Hoosier Cancer Research Network highlights Russell Pachynski, MD, genitourinary medical oncologist and associate professor of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, at Washington University School of Medicine.

Hoosier Cancer Research Network (HCRN) announced today that Brian Stemme has been appointed Chief Executive Officer. Stemme, widely regarded as a champion of Indiana’s life sciences industry, will succeed Executive Director Cyndi Burkhardt, RN, who announced her retirement earlier this year. Stemme will assume responsibilities on Monday, August 29.

Hoosier Cancer Research Network highlights Sarah Sammons, MD a medical oncologist at Duke Cancer Center.

Hoosier Cancer Research Network highlights Richard Hall, MD, MS, a medical oncologist at University of Virginia Cancer Center. Dr. Hall is a member of the HCRN Thoracic Clinical Trial Working Group. Read More

Meet Hatim Sabaawy, MD, PhD

Hatim Sabaawy, MD, PhD, of the University of Colorado Cancer Center is the Director of Personalized Medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology at the CU School of Medicine. Dr. Sabaawy is responsible for fostering translational research activities across the academic and clinical partner institutions of the CU Cancer Center, including Children’s Hospital Colorado and UC Health. Read More

Hoosier Cancer Research Network highlights Pashtoon Kasi, MD, MS, a medical oncologist at Weil Cornell Medicine. Dr. Kasi is a member of the HCRN Gastrointestinal Clinical Trial Working Group. Read More

Four Hoosier Cancer Research Network (HCRN) investigator-initiated clinical trials were highlighted during the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2022 Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL.
HCRN investigators presented one poster and three trials in progress posters during the 2022 ASCO annual meeting. Read More

Four years ago, I left home to pursue higher education. Today, I feel a similar sense of nostalgia as this is my final day as an Intern at Hoosier Cancer Research Network. HCRN was not only a key to my financial stability in college, but it became a home consisting of the warmth only family could show you. Read More

Dear Colleagues:

I am writing to let you know my plans to retire as Executive Director of Hoosier Cancer Research Network (HCRN) this year, once a successor is chosen and acclimated to the position. An executive search is currently underway.

8/1/22 update: Watch for an announcement soon introducing HCRN’s new executive director.

I joined this organization more than 16 years ago when we were known as Hoosier Oncology Group (“the HOG”), and have marveled as we have grown and strengthened over the years. As a nurse who has has worked in oncology and research for years, this company has given me so many opportunities I would never have imagined. It has been my great honor and personal joy to see our dedicated staff find similar avenues for professional development at HCRN. I love working alongside our staff and leadership team: they are second to none. Read More

These last two years have presented challenges for all organizations, but I want to express my utmost admiration to Cyndi Burkhardt and the entire team at Hoosier Cancer Research Network as we endured another year of challenges. The growth I have seen of Hoosier Cancer Research Network throughout my almost decade as chairman has been a product of Cyndi’s leadership. We would not have our highly qualified team, our reach as a network, and our strong collaborations if not for her leadership and guidance. Read More

This month, Hoosier Cancer Research Network highlights University of Washington (UW) / Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Petros Grivas, MD, PhD, a board-certified medical oncologist with expertise and experience in treating genitourinary (GU) cancers. In 2018, Dr. Grivas joined UW School of Medicine as an associate professor in the Department of Medicine and Clinical Director of the Genitourinary Cancers Program at UW and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Read More

Hoosier Cancer Research Network investigators will present their findings from the HCRN GU16-260 study during the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancer Symposium meeting on Saturday, February 19. Investigators of HCRN GU16-260 will present the abstract titled, Phase II study of nivolumab and salvage nivolumab + ipilimumab in treatment-naïve patients with advanced clear cell renal cell (HCRN GU16-260-Cohort A): Final report. Read More

Hoosier Cancer Research Network investigators recently presented an abstract during the 2022 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium. The abstract included an online poster session featuring HCRN GI15-225, led by UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Read More

A Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium (TBCRC) study was presented at both the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 2021 Annual meeting. TBCRC044 is led by Hope S. Rugo, MD of the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California San Francisco.

The TBCRC044 study, a randomized phase II study of pembrolizumab in combination with carboplatin compared to carboplatin, is a multicenter study including breast cancer patients with chest wall disease that is hormone resistant or triple negative. Read More

Reposted with permission by the Indiana University School of Medicine

Indiana University School of Medicine physician scientist Bryan Schneider, MD is the principal investigator of clinical trial HCRN BRE12-158, a randomized clinical study published in the prominent Journal of Clinical Oncology the primary goal of which was to compare survival in women with high-risk (those who did not fully respond to chemotherapy prior to surgery) triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) with a genomically directed therapy versus standard of care.

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This month, Hoosier Cancer Research Network highlights Rana R. McKay, MD, a medical oncologist and researcher at UC San Diego Health. Dr. McKay specializes in treating people with urogenital cancers, including bladder, kidney, prostate, and testicular cancers, and leads a multi-disciplinary prostate cancer clinic. As an associate professor in the Department of Medicine, Dr. McKay instructs medical students, residents, and fellows at UC San Diego School of Medicine. She is a co-chair of HCRN’s Genitourinary Clinical Trial Working Group. Read More

This month, Hoosier Cancer Research Network highlights Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and Mylin Torres, MD, professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine. Currently, Dr. Torres serves as co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control research program at Winship Cancer Institute while also serving as a radiation oncologist at the cancer center.

She is a member of HCRN’s Breast Cancer Clinical Trial Working Group and sponsor-investigator of HCRN BRE19-433, a multi-institutional Phase II study to evaluate efficacy and safety of TAlazoparib, Radiotherapy and Atezolizumab in gBRCA 1/2 negative Patients with PD-L1+ Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TARA). Read More

This month, Hoosier Cancer Research Network features Andrew S. Poklepovic, MD, in our investigator spotlight. Dr. Poklepovic serves as assistant professor in the Division of Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Care at the VCU Massey Cancer Center and is a Harrison Endowed Scholar at the VCU School of Medicine. He is also the medical director for the Massey Cancer Center Clinical Trials Office and an associate member of the Massey Cancer Center Developmental Therapeutics Program for the Department of Internal Medicine.

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Reposted with permission by the Indiana University School of Medicine.

Indiana University School of Medicine researcher Bryan P. Schneider, MD, is leading a novel nationwide study to better understand how to treat patients with triple-negative breast cancer based on their own unique genetic data.

PERSEVERE, also known as HCRN BRE18-334, is a phase 2 clinical trial with the goal of studying personalized cancer treatment combinations when compared to standard cancer treatment.

“There is a tremendous need for successful triple-negative breast cancer treatments,” said Schneider, who is the Vera Bradley Professor of Oncology at IU School of Medicine and a physician-scientist at the IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Vera Bradley Foundation Center for Breast Cancer Research. “Recurrence and death rates are still too high, and novel strategies to improve that are markedly needed. We feel PERSEVERE is an innovative trial to try to help meet those needs.” Read More

This month, Hoosier Cancer Research Network features our member institution University of Rochester Medical Center – Wilmot Cancer Institute and Ruth O’Regan, MD, the Charles A. Dewey Professor and Chair of Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center’s School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Dr. O’Regan is a medical oncologist with more than 25 years of experience in academic medicine. Her research interests are significantly focused on identifying mechanisms of resistance to breast cancer therapies, specifically endocrine-resistant and triple-negative breast cancers.

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