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Melinda Butsch Kovacic, MPH, PhD
Associate Director for Community Outreach & Engagement Member, Population Science Research Program
Project: A Virtual Health Promotion Intervention to Increase Awareness of and Screening for Second Primary Cancers Among Cancer Survivors Across the UCCC Catchment Area
Award: Spring 2023 UCCC Pilot Project Award | $50,000 one-year award
“I am extremely appreciative of this opportunity,” said Melinda Butsch Kovacic, MPH, PhD, associate director of community outreach and engagement at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center. “This award will allow us to tailor engaging materials with and for cancer survivors and get the needed preliminary data for larger grant applications. The goal is to increase health literacy and encourage health screenings and healthier lifestyles.”
Dr. Butsch Kovacic's project aims to address the lack of primary care utilization among cancer survivors and their unawareness of the risks associated with second primary cancers.
“Better treatment for cancer means that there are more and more cancer survivors, and these survivors have unique needs,” explained Butsch Kovacic. “Many survivors fail to consistently see their primary care providers after their treatment is complete.”
Without primary care, cancer survivors are disconnected from valuable supportive services that may improve their quality of life. Furthermore, cancer survivors are frequently unaware that they may have an increased risk of second primary cancers that are unrelated to their first cancer. In this study, Dr. Butsch Kovacic and her team will use their iterative community co-design process to tailor materials to encourage cancer survivors' utilization of primary care, to make them more aware of their risks for second primary cancers as well as address other needs.
The materials will first be offered virtually. “Post-COVID, more people are accessing information virtually, and so naturally, it makes sense to continue offering programs on virtual platforms as they are convenient and allow people to participate from anywhere. They allow people who may be immunocompromised or who fear getting COVID or other infectious agents to participate,” Butsch Kovacic said.
This study will provide evidence of the value of virtual platforms as well as the benefits of outreach targeting cancer survivors. It will also open communication between survivors and members of the Cancer Survivorship and Supportive Services Program here at the Cancer Center.
“By supporting survivors, our broader community will better see the love and care of our Cancer Center,” Butsch Kovacic said. "Feeling cared for enables the growth of trust, and trust enables proactive engagement. Community engagement will give us greater opportunities to offer screenings and cancer care to more and more of our community members, including the traditionally underserved. It is a positive loop.”
Christian Hong, PhD
Member, Basic Science Research Program
Project: Roles of Circadian Rhythms in Tumor Development and Treatment
Christian Hong, PhD, a basic science researcher at the Cancer Center and associate professor of pharmacology and systems physiology in the College of Medicine, is testing the responses of patient-derived colonoids (a 3-dimensional multicellular system that mimics the colon) transplanted in mice to chemotherapeutic drugs (e.g., 5FU) at different circadian time points.
“I've always wanted to be able to do more translational applications of our basic science work investigating molecular mechanisms of circadian rhythms and their functions in cell cycle and cell proliferation,” Hong said. “This grant is a step toward that direction. Through this grant, we are going to investigate how circadian clock-controlled genes are altered in patient-derived cancer colonoids, and how we can utilize temporal information of chemotherapeutic target genes to treat colorectal cancer.”
Dr. Hong’s lab is interested in the molecular mechanism of circadian rhythms and its functional role in cell cycle controls. Circadian rhythms are periodic physiological events that recur about every 24 hours. The importance of circadian rhythms is well recognized in many different organisms’ survival as well as in human physiology.
“The impact of this project is to demonstrate that circadian time-dependent treatment of chemotherapeutic drugs results in different outcomes depending on the temporal profiles of chemotherapeutic target gene expression,” said Dr. Hong. “This data will be informative to improve cancer research and treatments with circadian medicine.”
As a member of the Cancer Center, Dr. Hong appreciates the collaboration fostered through the various events and training offered throughout each year.
“Cancer Center membership enabled us to find excellent collaborators and apply for the pilot funding, which will be critical to generate additional data for the resubmission of our grant proposal,” said Dr. Hong.
Vinita Takiar, MD, PhD
Member, Clinical/Translational Research Program
Project: Targeting Plk1 Signaling in Head and Neck Cancer Treatment
Vinita Takiar, MD, PhD, clinical/translational researcher at the Cancer Center, vice chair of research and associate professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology, is studying a protein called PLK1.
“PLK1 is implicated in cell division, and specifically in cancer cell division,” Takiar said. “We are interested in the role of this protein in cancer progression and ways to manipulate it with drugs and radiation therapy that could then be used in patients.”
Dr. Takiar is the co-leader of the Takiar & Wise-Draper Laboratory, which aims to enhance our understanding of the mechanisms through which tumor cells evade or develop resistance. By gaining deeper insight into these mechanisms, it may be possible to customize clinical treatments more effectively for individual patients. The ultimate objective of the laboratory is to improve patient outcomes by tailoring treatments based on a comprehensive understanding of tumor cell behavior.
