Connections: The Alumni and Faculty Association Blog

2013 Mike Hogg Award

2013-04-04T22:19:37Z

The Mike Hogg Award & Lecture was scheduled on February 13, 2013

The MD Anderson Alumni & Faculty Association recognized Robert A. Weinberg, PhD as the 2013 Mike Hogg Awardee. Weinberg is a founding member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and is the Daniel K. Ludwig Professor for Cancer Research at MIT.

Cancer Stem Cells, the EMT and Malignant Progression

Wednesday, February 13 @ 12 noon
Hickey Auditorium
11th Floor, Clarke Clinic of the Main Building
Reception followed in the Hickey Foyer

The Mike Hogg Lectureship is the most prestigious at MD Anderson Cancer Center. The annual Mike Hogg lecture series began during Dr. R. Lee Clark's tenure and the initial organizer was Dr. Clark Griffin. The event is underwritten by the Mike Hogg Fund and hosted by the Alumni & Faculty Association.

Help MD Anderson Land Charity Miles

2011-12-27T14:53:42Z

The frequent flier programs for Continental and United are giving away 10 million charity miles, and you can help MD Anderson get a bigger share.

The merging airlines have chosen 45 charities to split the miles, and how many miles each charity gets depends on how many votes it receives online. MD Anderson has been in the top 10 for much of the voting period, which ends at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 31.

To help increase the percentage of miles that MD Anderson receives, visit the 10 Million Charity Miles Giveaway site and cast your vote. You don't have to be a member of Continental's OnePass or United's MileagePlus programs.

Sir Richard Branson Interview to benefit MD Anderson

2011-12-19T18:56:07Z

HOUSTON ― The 22^nd annual A Conversation With a Living Legend^®, in Dallas, benefiting The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, showcases Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, in an interview with broadcast journalist Miles O'Brien. Supported by Dallas-Fort Worth area business and community leaders, the luncheon, 11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Jan. 4 at the Hilton Anatole, benefits research and patient care initiatives at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Andrews Distributing Company and AT&T are this year's event underwriters. Co-chairs are Stephanie and Hunter Hunt. Ana and Don Carty are honorary chairs.

Branson and O'Brien available for media questions at 1:30 - 2:00 p.m. press conference immediately following program. Contact MD Anderson staff below for details:

Sarah Watson | swatson@mdanderson.org
Office: 713-745-6109
Victor Scott | vscott@mdanderson.org
713-745-5020

MD Anderson Alumnus receive discount on Cancer Care Series monographs

2011-12-14T15:46:14Z

Members of the MD Anderson Alumni & Faculty Association receive a discount off of the list price on all monographs in the MD Anderson Cancer Care Series.

In each volume of the MD Anderson Cancer Care Series, the experts at MD Anderson Cancer Center describe their current standard approach to the treatment of patients with cancer.

Designed for the busy practitioner, this series offers an in-depth view of the current standard of care at MD Anderson, without extensive literature review or discussion of approaches not yet incorporated into routine clinical practice.

Each chapter ends with an up-to-date list of suggested readings and a list of "key practice points" highlighting the most important principles presented. These books offer a clear picture of how MD Anderson is successfully treating patients today.

DePinho Inducted Into American Academy of Arts and Sciences

2011-10-10T18:54:37Z

Monday, October 3, 2011

From left: Francisco Cigarroa, M.D.; Ronald DePinho, M.D.; and Janet Cockrell with her husband, Ernie Cockrell.

MD Anderson President Ronald DePinho, M.D. was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences over the weekend, along with Ernie Cockrell, immediate past chairman of the Board of Visitors; and Francisco Cigarroa, M.D., UT System chancellor.

They were among 178 influential scientists, scholars, authors, artists and institutional leaders to join the academy at a ceremony in Cambridge, Mass. Other luminaries on the list included veteran diplomat Edward Djerejian of the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University; novelist Oscar Hijuelos; singer-songwriter Paul Simon; and Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots and The Kraft Group.

Founded in 1780 by John Adams, John Hancock and other scholar-patriots, the academy's membership includes more than 250 Nobel laureates, some 100 Pulitzer Prize winners, and many of the world's most celebrated artists and performers.

John Seymour is 2011 Distinguished Alumnus Award honoree

2011-10-04T20:31:02Z

Mark your calendars and plan to attend two events honoring John Seymour, MBBS, PhD as he is recognized with the MD Anderson 2011 Distinguished Alumnus Award on Thursday, November 3, 2011.

Professor Seymour's lecture begins at 10:00 a.m. in the Hickey Auditorium, Clark Clinic, 11th Floor. A reception in his honor is scheduled at 1:30 in the Pickens Academic Tower, 3rd Floor, Rooms 4 & 5.

