“CONVERGENCE” EVENT BRINGS GLOBAL CANCER TREATMENT EXPERTS, LOCAL STUDENTS TO

CAMPUS FOR “CAREERS IN CANCER” DAY

Anational cancer research event called Convergence brought experts from around the country and the world to the University of Vermont October 24-27 to discuss interdisciplinary techniques to advance cancer treatment. The experts, along with UVM Cancer Center faculty, presented information about their cutting-edge cancer research.

The conference was co-hosted by the UVM Cancer Center and the National Science Foundation-sponsored Cancer Convergence Education Network.

As part of the UVM activities, 100 students from local high schools attended a half-day “Careers in Cancer” event. The high school students broke into small groups and interacted with world-renowned scientists to learn about career pathways in cancer research. The students also visited UVM labs to meet with a range of faculty, see science in action, and view demonstrations.

The demonstrations included growing and visualizing crystals to understand protein structure, microscopy to visualize the important components of a dividing cell, and exploring the various equipment needed to successfully carry out cancer research.

Students from Burlington High School, Burlington Technical Center, South Burlington High School, Winooski High School, Essex High School, and Champlain Valley Union (CVU) High School attended the event.

Inaugural Juckett Scholars Launch Cancer Care Delivery Studies

The new Clinician Investigator Development Initiative (CIDI) is designed to encourage productivity and career development for clinician investigators at the UVM Cancer Center.

“Clinical research is valuable and possible when investigators are given protected time, mentorship, and resources to dive into scholarly activity,” said Randall Holcombe, M.D., M.B.A., director of the UVM Cancer Center.

As part of this initiative, the Cancer Center recently selected its inaugural Juckett Scholar recipients, Kara Landry, M.D., and Alissa Thomas, M.D., who will each receive approximately $250,000 over two years with an eye towards creating new standards for cancer care delivery. The awards are supported by the Juckett Foundation, which has provided decades of support to the UVM Cancer Center, helping to improve cancer outcomes for patients across Vermont and Northern New York.