Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Staff Spotlight: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK)'s physicians are all experts in their field, who have dedicated themselves to providing the best possible care to our patients. But many of them have also devoted time and energy to pursuing serious passions, including sports. MSK's Dr. David Abramson, Chief of the Ophthalmic Oncology Service in the Department of Surgery, and Dr. Vincent Laudone, Chief of Surgery at the Josie Robertson Surgery Center, had the honor of competing in the U.S. Masters Swimming Nationals Competition in Indianapolis, Indiana earlier this summer. “Both Vincent and I are busy surgeons and researchers but for our health, and the health of our patients, we need to be in good shape,” says Dr. Abramson. “We want to be good models for our staff, colleagues and patients, as patients who remain active during and after cancer treatments have better outcomes — which is, after all, our goal in life."

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) is proud to participate in BioTechX USA, the premier conference on diagnostics, precision medicine, and digital transformation in pharmaceutical development and healthcare. MSK’s Michael Frank, Director of Digital Health, will speak on "Unlocking Future Innovation: Harnessing Data Analytics and Digital Technology as Cornerstones," and MSK's Dr. Mithat Gönen, Chief of Biostatistics, will also contribute to a panel on “Innovation and Applications of Real-World Data in a Clinical Environment.” BioTechX USA will be held on September 17-18 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. Learn more and register here: https://bit.ly/4g3zmBs

The Biden Cancer Moonshot recently hosted the White House Africa Cancer Forum and announced more than $100 million in new actions to decrease the burden of cancer in Africa. Among the new actions to expand access to cancer prevention, detection and treatment is Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK)’s partnership with Tanzania’s Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences. In addition, Dr. T. Peter Kingham, Director of MSK’s Global Cancer Disparities Initiatives (GCDI), and Dr. Olusegun Isaac Alatise, a Nigerian surgeon, founded the African Research Group for Oncology (ARGO) in 2013 and now have more than 80 studies underway to facilitate cancer research and training initiatives in Nigeria. “The vision of MSK is to become the world’s leading authority on cancer,” says Dr. Kingham. “Cancer cannot just be a local or regional focus; it really needs to be a worldwide focus. GCDI is at the forefront of MSK pushing to improve our understanding of cancer, not just relying on the research we have in New York but trying to do this around the world."

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK)’s Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSK) is now accepting applications for its Cancer Biology and Cancer Engineering programs for the 2025 academic year. GSK offers a unique curriculum that integrates MSK's basic science and clinical arms to maximize the potential of future basic scientists to improve human health. Apply here: https://bit.ly/46TJ7hH

In this episode of Cancer Straight Talk, host Dr. Diane Reidy-Lagunes sits down with Dr. Neil Iyengar, a nationally recognized expert at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) on the relationship between obesity, metabolic health, and cancer, to discuss the intriguing connection between a new class of weight loss drugs, called GLP-1 agonists, and cancer risk reduction. Listen to the full episode here: https://bit.ly/4g3hQgL

Join physicians from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and Max Healthcare in a virtual tumor board event on Wednesday, August 28 from 8:30-10:30am ET, where the experts will delve into the clinical scenarios, challenges, and global perspectives associated with metaplastic breast cancer. The event, moderated by MSK breast medical oncologist Dr. Jasmeet Singh, will enhance understanding of this rare and aggressive cancer type, providing insights into precision therapies and emerging trends in treatment. Register here: https://bit.ly/3Z3o76e

A group of doctors, nurses, and volunteers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) are making strides to improve patients' rest without compromising their safety. The “iSleep Team,” spearheaded by MSK Chief of Hospital Medicine Service Dr. Barbara Egan, was created to find ways that some patients might be left alone at night without putting them at risk. The idea came when a former MSK Kids patient spoke out about the quality of sleep he received during treatment, which was impacted by the constant beeping of machines and frequent middle-of-the-night interruptions for blood draws. In December 2022, the iSleep Team launched a pilot program for select patients who were considered stable. The goal was to give eligible patients a chance to sleep 7 to 9 hours nightly by doing things like avoiding checks of blood pressure, pulse, and breathing rate between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Nurses still entered the room to check on patients during the night, but would not wake them if they appeared to be sleeping comfortably. After a year, the response was overwhelmingly positive. In December 2023, the sleep initiative expanded to be available for more patients, based on an assessment of their condition. “In addition to improving patient comfort, it frees care teams to focus on the patients who are sickest, rather than taking vitals from someone who doesn’t really need the intervention,” Dr. Egan says. Learn more about this program: https://bit.ly/4dTxfhX

Staff Spotlight: April Maas discovered her passion for fundraising through her participation in a dance marathon event while in college. Having a mission-driven career was important to her, which was one of the many things that drew her to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). “Raising money for research is imperative in the fight against cancer,” April says. “Fundraising at MSK gives our patients and their families a way to feel that they can support MSK in a tangible way.” April, the Director of Community Fundraising in Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK)’s Development Office, works with individuals who fundraise for MSK through activities such as galas, bake sales, tribute campaigns, and crowdfunding, such as Comedy vs Cancer and NYC for MSK. Throughout her decade-long tenure at MSK, she has developed strong relationships with many members of MSK’s donor community for which she feels grateful. April is also proud of her career longevity at MSK, and how the organization has evolved over her ten years working here. She shares, “I have seen MSK go through a lot of positive changes. I was able to be an active participant in some of these changes and look forward to continuing to make an impact in our future.”

Dr. Mrinal Gounder, a sarcoma medical oncologist & early drug development specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), joined colleagues from the United States and India to participate in the first ever United States-India Cancer Moonshot Dialogue in New Delhi this week. Leading experts, researchers, policymakers, regulators and advocates from both countries met to share their latest research and explore innovative solutions to cancer prevention and treatment. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy invited Dr. Gounder to join the meeting because of his co-leadership with Dr. Atul Batra on Project Jeevan (“Life” in Hindi), which aims to accelerate access to innovative cancer clinical trials for patients in India. Despite India comprising nearly 20% of the world's population, it hosts only 1.5% of global clinical trials. Learn more about the meeting here: https://bit.ly/4cv2IWC

New research from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) found patients with non-small cell lung cancer brain metastases may benefit from up-front stereotactic radiosurgery; identified a connection between antibiotic use and autoimmune diseases; and uncovered a previously unknown structural role for messenger RNAs in the cytoplasm of cells. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4cklOP2