For decades, the Abramson Cancer Center has served as a place of hope and inspiration for cancer patients and their families. We are the proud home to passionate scientists at every career stage dedicated to collaboration and research. Their determination—along with the steadfast support of our philanthropic, government and industry partners—drives innovation that has the potential to change the world.
Research being done by early-career scientists is an integral part of scientific innovation and, at the Abramson Cancer Center, many young investigators are already making a big impact on cancer research. We sat down with five of them to learn more about their research, how Penn’s ecosystem helps foster their ideas and why philanthropic support is crucial to the future of cancer care.
2020 Abramson Cancer Center Patel Scholar
Circadian rhythms are an integral part of physiology, underscoring their relevance for the treatment of disease. Brooks’s research focuses on how the time of day affects the expression of genes and influences the activity of known antitumor agents.
2021 Abramson Cancer Center Marlene Shlomchik Fellow
Dr. Luna has garnered international attention for his pioneering research on machine learning, utilizing rigorous computational analysis to improve outcomes in lung cancer patients. His project aims to predict which patients with stage III unresectable non-small cell lung cancer are most likely to benefit from the immunotherapy durvalumab.
Breakthrough Challenge Cooper Scholar at the Abramson Cancer Center; Basser Center for BRCA Grantee
Certain inherited syndromes greatly increase a person’s risk of developing cancer. Dr. Maxwell’s work aims to better understand how cancer forms in patients who have inherited cancer syndromes, and specifically how the immune system may play a role in modifying a person’s likelihood of getting cancer if they carry a genetic mutation.
Breakthrough Challenge Cooper Scholar at the Abramson Cancer Center; Basser Center for BRCA Grantee
Dr. McCarthy uses population science to improve our ability to assess breast cancer risk and find better methods of prevention to increase survival—including a focus on the impact of racial disparities in cancer outcomes.
Helene Blum Assistant Professor at the Abramson Cancer Center
Dr. Shabason’s research focuses on the treatment and management of soft tissue and bone sarcoma. Utilizing his strong background in immune-oncology, he is part of the team improving outcomes for these rare cancers.
Dr. McCarthy: I learned about what cancer was when I was five, when my 24-year-old cousin died. Also, my mom and her sisters worked at a cancer hospice in Philadelphia, so for better or worse, cancer was always kind of my family business. From an early age, I understood the suffering that cancer caused for families, and I wanted to be part of changing that. I always wanted to understand: Why does this happen, and how can we prevent this from happening?
I love what I do, and I love that we’re in an institution where there are so many people focused on improving cancer outcomes, preventing cancer and helping patients through the process of cancer treatment.
Dr. Maxwell: I also became motivated fairly young, specifically in regard to the genetics of cancer. I knew my father lost his mother to breast cancer when he was eight, and I saw the impact that early breast cancer had on a child’s life from there on.
I was a senior in high school when BRCA1 was cloned, and because of the cancer history in my family, I got super interested in the fact that there was actually a genetic factor that might cause breast cancer and other cancers. Being able to do the human genetics work means I can take care of families who have very similar experiences to what my father’s family went through—and hopefully help them out by telling them that not only can I provide them some support in the clinic, but I can also try to figure out why that cancer keeps occurring in their family.
Brooks: Both of my parents are cancer survivors and are doing well, and I think that led me to realize real people can survive with cancer or that cancer can be treated as a chronic illness unlike 10 or 20 years ago. We’re living in a day where there is a lot of hope and a lot of new technology and innovation, and I definitely wanted to be on that research front.
Dr. Maxwell: Having done much of my training here, I ultimately chose to stay at Penn for a lot of different reasons, but mostly because of the resources and patient population we have here. I do translational genetics, and Penn is one of the few institutions that has a robust biobanking platform that allows us to recruit patients into studies for translational work. Also, it’s a very collaborative environment. People are so open to working together, and that’s something that I really don’t think is present at other institutions to anywhere near the same level.
Dr. McCarthy: The collaborative culture—I’ve found that that’s definitely true. And I would add that the pilot grants that come from philanthropy really are what help catalyze those collaborations. Also, the opportunity to do real-world, real-time research that uses actual patients helps us know what’s going on in clinical care right now. That is really exciting to me and one of the big reasons why I was excited to come here.
