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VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer hosted its annual Walter Lawrence, Jr., M.D., Research Retreat on September 5, providing an opportunity for the Massey team - including clinicians,researchers, students, trainees, and community members - to hear about new research and reinforce the cancer center’s mantra of "one team, one fight."

 Students presented more than 120 research posters during the retreat, reflecting Massey’s commitment to serving as a national leader in cancer research and improving cancer outcomes throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

Robert A. Winn, M.D., director and Lipman Chair in Oncology at Massey, welcomed the more than 350 attendees by sharing the history of the Walter Lawrence Jr. Research Retreat, and reiterating the mission that Dr. Lawrence, one of the founding fathers of surgical oncology, set forth at Massey: that all people should have access to the science of cancer care.

“[Dr. Lawrence] felt that everyone deserved access to cancer-related care, even when it was uncomfortable to do the right thing,” Winn said. “We need to remember who we are. We have always been an institution where our science is available for all. And from a cancer perspective, we have the potential to make a local impact with research that stretches across the country.”

Monica Baskin, Ph.D., deputy director of research, reminded the audience of how Massey’s vision applies to its community-to-bench framework, which brings Massey’s research directly to its catchment area and beyond. Reflecting on the successes of Massey’s strategic plan over the last five years, Baskin highlighted how Massey’s NCI funding has increased by 92% over the past five years and clinical trial treatment accruals by 96% from 2020-24. Lastly, Massey researchers have been published in 26% more high-impact journals since 2020.

Jiong Li, Ph.D., a member of the Cancer Biology research program at Massey and an assistant professor of medicinal chemistry at the VCU School of Pharmacy, presented on his research using molecules called proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) to eliminate colorectal cancer stem cells by targeting the Wnt signaling pathway, which is associated with more than 90% of colorectal cancers.

“The optimization of these PROTACS may provide a promising strategy to develop molecules that can effectively suppress oncogenic Wnt signaling to eliminate colorectal cancer stem cells through the selective degradation of KDM3 proteins,” Li said.

Imad Damaj, Ph.D., a professor of pharmacology and toxicology and co-director of the Translational Research Initiative for Pain and Neuropathy (TRIPN), presented on his research targeting the protein AEG-1 to mediate a form of neuroinflammation that leads to the development of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN).

“We’ve identified a ‘two birds with one stone’ approach that could effectively reduce tumor size and prevent neuropathy,” Damaj said.

Adam Khader, M.D., Ph.D., member of the Developmental Therapeutics research program at Massey and an associate professor of surgical oncology at the VCU School of Medicine, discussed his work examining the interplay between the presence of FXIII—a protein responsible for blood clot formation—and the development of cancer.

“FXIII is associated with larger tumor volumes and chemoresistance,” Khader said. “We are collaborating with multiple labs to develop drugs that are anti-factor XIII.”

Kim Rhoads, M.D. M.S. MPH, associate director of community outreach and engagement at Massey, shared the need to always include patient advocates as part of community-based research. Highlighting her work with Team PROMINENT in the Cancer Grand Challenges, Rhoads shared how by bringing together patient advocates, future leaders and investigators, the global research community can come together and think differently while transforming cancer outcomes.

“Every one of us is a piece of the puzzle, and every piece is important,” Rhoads said. “Too often, the missing piece of the puzzle is the patient advocates. We cannot forget the people we are trying to help through our research.”

Antoni Ribas, M.D., Ph.D., a past president of the American Association for Cancer Research and professor of medicine, surgery, and molecular and medical pharmacology at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and director of the Tumor Immunology Program at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC), delivered the Frank D. Pendleton Memorial Lecture, which was supported by the Frank D. Pendleton Memorial Lectureship Endowed Fund, established in 2004. Pictured: Antoni Ribas, M.D., Ph.D.

In his lecture, Ribas shared how he and his research team identified four basic rules to determine whether a cancer responds to PD-1 blockade cancer immunotherapy. In his study, which was published in Nature Communications, he examined this treatment option in cases of desmoplastic melanoma, a disease type with a high mutation rate that’s often non-pigmented, which leads to delayed diagnoses.

Through a clinical trial involving two cohorts of patients with this rare type of skin cancer, Ribas found that using anti-PD1 therapy before surgery noticeably improves patient outcomes. By administering infusions of a drug called pembrolizumab, also known as Keytruda, nearly 90% of patients experienced either a complete response or significant tumor shrinkage.

“We were able to take a cancer with a very low response rate and understand how to treat it better,” Ribas said.

Throughout the day, Massey celebrated its own with several individual awards, which recognized the numerous achievements and contributions of its members –

• Early Career Investigator of the Year: Can Senkal, Ph.D., member of the Cancer Biology research program at Massey and an assistant professor of cellular, molecular, and genetic medicine in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the VCU School of Medicine
• Community Advocate of the Year: Tyron Williams, D.Div., Pastor at Mount Olive Baptist Church
• Clinicians of the Year: Keri Maher, D.O., CTO medical director, member of the Developmental Therapeutics research program at Massey and associate professor of hematology, oncology and palliative care in the VCU School of Medicine; and Alfredo Urdaneta, M.D., member of the Developmental Therapeutics research program at Massey and an associate professor of radiation oncology in the VCU School of Medicine
• CSL Most Valuable Clinical Professional: Sterliesha Morris, Medical Call Center Supervisor at the Patient Appointment Center at VCUMC
• Scientist of the Year: Devanand Sarkar, Ph.D., associate director, Research Training & Education and professor, Cellular, Molecular and Genetic Medicine
• Most Valuable Academic Professional of the Year: Michelle Liendo, M.S.H.I., C.C.R.P., P.M.P., assistant director, Clinical Research Operations
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Steven Grant, M.D., professor, Hematology, Oncology, and Palliative Care - “My profoundest thanks for this tribute. After 35+ years, I realized that unquestionably, I made the right decision by staying here. It’s been an amazing experience.”

Of the 122 presented posters, nine were recognized across three categories for their scientific merit, cancer impact, clarity, and presentation:

Cancer Biology

• Ava Beaudin (Mentor: Larisa Litovchick, M.D., Ph.D.)
• Hossein Ehsanbakhsh (Mentor: Paula Bos, Ph.D.)
• Alexandra Straus, Ph.D. (Mentor: Can Senkal, Ph.D.)

Cancer Prevention & Control

• Avani Kaur (Mentor: Victoria Findlay, Ph.D.)
• Brad Bakken (Mentor: Justin Canada, Ph.D.)
• Moriah Bellissimo, Ph.D. (Mentor: W. Greg Hundley, M.D.)

Developmental Therapeutics

• Anusri Arun Prasath (Mentor: Qinglian Liu, Ph.D.)
• Ally Thompson (Mentor: Umesh Desai, Ph.D.)
• Shoja M Haneefa, Ph.D. (Mentor: Bhaumik Patel, M.D.)

The research retreat is named after the late Walter Lawrence, Jr., M.D., Massey’s founding director and a national leader in the field of surgical oncology. He laid the foundation for Massey’s mission of excellence in cancer care, research and education, and he led efforts to secure the center’s initial designation from the National Cancer Institute in 1975.

Written by: Blake Belden, Tatiana Del Valle, Nicole Hansen, and Bill Potter