“This award allows us to take on additional, impactful, and a few slightly higher-risk experiments,” said Dr. Takiar. “My senior graduate student, Julianna Korns, is my co-investigator on this project, and this allows us to collaborate but also allows her more freedom and independence in her scientific explorations.”
“Cancer Center membership allows us to form new collaborations and put together new ideas, such as this one, that have the potential to move forward in larger grants but need a bit of groundwork to get there,” Takiar added.
Joan Garrett, PhD
Project: The Role of Non-Muscle Myosin IIa in PIK3CA Mutant Breast Cancer Tumorigenesis
Joan Garrett, PhD is a clinical/translational researcher at the Cancer Center and an associate professor in the College of Pharmacy.
“I am thrilled and thankful to receive this pilot grant,” Garrett said. “We will use this to support our breast cancer study, specifically a protein called NMIIA.”
The preliminary studies conducted by Dr. Garrett and her team have shown promising results. By inhibiting NMIIA in breast cancers, they observed a significant reduction in metastatic spread. This finding suggests that NMIIA may play a crucial role in promoting the invasive nature of PIK3CA mutant breast cancers, making it an attractive target for therapeutic intervention.
About 40% of breast cancers have a PIK3CA mutation, according to Dr. Garrett. “We have found that NMIIA may be especially important in PIK3CA mutant breast cancers. We have preliminary studies indicating that inhibiting NMIIA in breast cancers prevents spreading.”
Dr. Garrett and her team will soon begin animal studies using mice models, with the primary objective being to inhibit NMIIA in breast tumors and evaluate its impact on tumor growth. These experiments will provide vital insights into the efficacy of targeting NMIIA and its potential to hinder the progression of PIK3CA mutant breast cancers.
“This Cancer Center pilot award allows our lab to generate preliminary data to apply for federal funding this year,” Garrett said. “The completion of the work will give insights into the viability of NMIIA as a tumor target and will have a great impact on future PIK3CA mutant targeted clinical trial strategies likely within 5 to 10 years for those affected by breast cancer.”
Vladimir Bogdanov, PhD
Project: Improving the Detection of Alternatively Spliced Tissue Factor in the Plasma of Patients with Pancreatic Cancer
Vladimir Bogdanov, PhD, a basic science researcher at the Cancer Center and associate professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Cincinnati, is studying ways to improve the management of individuals who have undergone surgical removal of pancreatic tumors.
“This pilot award will help us carry out a set of key studies aimed at improving a new technique we are developing to non-invasively track disease progression in patients with pancreatic cancer,” Bogdanov said. “This project’s overarching goal is to help manage patients with pancreatic cancer who undergo a surgical removal of their tumor.”
Many pancreatic cancer patients experience disease recurrence after surgery, and timely diagnosis or prediction of recurrence remains a challenge. By developing a novel blood test, the researchers aim to detect disease recurrence earlier, thereby facilitating prompt and intensive disease management and ultimately leading to improved outcomes.
The successful translation of this blood test to the clinic would revolutionize how pancreatic cancer is managed, offering a much-needed breakthrough in disease-free survival for a significant subset of patients.
“Being a member of the Cancer Center is terrific in three major ways,” Bogdanov said. “It provides collaboration, shares our results, facilitates access to resources essential for our research, and provides pilot funding opportunities, such as this, that are critical as it helps us compete for larger extramural awards.”
Angelico Mendy, MD, PhD
Member, Population Science Research Program
Project: Outdoor Radon and Uranium Particulates Exposure and Lung Cancer
“Receiving this award is not only a vote of confidence from the Cancer Center but a great opportunity for our current project aimed at identifying environmental carcinogens and some of their potential mechanisms of action,” said Angelico Mendy, MD, PhD, a population scientist at the Cancer Center.
“This award is also an opportunity to generate strong pilot data and preliminary results for a future grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that will allow us to expand our research.”
Mendy, who is also an assistant professor of epidemiology in the Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences (DEPHS), aims to assess the risk of lung cancer due to outdoor exposure to radon and uranium particles and explore the role of epigenetics through this research project.
“It is well known that indoor radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking,” Mendy said. “However, the risk of lung cancer associated with outdoor radon, which quickly dilutes to low concentrations and dissipates in air, has previously been reported to be negligible. Radon gas in the outdoor atmosphere is the same as radon gas in indoor exposure although the time period of exposure and the degree of exposure may be different.”
Radon comes from the decay of uranium (238U isotope), a radioactive heavy metal that can be natural, enriched or depleted. Depleted uranium, resulting from uranium enrichment for military or nuclear purposes, is a major source of uranium particulates that can enter the body through inhalation and potentially cause harm. Uranium isotopes produce alpha radiations and decay elements that emit beta and gamma radiations capable of damaging DNA to initiate cancer.
