More than 120 poster presentations and a full day of lectures, oral abstracts and networking brought together researchers, clinicians, trainees and staff May 13 for the 16th annual Markey Cancer Center Research Day at the University of Kentucky.
The event spanned the full spectrum of cancer science, including prevention, early detection, basic laboratory research, clinical care and survivorship. It also recognized outstanding work by students, postdoctoral fellows and research staff.
“Research Day remains one of the most meaningful days of the year for our cancer center, and it is an opportunity to step back from the pace of our work and reflect on the progress we are making,” said UK Markey Cancer Center Director B. Mark Evers, M.D. “Bringing together our own researchers alongside distinguished colleagues from across the country fosters the kind of collaboration that moves cancer research forward.”
Two keynote speakers addressed key developments in cancer research and community engagement. Carmen E. Guerra, M.D., associate director of community outreach and engagement at the Abramson Cancer Center and professor at the University of Pennsylvania, delivered the Gilbert H. Friedell Memorial Lecture, titled “Centering Community in Cancer Research.” Anil K. Rustgi, M.D., director of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University, presented the Susan B. Lester Memorial Lecture on mutant p53 and tumor metastasis.
Featured presentations were given by Markey’s Jessica Burris, Ph.D., co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program, on smoking cessation in cancer survivors, and by Yi Zheng, Ph.D., Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, on targeting Rho family proteins in cancer therapy.
Markey Research Day also features annual awards, including the Markey Women Strong Distinguished Research Award. Presented by the Markey Cancer Foundation, the $100,000 prize is split between two researchers whose groundbreaking work addresses the cancer burden among women. This year’s award was given to Denise Fabian, M.D., UK College of Medicine, and Ni Su, Ph.D., UK Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering.
Mentorship awards:
Poster competition awards:
Overall winner: Cheng Zhang, “The Role of USP21 in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC)”
Students and Postdoctoral Fellows, Basic Science
Students and Postdoctoral Fellows, Clinical/Population Science
Postdoctoral Scholars and Staff, Basic Science
Postdoctoral Scholars and Staff, Clinical/Population Science
UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated healthcare professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns and the region’s only Level 1 trauma center.
As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the healthcare landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come.
