Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey Enhances Leadership of Research Programs

New Brunswick, N.J. – Expanding the leadership of its five core research programs, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey has announced new roles for research members serving as co-program leaders, spanning across three divisions: basic science, clinical science, and population science.

Rutgers Cancer Institute research member Wei-Xing Zong, PhD, a professor of chemical biology at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers University, has been named as a program co-leader of the Cancer Metabolism and Growth Program.  The other program co-leader is Rutgers Cancer Institute Deputy Director and Associate Director for Basic Science Eileen White, PhD, a distinguished professor of molecular biology and biochemistry in the School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University.  The program focuses on defining the mechanisms by which cancer cells alter metabolism to promote their growth and on developing therapeutic interventions targeting metabolism for cancer therapy.

Named to co-lead the Genome Instability and Cancer Genetics Program is Rutgers Cancer Institute resident member Chang S. Chan, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Rutgers Cancer Institute resident member Zhiyuan Shen, MD, PhD, professor of radiation oncology and pharmacology is the other co-leader of this program. This program aims to identify and exploit defects in DNA repair in cancer and determine how the resulting genomic alterations facilitate tumor progression and can guide therapy.

Rutgers Cancer Institute epidemiologist Elisa V. Bandera, MD, PhD, professor of epidemiology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers School of Public Health, has been named as a co-leader to the Cancer Prevention and Control ProgramSharon Manne, PhD, Associate Director for Population Science and professor of medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, is the other co-leader of the program. Dr. Bandera will focus on developing population-based research that fosters collaborative, multidisciplinary and translational research to reduce the burden of cancer and improve the quality of life for cancer patients, survivors and for those at risk of developing cancer.  Bandera also was just nominated and accepted to be a member of the National Institutes of Health Cancer, Heart and Sleep Epidemiology Study Section (Panel B).

Other programs in the research area are the Clinical Investigations and Precision Therapeutics Program and the Cancer Pharmacology Research Program.  The aim of this program is to develop and validate therapeutic approaches targeting the survival of cancer cells and how they develop and multiply. The Cancer Pharmacology Research Program highlights the discovery, design, and development of new anti-cancer agents. Stephen K. Burley, MD, DPhil, a distinguished professor of chemistry and chemical biology in the School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University, serves as program co-leader along with X.F. Steven Zheng, PhD, a university professor of pharmacology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

About Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey (www.cinj.org) is the state’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. As part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey is dedicated to improving the detection, treatment and care of patients with cancer, and to serving as an education resource for cancer prevention. Physician-scientists at Rutgers Cancer Institute engage in translational research, transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice.  To make a tax-deductible gift to support the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, call 848-932-8013 or visit www.cinj.org/giving. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheCINJ.

The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Network is comprised of hospitals throughout the state and provides the highest quality cancer care and rapid dissemination of important discoveries into the community. Flagship Hospital: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. System Partner: Meridian Health (Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center, Southern Ocean Medical Center, and Bayshore Community Hospital). Affiliate Hospitals: JFK Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (CINJ Hamilton), and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset. 

 

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