The project holds significant public health implications as lung cancer accounts for over 10% of all cancers and close to 20% of all cancer deaths in the world. In addition to occupational sources, individuals can be exposed to outdoor radon and uranium particulates by residing near sites that produce naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM), uranium mines, manufacturing facilities utilizing depleted uranium, or fracking sites that release airborne radioactive particles.
“The results will determine and quantify the risk of lung cancer associated with these exposures, independent of other risk factors such as cigarette smoking,” Mendy said.
This award will fund the research that will allow Dr. Mendy and his team to determine the risk of lung cancer associated with outdoor radon and uranium particulate exposures in a large cohort with long-term follow-up. Additionally, it will support a nested case-control study within the same cohort, investigating the potential role of epigenetics in lung cancer development.
As a respiratory epidemiologist, Dr. Mendy’s primary focus has been on chronic lower respiratory diseases like asthma and COPD.
“With limited experience in lung cancer research, I have been actively engaging in cancer-related activities and attending seminars at the Cancer Center to gain experience,” Mendy said. “Moving forward, I am eager to establish collaborations with other scientists at the Cancer Center who share similar research interests. By fostering these partnerships, we can further advance our understanding of lung cancer and contribute to the scientific community's knowledge in this area.”
Brian Turpin, DO
Project: Comparing Cystatin C-Derived Kidney Functional Reserve between Adolescent and Young Adult Solid Tumor Survivors and Healthy Sex- and Weight-Matched Controls
Brian Turpin, DO, is a clinical/translational researcher at the Cancer Center and holds positions in the Division of Oncology at Cincinnati Children’s and the Department of Pediatrics in the College of Medicine. Dr. Turpin is leading a study to compare KFR between AYA cancer survivors and healthy volunteers and improve the understanding and application of cystatin C-derived KFR in this specific population.
Kidney functional reserve (KFR) is the compensatory mechanism by which healthy kidneys increase their filtration rate by up to 30% in response to physiology and pathologic stressors. It can be calculated from cystatin C-derived glomerular filtration rates (GFRs). Patients with lower KFR have a higher incidence of acute and chronic kidney disease. People who receive nephrotoxic chemotherapy are at high risk of kidney injury during and after treatment. By age 30, approximately 13% of pediatric solid tumor survivors are diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Due to the high morbidity and mortality of kidney injury, it is critical to develop methods for its early detection and prevention. Cystatin C-derived KFR is a promising measure of kidney function in the survivorship population and has not been previously studied in AYA patients with solid tumor malignancies.
The central hypothesis of this project is that cystatin C-derived KFR will be lower in AYA survivors of solid tumor oncologic diagnoses compared to that of sex and weight-matched controls. The objective is to compare KFR between AYA cancer survivors and healthy volunteers and further refine the use of cystatin C-derived KFR in this population.
Alicia Heelan, MD, MS
Post-Mastectomy Recovery: A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Preoperative PECS-II Blocks with Intraoperative Pectoral Blocks A. Heelan
“Receiving this award is truly an honor and privilege,” said Dr. Heelan. “As a surgeon-scientist who is early in my career, this grant will allow me to conduct my first prospective clinical trial as a principal investigator. I believe the knowledge gained from conducting this study will help propel my academic career forward, opening doors to additional trial and grant funding opportunities. More importantly, I believe that this study has the potential to improve care for our breast cancer patients. This is a unique study in that it is truly multi-disciplinary effort (anesthesia and breast surgery) working together to determine the best approach for the patient.”
Project: Post-Mastectomy Recovery: A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Preoperative PECS-II Blocks with Intraoperative Pectoral Blocks
Alicia Heelan, MD, MS, a population researcher at the Cancer Center and an assistant professor of surgery in the Division of Surgical Oncology at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Medicine, is conducting a study to clarify the effect of method, timing, and medication in nerve blocks utilized for pain control in patients undergoing mastectomy.
“We are investigating the use of nerve blocks in pain control for patients undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer,” Heelan said. “We seek to determine whether the nerve block's administration method, timing, and medication type impact post-operative pain control and opioid utilization.”
The goal is to move towards a mastectomy procedure that does not require opioids.
“The opioid epidemic is a well-known problem in the United States, with many patients becoming dependent on opioids after using them for postoperative pain relief,” Heelan said. “Approximately one in eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer and require breast surgery. Utilizing nerve blocks for pain control in these surgeries could potentially shorten recovery time, decrease the need for hospitalization, and contribute slightly to addressing the opioid epidemic.”
As a member of the Cancer Center, Dr. Heelan noted the impact it has had on her career as well as the confidence she has in future possibilities.
“The Cancer Center has been instrumental in propelling my career as an independent surgeon-scientist by offering valuable resources and mentorship,” she said. “Through lectures and meetings, I have gained inspiration, valuable insights, and established connections. I am confident that I can rely on numerous individuals associated with the Cancer Center for guidance, assistance, or mentorship at any stage of my projects. The support provided by the Cancer Center has reinforced my dedication to incorporating clinical research into my professional trajectory.”
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