He will also be recognized at the Faculty Honors Convocation held that same day at 4:00 p.m. and hosted by the Faculty Senate.

Professor Seymour currently is the Head of the department of Haematology a the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

For more information, call the alumni office at 713-794-1955.

Alumni Surveys are Live

2011-09-23T15:03:08Z

If you are a former postdoctoral fellow, a former clinical trainee or a former faculty member, we want to hear from you! Alumni surveys for specific MD Anderson alumni populations are available. Go to Alumni Surveys for eligibility and to find the surveys links. Your completed survey is an entry for a drawing for three prizes.

Regional Care Center Events Shed Light on Breast Cancer

2011-09-20T14:54:01Z

MD Anderson's regional care centers in the Bay Area, Katy, Sugar Land and The Woodlands will recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month with free evening community events, and you're invited.

At each event, faculty and other employees from our regional centers will hand out educational materials and pink glow necklaces to spread the pink light of breast cancer awareness and hope.

Katy Regional Care Center

Saturday, Oct. 1
7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Heritage Square in La Centerra at Cinco Ranch

The square will be illuminated in soft pink light as faculty and other employees from the Katy center promote early detection and celebrate survivorship.

Sugar Land Regional Care Center

Saturday, Oct. 1
7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
The Plaza in Sugar Land Town Square

The plaza and fountain will be aglow in pink light. The Town Square will host a free performance by the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra, while the regional center's team offers giveaways and greets its neighbors.

The Woodlands Regional Care Center

Thursday, Oct. 13
7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
The Woodlands Market Street Central Park

Pink lighting will set the mood for a free musical performance that's part of Market Street's weekly concert series. Meet your colleagues who work in The Woodlands as they spotlight MD Anderson in the community.

Bay Area Regional Care Center

Friday, Oct. 21
7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Ballunar Liftoff Festival at NASA's Johnson Space Center

The Bay Area team will showcase a hot-air balloon in the shape of a pink ribbon during the nighttime balloon glow.

Show up in your black MD Anderson T-shirt, bring a blanket or camping chair, and invite your friends and family to enjoy the festival as you get to know your colleagues who work in the community.

To learn more about the regional care centers, call 713-745-9940 or visit the Regional Care Centers site.

Alumni & Faculty Association steering committee member named Sr. VP

2011-09-19T18:42:30Z

Message from Raymond N. DuBois, M.D., Ph.D., Provost and Executive Vice President

Oliver Bogler, Ph.D., vice president of Global Academic Programs, has been named senior vice president for Academic Affairs, succeeding Stephen Tomasovic, Ph.D., who retired last month after a distinguished 31-year career at MD Anderson.

Bogler, whose new job began Sept. 1, joined MD Anderson in 2005 as associate professor of Neurosurgery. At that time, he also was named director of basic research in the department and research director of the Brain Tumor Center.

Born in Germany, Bogler earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom and his doctorate from the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in London. In 1992, he came to the United States for his postgraduate training: a research fellowship in molecular neurobiology at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calf., and a research fellowship in brain tumor biology from the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in San Diego.

Prior to joining MD Anderson, he had appointment at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond and Hermelin Brain Tumor Center at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, with a joint appointment at Wayne State University.

At MD Anderson, he served as co-principal investigator for our SPORE in Brain Cancer until 2010, and is a principal investigator (PI) or co-PI on three other grants, two of which are from the National Cancer Institute. He has contributed to 15 book chapters and review articles and had 50 original papers appear in peer-reviewed publications. He serves on the editorial boards of Neuro-Oncology and Neurosurgery journals and is chair of the Scientific Advisory Council for the National Brain Tumor Society.

MD Anderson facilities threatened by wildfire

2011-09-19T18:35:16Z

MD Anderson Employees at both our Science Park - Research Division campus in Smithville and the Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research in Bastrop have been directly impacted by the recent wildfires in Central Texas.

The wildfires prompted the Sept. 5 evacuation of our Smithville campus, which remained closed all week. Employees at the Bastrop campus were on alert in the meantime. Neither facility incurred physical damage, but employees returned to work on Sept. 12 with harrowing stories of survival and escape.

Interactive Directory Retired: Use form for address updates

2011-09-06T15:54:53Z

The MD Anderson Alumni & Faculty Association has retired its online directory as part of an overall plan to migrate member data to a new application. Going forward, members will use the Web form linked below to make updates to home and business information, as well as awards and other news. Questions about this change may be made to alumni@mdanderson.org.

