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Johnson Cancer Research Center Newsletter

Category: 2021 Fall

HELP K-STATE FIGHT CANCER WITH A SHIRT, HAT OR GOLF CLUB

K-State’s 8th Annual Fighting for a Cure Day Oct. 16

 

2021 K-State Fighting for a Cure shirts & hat

Coach Bill Snyder holding 2021 Fighting for a Cure baseball shirt

Join Coach Snyder and many others in celebrating K-State’s fight against cancer! Get your shirt—or hat!—and unite in wearing it for K-State’s 8th Annual Fighting for a Cure Day Oct. 16.

Watch for K-State Marching Band’s special halftime tribute and join in our Tailgate Party in Cat Town.

Spread the word by posting photos of yourself and friends wearing the shirt or hat, along with the hashtag, #HelpKStateFightCancer.
View 2020 photos.

All apparel proceeds benefit our center. Get yours at:

Learn more and order or simply donate to K-State’s Fighting for a Cure campaign.

 

Tee up against cancer!

 

Regier Golf Tournament logo

23rd Annual Rob Regier Memorial Golf Tournament

Fri., Sept. 17
Shotgun Start 1 p.m.
Colbert Hills, Manhattan

This tournament honors Rob Regier, a 1988 K-State pre-dentistry alum who died of cancer in 1992 at age 26. Hosted by Rob’s family, this 4-person scramble offers a steak dinner, souvenir item, silent auction, prizes and more. Check-in and same-day registration will start at 11 a.m.

 

 

Brad Heyka Memorial Practice Area commemorative stone at Colbert Hills

20th Annual Brad Heyka Memorial Golf Tournament

Fri., Oct. 15
Shotgun Start 10 a.m.
Colbert Hills, Manhattan

This annual golf tournament honors Brad Heyka, a K-State finance alum who was tragically killed at the age of 27 in 2000. Proceeds support graduate student Cancer Research Awards and other K-State scholarships. Check-in will open at 8:30. An awards dinner will immediately follow the tournament.

 

View our Upcoming Events any time on our website.

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

Faculty

K-State engineering team leads NSF-funded study to improve cancer immunotherapy treatment

Punit Prakash in laboratoryImmunotherapy can leverage the body’s immune system to fight cancer. Some patients respond very well, but many do not. Dr. Punit Prakash, in electrical & computer engineering, has received a $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study the monitoring of cancerous tumors’ immune states in order to assess immunotherapy interventions to fight tumors. read more

 

David Poole listed in top .01% of scholars studying muscles

Dr. David Poole, in the departments of kinesiology and anatomy & physiology, has been listed in the top .01% of scholars writing about muscles by expertscape.com. This ranking recognizes him as a world-renowned expert. read more

 

 

 

Dr. Sim Jun

Sim Jun recognized for online teaching excellence

Dr. Sim Jun, in social work, was selected to receive the 2021 K-State Global Campus Excellence in Online Teaching Award. read more

Jun also received one of two inaugural University Honors Program Teaching and Mentoring Awards. read more

Jun studies cancer health disparities among ethnic/racial minority groups as well as culturally appropriate and technology-supported health education and intervention strategies.

 

dog pictured with box of VisbiomeStudy by Veterinary Medicine faculty may help dogs undergoing chemotherapy

Drs. Mary Lynn Higginbotham and Raelene Wouda were part of a research team in the College of Veterinary Medicine that found that Visbiome® Vet probiotic may help mitigate diarrhea in dogs undergoing chemotherapy for lymphoma. This Visbiome formulation has also been studied in more than 70 human clinical trials. read story at Yahoo Finance

 

Dr. Katie HeinrichDr. Katie Heinrich named Head of Kinesiology Department

Dr. Katie Heinrich was named head of kinesiology in August. She came to K-State in 2010. Her cancer-related research explores the impact of high-intensity functional exercise training on health, fitness and quality of life outcomes in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease. read announcement

 

 

Students

 

Josh Spradlin

Spradlin awarded Kinesiology Advisory Board Scholarship

Josh Spradlin, a senior in kinesiology and pre-medicine with a minor in biology, who worked with Dr. Zhilong Yang in biology, was awarded the Kinesiology Advisory Board Scholarship. read more

 

 

 

Dryden Baumfalk

Baumfalk gets two major K-State awards

Dryden Baumfalk, doctoral student in kinesiology working with Dr. Brad Behnke, received kinesiology’s outstanding doctoral student and graduate teaching assistant of the year award. read more

Baumfalk also received one of three University Distinguished Professors Graduate Student Awards. read more

 

Dalton Dacus

Dacus recognized for superior graduate student research in biology

Dalton Dacus, doctoral student in biology working with Dr. Nick Wallace, received the L. Evans Roth Award for Graduate Student Research in Cellular, Molecular or Developmental Biology. Dacus studies the mechanisms by which beta human papillomavirus promotes genome destabilization. read more