Dr. Luna: I received the Marlene Shlomchik Fellowship and used the resources to analyze an essential data set that has now led to multiple promising research projects. Beyond the actual funding, this award also brought me visibility. The fellowship put me on the radar of certain people in research at Penn, and that eventually opened the door for me to participate in some incredible collaborations.
Dr. Maxwell: One of the benefits of the cancer center’s philanthropic community is being able to pursue the ideas of interest to you, rather than following the funding. Early in my career at Penn, I received a few smaller philanthropic awards that gave me the ability to focus on research I was passionate about for my postdoc.
And then, I just continued to build on those findings. So, the career development awards that I’ve had through the American Association for Cancer Research and the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and then the large Burroughs Wellcome Foundation career award—they were all made possible by that initial philanthropic support.
Dr. McCarthy: I’ve been fortunate to receive philanthropic support on a few different occasions. I received an Abramson Cancer Center pilot grant to explore a new, faster breast cancer screening modality for Black women. Most recently, I received a small grant to determine if spit kits are a feasible way to collect DNA. The funds were unrestricted and that allowed me to do a pilot project to gather preliminary data to prove that I could actually recruit patients for my proposed trial, and then apply for an NIH R01 grant to fund the larger study. Philanthropy helps a young investigator get started in a really important way.
Dr. Shabason: I’ve always felt one of my biggest challenges was having time to pursue research and apply for grant support. Philanthropy has helped protect my time more. It’s allowed me to really get the ball rolling on certain things. Without it, I don’t think I would have had really any chance of moving my research forward.
Brooks: I was very fortunate to receive the Patel Scholar Award, which helped pay for some really important mouse experiments while finishing up my graduate work. I’m very thankful for that. It’s been great not to have to worry and to have a little bit of extra funding, especially during the pandemic. Philanthropy has also helped me finish up some more expensive sequencing experiments that added a powerful visual element as I completed my project.
Dr. Luna: It enables me to conduct research toward my long-term career objectives—identifying the main clinical variables and imagining features that are strong predictors of cancer progression; understanding how serious side effects correlate with cancer progression and affect overall survival; and developing planning tools to improve radioimmunotherapy treatment response and overall survival.
Dr. McCarthy: Unrestricted funds really allow you the flexibility to try new things that might be a little bit more high-risk, high-reward, which might be harder to fund through traditional avenues. It’s important, because some incredible research comes from that type of out-of-the-box thinking.
Early-career researchers provide a pipeline of ideas that may eventually transform the lives of countless future patients.
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Mukesh Patel saw the promise of investing in the scientists of tomorrow by fostering their ideas—and potentially helping cure the disease that took his father’s life. He started a scholarship program for budding researchers interested in taking a deep dive into the biology of cancer. Mukesh died in 2017, and his family, including his wife, Bhavna, and brother, Hiten, honor his legacy by continuing to support five Patel Scholars each year.
Dr. Mendoza studies proteins found in the nucleus, after cells have been exposed to metabolic stress or low oxygen. She focuses on acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2), a protein associated with specific cancer cells exposed to low oxygen conditions. Her research aims to fill a gap in the field by characterizing ACSS2’s potential role as a therapeutic target.
"The question I am seeking to answer has never even been asked before. Being a Patel Scholar affords me the time to focus on something a little riskier, but with huge possibilities, including confidence in my ideas."
A generous philanthropic gift from Joan and John Thalheimer helped establish The Thalheimer Center for Cardio-Oncology, along with the promise of accelerating discoveries to help patients live longer, healthier lives.
Current Thalheimer Cardio-Oncology Fellow
Dr. Lefebvre grew up in Canada, and from age 5 to 12 spent two weeks each summer at science camp. "We did experiments, made rocket ships—I was always drawn to science and loved numbers. I also played the violin starting at five, which I think is connected; science and math and music are all regimented, rigorous and take a lot of practice."
Dr. Lefebvre and her colleagues published a retrospective study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardio-Oncology that showed patients treated with CAR T-cell therapy are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. A new study at Penn will now monitor these patients to further understand the treatment’s link to cardiac dysfunction.