Update member information

A First Look: Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center

2011-08-17T19:19:21Z

MD Anderson opens its first full clinical extension outside Texas in Gilbert, near Phoenix, Arizona. The relationship with Banner Health brings new hope to cancer patients in the region.

After more than two years of development and construction, Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center is getting ready to open its doors in Gilbert, Ariz., near Phoenix.

But you don't have to wait until Monday, Sept. 26, when it formally opens to the public, to see what it looks like.

Watch a video tour of the new facility and see what sets it apart from cancer treatment facilities anywhere else in the world, with the exception of MD Anderson, after which is modeled, of course.

Mirroring Outstanding Clinical Care

The three-story, 133,000-square-foot outpatient oncology center is located at the Banner Gateway Medical Center complex and directed by Edgardo Rivera, M.D.

Hear both Rivera and Thomas Burke, M.D., executive vice president and physician in chief for MD Anderson, discuss the benefits of this partnership in the video.

Referring Physicians Advisory Board Launched

2011-08-11T17:18:07Z

MD Anderson physicians have a new way to get feedback from the doctors who refer patients to them.

The Referring Physician Advisory Board was formed this spring at the direction of President John Mendelsohn, M.D. It's made up of referring physicians from around Houston and surrounding counties who want to see that their patients get seamless care when they come to MD Anderson.

The board sets its own agenda, and MD Anderson's Physician Relations team facilitates meetings where the board's concerns can be heard. If the board wants to look at how patients are referred to Phase I clinical trials, for example, Physician Relations can bring in institutional experts with answers. If the board has an idea for improvement, the meetings can provide a forum for discussions with physicians here.

"The purpose of the advisory board is to enable us to hear directly about the needs, concerns, and expectations of our referring colleagues in Houston and surrounding areas," Mendelsohn says.

Lyle Green, associate vice president for Physician Relations, says the advisory board's activities will complement the work of the Physician Relations Faculty Advisory Board, formed in December 2009 so that faculty could have input into the work and priorities of the Physician Relations program. Ultimately, the two boards can together develop new collaborative strategies and working relationships that will improve cancer care in our communities.

For more information, contact Yvonne Bazunu, program manager, Physician Relations, at 713-745-8385.

From the Chair, Peter C. Hu, Ph.D.

2011-08-02T17:03:35Z

Hello everyone! As I near the end of my first term as the Chair of the Alumni & Faculty Association at MD Anderson Cancer Center, I thought this would be a good time to reflect on the many activities we have sponsored over the past year.

Our first activity was the fall cycle of the Trainee Excellence Awards in which eight trainees were recognized in the month of August for their high caliber research. These eight trainees were amongst the many that entered. Also around this time, we received a generous donation by the Mike Hogg Fund from which two students in the School of Health Professions each received a $1,000 scholarship.

In addition to this donation, through our fundraising campaign, we received two additional gifts: one from Dr. Ed Diaz, VP, Global Clinical Programs and the other from Dr. Raymond Sawaya, Chair of Neurosurgery to help fund other scholarships and activities.

During the month of November, Dr. Elena Martinez was recognized with the 2010 Distinguished Alumnus Award. Dr. Martinez gave a marvelous presentation on "Colorectal Cancer Prevention: Opportunities for a Fruitful and Challenging Career" to a packed crowed in the Hickey Auditorium. It was also during this time that the Alumni & Faculty Association unveiled the Alumni Tribute Display located on the 3rd floor of the Pickens Academic Tower. This permanent wall display lists of the names of alumni donors and friends who have made a gift of $5,000 or more, along with a brief biography of the current Distinguished Alumnus Award winner.

In January, 2011, Dr. Mario R. Capecchi, who was the 2010 Mike Hogg award recipient, visited MD Anderson Cancer Center and delivered an inspirational lecture, not only to a packed Hickey Auditorium, but also to a packed overflow room. The Mike Hogg Lectureship is the most prestigious at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

When spring came, the Alumni & Faculty Association once again was busy with activities. First, it was the spring announcement of the Trainee Excellence Award winners of which 4 trainee abstracts were chosen to receive this award. Our second activity was the participation at this year's American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting in Orlando, FL where we hosted a recruitment booth, a general session booth, and a reception on behalf of MD Anderson. All of these events were very well attended.

In May, the annual Trainee Research Day was yet another smashing hit as over 250 research abstracts were submitted this year in all categories of trainees from undergraduate, graduates, postdoctoral fellows, and clinical fellows. Awards ranging from $100 to $1000 were given to winning abstracts and posters and were sponsored by AMGEN, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Bayer Health Care Pharmaceuticals, and the MD Anderson Alumni & Faculty Association.

