Kansas State University

Dear Friends,

These are unprecedented times. Many of our laboratories were shuttered, but they are gradually re-opening with the return of students. Experienced students are continuing their lab work with proper precautions. Importantly, we continue to fight cancer by funding student and faculty research awards, thanks to our supporters.

With football in the near future, we are looking forward to the 7^th annual K-State Fighting for a Cure Day Oct. 24. Please get your shirt—sweatshirts are a new option this year! Then, unite in wearing it that day in honor of the K-State family’s cancer survivors and researchers!

Dr. Sherry D. Fleming
Director, Johnson Cancer Research Center

7th Annual Fighting for a Cure Day Oct. 24

The K-State Family is fighting, ever fighting, for a cure! Get your shirt and wear it to the football game or anywhere Sat., Oct. 24, for K-State’s 7th Annual Fighting for a Cure Day, in honor of the K-State Family’s cancer survivors and researchers! This fall, in addition to short- and long-sleeve t-shirts, we’ve added sweatshirts! All proceeds support K-State cancer research and education.

Join K-State’s former Head Football Coach and his wife Bill & Sharon Snyder, current Head Football Coach Chris Klieman, actor and alum Eric Stonestreet, former Wildcat and Chiefs football player Kevin Lockett, K-

State President and First Lady Richard & Mary Jo Myers, Band Director Frank Tracz and many others in celebrating K-State’s fight against cancer.

Spread the word! Post photos on social media of yourself and friends wearing the shirt, and use the hashtag #HelpKStateFightCancer! (View 2019 photos.)

Learn more about the shirts on our Fighting for a Cure webpage. Or go straight to our webstore.

4th Annual Pink Up the Pace 5K and Honor Walk Oct. 17

Downtown Manhattan will host the 4th annual Pink Up the Pace 5K and Honor Walk Oct. 17. Kick off the race between 3rd and 4th Streets on Poyntz Ave., and celebrate afterward with pizza on AJ’s patio.

Learn more

Jeff Comer, anatomy & physiology, received a $450,500 NSF CAREER award. His innovative computer simulation work complements several cancer research projects by directing chemotherapy drugs to cancer cells.

read more

Katie Heinrich, kinesiology, was named president-elect for the American Academy of Health Behavior. She will serve as its twenty-first president, and is the first K-State faculty member to serve in that role.  read more

She was also named a Fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine.  read more

Dr. Heinrich studies the impact of exercise on health, fitness and quality of life in the prevention and treatment of cancer and other chronic diseases.

Zhoumeng Lin, pharmacology & toxicology, co-edited and co-authored the recently published book, “Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) Modeling: Methods and Applications in Toxicology and Risk Assessment.” His research uses computer models to study how drugs traffic within the body.

read more

Ho-Leung Ng, biochemistry & molecular biophysics, leads a research consortium that uses artificial intelligence to find promising drugs for COVID-19 treatment. He studies protein interactions critical in cancer, and now in COVID-19.

read more

Carl Ade, kinesiology, was awarded the K-State College of Health & Human Sciences’ Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant for promising, early-stage research. He studies how chemotherapy causes cardiovascular toxicity. read more

JCRC provided nearly $600,000 for research and education in FY 2020

Cancer research and education programs at Kansas State University received a big boost from donations made to the university’s Johnson Cancer Research Center in fiscal year 2020.

Private donations to the cancer research center provide hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to support innovative cancer research, laboratory equipment purchases, mentoring of student researchers and more.

read more

Fall award applications now open

The Johnson Cancer Research Center offers competitive funding to its faculty members and their students every semester. This semester, we’ll offer faculty Innovative Research Awards, Travel Fellowships and Cancer Research Collaboration of Excellence Awards. For students, we’ll offer undergraduate Cancer Research Awards and Graduate Student & Post-Doc Travel Awards. Applications are due Oct. 1.

learn more

The Johnson Cancer Research Center says thank-you and farewell to our associate director, Dr. Annelise Nguyen, as she embarks on her new adventure at Texas Tech University’s School of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Nguyen joined the JCRC staff in January 2020. She was an associate professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine and had been a member of the JCRC faculty since 2005.

Dr. Nguyen brought to the JCRC her expertise in breast cancer drug design and toxicology, and experience in business and marketing. In her few months on staff, she was a devoted asset as the center entered a new phase of leadership.

Her positive attitude, enthusiasm and cheerful personality will be missed. We wish her all the best in Texas.

A new brochure from K-State Research & Extension and the Johnson Cancer Research Center discusses breast cancer and the actions women can take to reduce their risk of developing or dying from it. Learn more and download.

The 2nd annual You’ll Never Run Alone 5K was held Aug. 9 in memory of local youth soccer coach Frank Alonso, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2018. Thanks to the hard work (extra hard this year due to COVID-19) of Frank’s wife Jennifer Alonso and daughters Isabella and Sophia, and the support of hundreds of participants, sponsors and volunteers, this event raised more than $9,000 for K-State cancer research.

Many thanks to major sponsors Kansas Farm Bureau, Kstate Credit Union, and Steel and Pipe Supply, and all the other sponsors and supporters!

The Bill Snyder Highway Half-Marathon & 5K was held Labor Day, Sept. 7 (rescheduled from May 23). This annual event, presented by Manhattan Running Company, supports four local charities a year, designated by former K-State Head Football Coach Bill Snyder. We’re very grateful to have been selected again this year. We don’t have results yet, but last year, it raised $3,000 for our center!

Thanks to friends who had to cancel annual events due to COVID-19

The Walk Kansas 5K for the Fight, scheduled for May 2, was canceled. It is presented annually by K-State Research & Extension’s Walk Kansas program. An informal virtual alternative got a little participation with a lot of enthusiasm, and a few registrants donated their fees despite the cancellation (and received a shirt). We’re grateful for all the support!

The Rob Regier Memorial Golf Tournament, originally scheduled for Fri., Oct. 2, has been canceled. It is hosted annually by Sandy Regier and her son Randy and family.

The Brad Heyka Memorial Golf Tournament, originally scheduled for Fri., Oct. 9, has been canceled. It is hosted annually by Larry and Mary Jo Heyka.

Our sincere thanks to the KSRE Walk Kansas program and to the Regiers and Heykas for their continued support! We will be so excited to enjoy these events next year!