploring a Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, ’79 MD ON THE COVER Mummy’s Secrets 34 Campaign Update CRISPR-Cas RNA silencing complex. 06 Research Briefs 35 Progress Notes Computer model shows a max protein (green) bound to a strand of DNA (pink). 08 Media Spotlight 40 Perspective Max, a member of the basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper family of transcription factors, 09 Faculty Awards & Honors William Weber, ’17 MD, ’17 MPH is involved in cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Transcription factors are proteins that bind to specific sequences of DNA and control the transcription of genetic information from DNA to RNA. (Laguna Design/Science Source) MAGAZINE.NM.ORG 1 LEADERSHIP Looking Forward in 2018 Construction of the Louis A. Simpson and Kimberly K. Querrey Biomedical Research Center is on track and will soon provide the space to grow our research enterprise 98th percentile CLASS OF 2021’S MEDIAN GPA even more. AND MCAT SCORES In this issue of Northwestern Medicine magazine, we highlight many of the ways we are solidifying our place in emerging research areas: Our new Simpson Querrey Center for Epigenetics will investigate how 238 Eric G. Neilson, MD Dean M. Harrison environmental conditions impact the human PAPERS BY NORTHWESTERN MEDICINE SCIENTISTS PUBLISHED genome. Our OncoSET program combines IN HIGH-PROFILE JOURNALS oncology with genomic sequencing to offer VERY TREATMENT EVER OFFERED cutting-edge cancer care personalized to TO A PATIENT was once an experi- individual patients, while our new chair of ment in a lab, fueled by years of Pathology leads national efforts to incor- Escientific effort. As we reflect on our suc- porate molecular findings into brain tumor 6% cesses in 2017 and plan for what is to come diagnoses. And our cover story describes INCREASE IN RESEARCH FUNDING in 2018, it’s important to acknowledge our how many of Feinberg’s laboratories are commitment to developing the treatments using innovative CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing that will become tomorrow’s cures and to techniques to better understand human providing the most advanced healthcare to disease and improve therapies. #1 and #13 our patients. This reminds us of our purpose The health system also enjoyed another NORTHWESTERN MEMORIAL as we close one year and begin anew. successful year: Northwestern Memorial HOSPITAL RANKING IN CHICAGO AND ILLINOIS (#1) AND IN THE At Feinberg, we have made great strides Hospital was ranked the top hospital in COUNTRY (#13) to deliver on the promise of our mission to Chicago and Illinois for the sixth straight improve human health through education year and No. 13 nationally by U.S. News & and discovery. Our students and trainees World Report. We made improvements in phy- arrived on campus this year with extra- sician and staff engagement and continued of our Patients First mission and our relentless ordinary backgrounds (the new MD Class to report strong financial performance. We drive to be better. of 2021, for example, had median GPA and expanded the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute It is worth taking stock of the remark- MCAT scores in the 98th percentile), and to two Northwestern Medicine hospitals able things we have accomplished this past our graduates left with even more ambition (bringing the total to four hospital locations), year — it inspires us to take on new challenges, and passion than when they came. These opened two new gynecology programs feeds future discovery and forges stronger achievements are thanks to the exceptional at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and connections with our students, patients, faculty mentors in our educational programs expanded the Advanced Lung Disease Clinic mentees and collaborators. Our best wishes and our innovative curriculum that empha- to the northern suburbs. We also introduced to all in the new year! size flipped classrooms, team-based learning the first combined MRI-PET machine to exercises, simulation, patient communication Chicago and began performing innovative and student research. We are more confident new procedures, including implanting a novel With warm regards, than ever that our graduates are prepared to device to manage advanced heart failure and reshape the field of medicine. another to give men with enlarged prostates Eric G. Neilson, MD Our research enterprise, too, continues a minimally invasive treatment option. Vice President for Medical Affairs to reach new heights. In the last year, our Looking forward, this spring we will Lewis Landsberg Dean scientists published 238 papers in high- be activating our system-wide electronic profile journals and funding grew more health record and opening the new Dean M. Harrison than 6 percent, confirming the prestige and Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest President and CEO impact our investigators have in their fields. Hospital. These efforts are more examples Northwestern Memorial Healthcare 2 NORTHWESTERN MEDICINE • WINTER 2018 PULSE ON CAMPUS New Epigenetics Center to Study Role of Environment on Genes Chromatin forms when $10 MILLION GIFT DNA (orange) wraps tightly around histone CREATES SIMPSON proteins (purple). QUERREY CENTER FOR EPIGENETICS A new $10 million gift from University trustees and supporters Louis A. Simpson and Kimberly “ At Northwestern, leading K. Querrey will create a center at Feinberg to scientists are coming together study the effects of environment on the activa- to study not just the body but also tion and expression of genes. The new Simpson Querrey Center for the way the environment and our Epigenetics will investigate how environmen- decisions affect our health.” tal factors such as emotional experiences, chemical exposure, obesity, exercise, diet and drug therapies can modify genes packaged in biology, fundamental biology, epidemiology This year, Shilatifard’s laboratory and his human chromatin, causing them to become and clinical medicine to develop foundational collaborators published several groundbreak- insights about how environmental conditions ing discoveries reporting the development of impact the human genome using sophisticated epigenetic targeted therapeutics for childhood KEY DEFINITIONS molecular, biochemical and computational leukemia, childhood brain cancer and adult methods. triple negative breast cancer. One study on the study of heritable Epigenetics: “Epigenetic-driven insights are proving childhood brain tumors led to a phase I clinical changes caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the fundamental to a myriad of diseases including trial planned for this year at the Ann & Robert H. underlying DNA sequence that makes cancer, heart, immunologic