At Penn Medicine’s Roberts Proton Therapy Center, patients receive the unrivaled expertise of renowned radiation specialists, while contributing to leading-edge innovations in the cancer care of tomorrow.
With five treatment rooms and a dedicated research lab, the center operates as the world’s largest hub for the integration of proton therapy and conventional radiation therapy. Every member of the center’s team has specialized training and depth of experience in proton beam therapy, a type of radiation therapy whose high-energy radiation beams offer greater precision and accuracy in destroying cancer cells than that of conventional therapies.
Thanks to the center’s unique research-and-care infrastructure—where scientists can use photon and proton radiation side by side, and within feet from the clinic—researchers are developing an experimental therapy known as FLASH radiotherapy.
Imagine cancer patients being able to receive an entire course of radiotherapy in a single rapid treatment rather than over the duration of weeks and months. That’s FLASH radiotherapy, and according to the Abramson Cancer Center’s research (the results of which were recently published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Physics), it offers hope for the future of oncology.
"For the first time, we can demonstrate that using proton radiation to generate FLASH radiotherapy is feasible," says the study’s co-senior author, James M. Metz, MD, Henry K. Pancoast Professor and Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology.
Other advances in proton therapy at Penn include pencil beam scanning, in which the proton beam is mere millimeters wide and can be adjusted in intensity to deliver more radiation to targeted areas; and advanced imaging technology integrated into the proton therapy machines to calculate the most accurate radiation doses possible.
"This research is high-risk, high-reward, very early stage and not typically fundable through most methods," says Andy J. Minn, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology. "It really takes partnerships with funders and an academic center like Penn to make these types of ideas a reality."
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research launched in 2017 with a mission to accelerate research that will transform the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The foundation saw something special happening at Penn and, in bestowing a $12 million grant, helped catalyze efforts to a whole new level. Now, in collaboration with Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center, it looks like their vision is becoming a reality. Scientists have figured out how to use proton radiation to generate the dosage needed to give a cancer patient an entire course of radiotherapy in a single, 1-second treatment. Known as FLASH, it’s an experimental therapy that is still in its early stages, with the promise to have the same effect on tumors as traditional radiation—while sparing healthy tissue. This promising treatment could transform radiation therapy as we know it.
Translational Centers of Excellence (TCE) narrow the gap between the clinic and the laboratory, accelerating the pace of discoveries to help today’s patients become—and remain—cancer-free. TCEs bring together the most brilliant minds from across the Penn system, from basic scientists to engineers, inspiring one another to work together to solve cancer’s most complex challenges—and create possibilities that
have never before been dreamed.
Sarcoma is a complex disease often difficult to diagnose and treat. A multidisciplinary team of expert cancer specialists is essential to determine the best treatment options for each patient, and to develop the next level of care. With this team approach in mind, the Sarcoma TCE was launched in 2021. The TCE bridges the research and innovative clinical trials happening throughout the cancer center, bringing together Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Penn Vet, and Penn Medicine research and clinical teams.
The Sarcoma TCE is lead by Kristy Weber, MD, Abramson Family Professor in Sarcoma Care Excellence.
In collaboration with Penn’s Institute for Biomedical Informatics, eCICE is enabling teams to actively explore ideas related to data, technology and informatics to inform clinical care delivery and outcomes.
Worldwide, renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer and takes the lives of 15,000 people in the United States each year. While some targeted, immune-based and radiation therapies exist, there is a need for more effective treatments.
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) cells represent the majority of kidney cancers. According to basic research from Celeste Simon, PhD, Arthur H. Rubenstein, MBBCh Professor, and her team, these cells can be destroyed and kept from multiplying by inhibiting the HDL cholesterol receptor SCARB1. They found that the health of these
Celeste Simon, PhD
specific cancer cells and tumors are dependent upon cholesterol and SCARB1. Importantly, they showed how a drug targeting the receptor could prevent cancer cells from surviving and spreading. Their research also suggests that controlling cholesterol through diet could minimize the growth of ccRCC tumors. They hope to explore the potential of these approaches to help treat patients with ccRCC.
"My colleagues and I hope our investigations at the bench can translate to new and successful inhibitors and treatments for people facing aggressive kidney cancer," says Dr. Simon.