Heading into the summer months, in July, we held our annual Trainee Lecture that will hereafter be named the Stephen P. Tomasovic Trainee Lecture in recognition of his tireless efforts in education for all students and educational trainees at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
What started off for the Alumni & Faculty Association will end this fiscal year with the spring Trainee Excellence Awards. The submission deadline has just passed and the next round of winners will be announced in August.

We look forward to another productive year in 2011-2012 under the new leadership of Dr. Ronald DePinho and we extend a big "Thanks" to all of those individuals who have continuously supported the Alumni & Faculty Association throughout the years.

]]>

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Retains Top Ranking In U.S. News & World Report Annual Survey

2011-08-02T13:58:39Z

For the fifth straight year, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is the leading hospital in the nation for cancer care, according to the "Best Hospitals" survey published annually by U.S. News & World Report magazine.

HOUSTON -- For the fifth straight year, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is the leading hospital in the nation for cancer care, according to the "Best Hospitals" survey published annually by U.S. News & World Report magazine.

With this top ranking, MD Anderson has been rated number one eight times in the past decade. Since the survey began 22 years ago, the institution has been named one of the top two hospitals for cancer in the United States.

MD Anderson's gynecology service jumped to the number six position in its subspecialty ranking this year, up five slots from last year. Other subspecialties earning national rankings were ear, nose and throat (#6); urology (#10); gastroenterology (#22); diabetes and endocrinology (#28). In a separate survey of pediatric hospitals, released in May, MD Anderson's Children's Cancer Hospital was ranked number 15 nationally.

MD Anderson also ranked number three among Houston metropolitan area hospitals in the survey. The magazine's metro rankings, which debuted last year, were ordered by a hospital's number of nationally ranked specialties and then by the number of other specialties in which it was among the top 25 percent nationally.

"This top national ranking acknowledges the signature care that our 18,000 employees deliver - and advance - every day," said Thomas W. Burke, M.D., executive vice president and physician-in-chief. "We're honored to have our innovative patient care, nursing, clinical trials, research, supportive care and outreach programs recognized among so many great cancer centers in the nation, and our faculty, staff and volunteers share this accolade with our patients who inspire us all every day."

The annual "Best Hospitals" rankings are based on a complex mix of criteria that includes key technologies, nurse-to-patient staffing ratios and the availability of patient services such as genetic testing/counseling, translation services, wound management, palliative care and others. The methodology also weighs reputation with board-certified physicians from around the nation, disease outcomes and patient safety.

Acknowledging Quality
One of the components that contributes to MD Anderson's top national ranking is Magnet designation, an international measure of nursing excellence. Last year, MD Anderson earned its third consecutive Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Less than seven percent of U.S. hospitals are Magnet-recognized, according to the American Hospital Association, and only about 375 hospitals worldwide carry Magnet designation. MD Anderson earned its first Magnet designation in 2001, and is one of the original 50 charter hospitals bearing the seal.

Last November, MD Anderson was accredited by The Joint Commission, an independent not-for-profit organization that certifies health care organizations' patient care programs against rigorous performance standards. MD Anderson has been consistently accredited by The Joint Commission since 1951.

Expanding Upward....
MD Anderson's opened its inpatient hospital expansion in January, complementing the quality care that 105,000 patients received the past year, and preparing the institution for increased demand for services.

An eight-story expansion of the Albert B. and Margaret M. Alkek Hospital opened in January with three new inpatient floors. The new units have cut-through corridors and individual work stations outside patient rooms so nurses can have better, faster access to patients. They also feature work areas where interdisciplinary teams can review and discuss patients' care plans. Patient rooms are spacious with a large picture window, private bathroom, cozy sitting area and pull-out bed for family members and visitors. The new rooms each have two large flat-screen televisions, a computer work desk and Internet service. The five remaining floors of the new tower will be built out for future patient care needs.

...and Outward
To provide additional, convenient services in the greater Houston area, MD Anderson has expanded into four regional care centers in The Woodlands, Bay Area (Nassau Bay), Sugar Land and Katy. Each center offers radiation and medical oncology care, outpatient chemotherapy, clinical trials and support services such as pain management, nutrition and social work; three of the four centers offer surgical services. The regional care centers are growing rapidly with plans to add even more specialized clinical programs and services in the coming year.

This year, MD Anderson celebrates the 70th anniversary of its creation as a part of The University of Texas System. Since opening its doors to patients in 1944, more than 800,000 patients have turned to MD Anderson for care. Last year, nearly 10,000 registrants enrolled in MD Anderson clinical trials, which spur new discoveries for cancer patients across the globe.