December Bulletin

Issue 87

Community Notices

December Research seminar

Next Marble Center seminar is on Monday December 4 (4-5pm, Luria Auditorium) with a presentation by Dr. Gil Covarrubias of the Hammond lab on “Driving a pro-inflammatory response in ovarian cancer by delivering cytokine therapeutics via LbL NPs.” Following his talk, we will host our annual Holidays social with seasonal foods and drinks. Come join us to celebrate the end of 2023 with members of the Marble Center community!

Recording available from November seminar

Catch up on the latest research with last month’s Irvine Lab update on “Saponin/MPLA nanoparticles, a new adjuvant for experimental medicine vaccine studies” presented by Dr. Laura Maiorino.

In the News

Dr. Hammond is featured in a new IMAX movie called “The Heart of New England”.

Dr. Hammond is featured in a new IMAX movie at the Boston Museum of Science (MOS) called “The Heart of New England”. Weaving her story with that of others in the New England area, the movie features her passion for science and building equity in the community. See a movie trailer here and watch the movie on the big screen at the MOS.

Intercepting ovarian cancer

Koch Institute Professors Angela Belcher, Sangeeta Bhatia, and Paula Hammond presented their multidimensional approaches to tackling the challenge of early detection in ovarian cancer and their technologies that could identify new ovarian cancer biomarkers. They were joined by MIT alumna Parul Somani, who shared her experiences as a BRCA1 carrier, breast cancer survivor, ovarian cancer previvor, and cancer care-giver. You can watch a video of the event below!

Artistic Responses To Inequities In Cancer Care For People Of Color

*Artists exhibiting in “Multiplicities” at MIT at the opening reception on Sept. 28, 2023. From left: Nygel Jones, Ryan Horton, Ife Franklin, Bianca Rose, and Stanley Rameau. (©Greg Cook photo)*

(Greg Cook) “My work has a lot of circles, representing infinity. They just keep going and going and going. And that’s what we do, my people do. We keep going and going and going,” Boston artist Ife Franklin said during a panel at the opening reception for “Multiplicities: An Artistic Exploration of Racial Disparities in Cancer Outcomes.” The exhibition, curated by Boston-based art and racial health equity startup Nucarta, is on view at MIT’s Koch Institute Public Galleries, 500 Main St., Cambridge, from Sept. 28 to Dec. 8, 2023.

“Research has shown that Black, Brown and minority communities hold the highest cancer burden of all racial/ethnic groups in the U.S.,” according to the organizers. The exhibition features “artworks that speak to the current state of cancer inequities and starts the conversation around the need for communities to feel empowered to actively shape their health outcomes, particularly in the realm of cancer.”

In addition to Franklin, exhibiting artists include Ryan Horton, Nygel Jones, Stanley Rameau and Bianca Rose. Read more…

Jobs

Associate Professor, Cancer Nanomedicine, University of Virginia.

The University of Virginia Cancer Center (UVACC) seeks a distinguished nanomedicine translational researcher (tenured or tenure-eligible Research Faculty at the Associate Professor or Professor level) to join the leadership of the Cancer Center and oversee the nanomedicine efforts of the Cancer Center and direct the nanoSTAR Institute. We are seeking candidates with a PhD and/or MD. We seek to recruit faculty from diverse backgrounds and faculty who value diversity. Candidates are expected to have a nationally-recognized, outstanding, highly collaborative, and extramurally-funded research program commensurate with their career stage focused on the design, characterization, and validation of nanotechnologies for targeted drug delivery. The successful candidate will be responsible for facilitating collaborations within Departments and Centers in the UVA SOM and between groups across UVA (School of Data Science, School of Engineering and Applied Science). It is expected that the person will serve as an interface between the nano-engineering and cancer therapeutics efforts, as well as supporting the educational mission of the UVACCC. Support will include an attractive startup package, laboratory space, and resources to expand the nanomedicine capabilities of the Cancer Center. Read more…

Professor / Associate Professor, Nanomedicine, Stony Brook University.

The Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Stony Brook University (SBU), invites applicants to apply for a tenure-track Empire Innovation Professor/Scholar (Associate Professor) position in Nanomedicine/Nanotechnology starting in the fall of 2024. The department values diversity and seeks candidates who can contribute to a welcoming climate for all students. The primary responsibilities of the position include teaching, research, and service in Biomedical Engineering. The successful candidate will be expected to build an independent, externally funded research program and excel at teaching and service. It is expected that the successful candidate will be able to collaborate with faculty in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (CEAS) and Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM), particularly in nanomedicine and nanotechnology, and developing new technologies in advanced diagnosis and therapeutic areas. Read more…