Program Leaders

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Several changes in the Leadership of UWCCC Programs will strengthen their translational potential. Dr. Michael Gould has assumed the role of Program Leader for Cancer Genetics. Dr. Gould received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Argonne National Laboratory. He joined the faculty of the UWCCC in 1978 and has worked extensively throughout his career to integrate basic laboratory studies in breast cancer etiology and chemoprevention, including both basic and translational projects. Using animal models, he is searching for genes that prevent breast cancer. Once identified, these genes will provide a better understanding of the role of modifier genes and cancer risk and also provide targets for the development of anticancer drugs. He has previously served in many positions in the Cancer Center, including leadership of a breast cancer program and most recently leader of the Etiology and Chemoprevention Program. His current personal research interests as well as his history of fostering collaborations for translational research make him an ideal candidate to assume leadership of this program. As leader of this Program Dr. Gould is reorganizing the emphasis to include three areas. The first is mammalian and human genetics. The central goal of this area is using comparative genetics and genomics to better understand the etiology of cancer and its progression. This work is translated to humans in the form of risk estimation and cancer prevention. The second area is that of statistical genetics and informatics. Developing new statistical and informatic approaches to map the sequenced genomes will be a major focus as well as developing unique methods of analysis for complex data sets. The third area is physical genomics which will develop novel approaches for the acquisition of cancer genomics data on a genome wide scale. Dr. Gould facilitates Program interactions by organizing small group meetings that are task oriented as well as a limited number of large group meetings and retreats that provide education and the opportunity to explore potential collaborative strategies. He also facilitates educational workshops that introduce Program members to new UWCCC shared resources and instrumentation. He will foster the established important collaborative ties between the members Genetics Program, the Chemoprevention Program and the Cancer Control Program to facilitate translational inte-rprogrammatic research. Dr. Gould devotes 10% effort to leadership for this Program. Dr. Hasam Mukhtar has assumed the role of co-leader for the Chemoprevention Program. He received his PhD in Biochemistry from Kanpur University in Kanpur India in 1971. He did postdoctoral training at the Medical College of Georgia where his interest in detoxification enzymes was stimulated. After pursuing further work in this field at NIH, he became a faculty member at Case Western Reserve University and combined the expertise of metabolic activation and detoxification to explore ways to regulate carcinogenesis. His work has now extended to the study of diet and cancer and a focus on dietary substances for cancer chemoprevention. As co-leader of the Chemoprevention Program, Dr. Mukhtar will lead and stimulate the efforts to identify compounds with chemopreventive efficacy, foster the collaborations with translational scientists to identify mechanisms of action and potential targets, and initiate collaborations with physicians to explore options for treatment strategies for chemoprevention. He will devote 5% effort to this activity. Dr. Douglas McNeel will replace Dr. James Stewart as co-leader of the Experimental Therapeutics Program. Dr. McNeel joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine in July 2001. He received his BA in Chemistry and Music at Whitman College in 1986. He then pursued graduate training under a Medical Scientist Training Award at the University of Chicago, and received his PhD (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) in 1992 and MD in 1994. He then completed an Internal Medicine residence at the University of Washington on a Clinical Investigator Pathway, and a Medical Oncology fellowship at the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in 2000. After his clinical fellowship, he joined the Tumor Vaccine Group at the University of Washington for four years. At the University of Wisconsin, Dr. McNeel continues to focus on the immunology of prostate cancer. Laboratory studies seek to identify proteins expressed by prostate tissue that are recognized by lymphocytes in patients with prostate cancer and chronic inflammatory prostatitis, as well as identify vaccine strategies capable of inducing prostate-specific inflammation. Clinical studies explore whether immune responses capable of destroying prostate cancer cells can be elicited in patients with prostate cancer by means of vaccines. The long-range goal of this research is to develop vaccines for the adjuvant treatment of prostate cancer. Dr. McNeel was selected to co-lead this program to address an apparent lack of integration of program members who were employing immunologic therapeutic approached with the rest of the program. His clinical and research activities focus on prostate cancer and the use of immunological approaches, especially vaccines, for the treatment of prostate cancer. His laboratory is developing vaccines using cellular and animal models targeting prostatic acid phosphatase and androgen receptor. He also is leading clinical trials to evaluate these approaches in prostate cancer patients. Dr. McNeel will bring his considerable basic science and clinical expertise to the Experimental Therapeutics program and help to integrate the important immunological strengths of the program. He will devote 5% effort to this activity.