 

 

Lydia WanerWaner earns Honorable Mention for national Udall Scholarship

Lydia Waner, senior in fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology, biology and Spanish, earned an honorable mention in the national Morris K. and Stewart L. Udall Scholarship competition. Waner works with Dr. Thomas Mueller in biology, studying gene expression patterns in the zebrafish brain. read more

 

 

Undergraduates help identify therapeutic target for treating neurodegenerative diseases, co-author study

graphical abstract published along with research paperA team of former Cancer Research Awardees and other undergraduate students led by Drs. Ranjit Singh and Katsura Asano, Division of Biology, has identified a potential therapeutic target to treat neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. They’ve shown that a novel translational regulatory protein, 5MP, suppresses RAN translation, thereby inhibiting the production of toxic peptides. Their findings are published in the journal, Cell Reports. The cellular protein-production process they study is relevant to cancer growth. read more

 

Undergraduate Cancer Researchers presented in virtual showcase
Taylor Bugbee
Taylor Bugbee gave a presentation for the virtual Undergraduate Research Showcase April 20-22.

Cancer Research Awardees past and present gave virtual presentations for the K-State Undergraduate Research Showcase April 20-22. The event was sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry. Pictured above is Taylor Bugbee. View more images on our Facebook: Caleb Kline, Morgan Phillips, John Tumberger, Lydia Waner, Adara Warner, Lake Winter, Gage Wright.  learn more

 

Cancer researchers among Division of Biology’s Most Promising Students

Division of Biology Most Promising Student Awards were given to Cancer Research Awardees Taylor Bugbee, junior in biology and pre-medicine, John Tumberger, junior in biology and pre-medicine, and Lydia Waner, senior in fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology and Spanish. Faculty members nominated students based on grades, rigor of academic program, extracurricular activities, faculty recommendations, and interview performance. read more

 

Jared Newell
Jared Newell recognized by Developing Scholars Program

Former Cancer Research Awardee Jared Newell, recent graduate in biology with minors in journalism and mass communications and leadership studies, received the Developing Scholars Program’s Above and Beyond Award recognizing scholars who have done well in their research and beyond. He worked with Dr. Thomas Mueller in biology. read more

 

Diana NajeraDiana Najera receives special Developing Scholars award

Former Cancer Research Awardee Diana Najera, recent graduate in biochemistry who worked with Dr. Maureen Gorman, received the Developing Scholars Program’s Rita G. Perez Exemplary Scholar Award, which “honors a scholar who, like Rita Perez herself, exemplifies the whole package.” read more

 

 

Adara WarnerAdara Warner receives national Watson Scholarship for medical laboratory science students

Adara Warner, senior in medical laboratory science and microbiology working with Dr. Kathrin Schrick, was one of only 18 students in the nation selected by the Alpha Mu Tau professional fraternity to receive the Watson Scholarship for undergraduate students in medical laboratory science. read more

 

 

We awarded nearly $416,000 for cancer research and education in 2020-2021

Student Kierra Holloman at lab benchThanks to our supporters, we were able to direct $415,939 to cancer research and education programs and students this past academic year.

We awarded $95,500 in Innovative Research Awards for studies in such areas as safer drug delivery methods, lab-on-a-chip cancer detection technology, and new chemical tools for cancer drug discovery. We also awarded $150,439 in undergraduate and graduate student Cancer Research Awards and $50,000 to establish the Cancer Research Collaboration of Excellence in Tumor Microenvironment.

We facilitated two major, directed gifts. The Flossie West Trust provided $100,000 for breast cancer immunotherapy research. Linders Family Cancer Expansion Awards totaling $20,000 were awarded to help two faculty members expand the cancer focus of their research programs. read more

THANK YOU!

4th Annual Pink Up the Pace 5K & Honor Walk – April 24

 

collage of event photos with thank-you messageThe 4th Annual Pink Up the Pace 5K and 1-Mile Honor Walk, held April 24, had record numbers of participants running and walking down Poyntz Ave. and participating virtually! Our thanks to Downtown Manhattan, Stormont Vail Health, Manhattan Running Company and all the sponsors and participants!

View our photos and Downtown Manhattan’s photos on Facebook.

 

You’ll Never Run Alone 5K & Fun Run – July 24

 

You'll Never Run Alone 5K runners take offpurple balloonsYou could feel the love for Frank Alonso at the 3rd Annual You’ll Never Run Alone 5K and 1-Mile Fun Walk held July 24 in Anneberg Park, Manhattan. The local youth soccer coach passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2018. Since then, Frank’s wife Jennifer and daughters Isabella and Sophia have worked hard to organize this annual 5K to honor him and raise money for pancreatic cancer research. We are deeply grateful to them and the hundreds of participants, sponsors and volunteers who helped this event raise $6,645 for K-State cancer research. This brings the total to $26,545!

View more photos on Facebook