News and Announcements

Jason Lohmueller Selected to Discuss Cracking the Code to Defeat Cancer at Senior Vice Chancellor Lecture

12/20/2024 - Jason Lohmueller, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, was selected as one of 12 Pitt faculty members to present their research for the 2025 Senior Vice Chancellor’s Research Seminar Series. Dr. Lohmueller will present his lab’s latest technological development called Universal Adaptor CAR T-cell therapy, which will be capable of targeting multiple antigens produced by various tumor cells simultaneously on solid tumors, which make up the bulk of cancers.  

Four UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Members Selected for 2025 Senior Vice Chancellor's Research Seminar Series

12/17/2024 - Four of the 12 Pitt faculty selected to present their research for the 2025 Senior Vice Chancellor’s Research Seminar Series are members of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. Jason Lohmueller will present research on Universal Adaptor CAR T Cell Therapy on Jan 17. Sarah Belcher will present research on equitable cancer medication adherence on Feb. 21. Rachel A. Gottschalk will present research on modeling macrophage signaling on March 14. Hatice Ulka Osmanbeyoglu will present research on integrative multiomics to unravel disease mechanisms on Nov. 14. 

Joel Greenberger and Peter Wipf Elected to the National Academy of Inventors

12/12/2024 - UPMC Hillman Cancer Center members Joel S. Greenberger and Peter Wipf have been named 2024 National Academy of Inventors (NAI) fellows. 

Welcome Natacha De Genna as the Assistant Center Director for Community Outreach and Engagement

12/9/2024 - Natacha De Genna, PhD, is the inaugural Assistant Center Director for Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.

New Take on Immunotherapy Reinvigorates T cells by Blocking Uptake of Energy-Sapping Cancer Byproducts

12/8/2024 - Blocking a protein that imports lactic acid, a metabolic byproduct of cancer cells, reinvigorated exhausted T cells and led to improved tumor control in mouse models of cancer, according to a new study that describes how shutting off T cell access to inhibitory metabolites could be a promising new approach to cancer immunotherapy published in Nature Immunology.

Five New Papers Highlight Cancer Inequities, Challenges and Opportunities in South Asia

12/2/2024 - A series of five papers published in The Lancet Oncology by a UPMC Hillman Cancer Center-led international team, highlights critical public health challenges related to cancer control in the eight countries that form the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and the Rohingya refugee population in Bangladesh. 

Leading Pitt Researcher Receives Prestigious Award for Breast Cancer Research Excellence

12/2/2024 - Steffi Oesterreich, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Cancer Biology Program co-lead, honored by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

Eight UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Members Named Highly Cited Researchers in 2024

11/23/2024 - This week, Clarivate™ named their list of Highly Cited Researchers for 2024 — an elite group that demonstrates significant and broad influence in their field of research. UPMC Hillman Cancer Center has eight members named to the list, including Greg Delgoffe, Kirk Erickson, Valerian Kagan, John Kirkwood, Jeremy Rich, Yulia Tyurina, Dario Vignali, and Simon Watkins. 

Team with UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Member Won First Place at 2024 MOLA-NAMS Conference

11/22/2024 - A team with UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and Pitt faculty and students won first place for their poster presentation at the 2024 Medical Organization of Latino Advancement-National Association of Medical Spanish (MOLA-NAMS) Conference. 

Immunotherapy Drug Pembrolizumab Improves Outcomes for Patients with Soft Tissue Sarcoma

11/12/2024 - Addition of the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab to standard of care for patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma of the limb significantly improved disease-free survival, according to the results of the SU2C-SARC032 clinical trial led published in The Lancet by a team of reseachers including UPMC Hillman Cancer Center's Yvonne Mowery.

Novel Immunotherapy Combo Shows Promise in Melanoma

11/7/2024 - Pre-surgery treatment with the novel drug vidutolimod and the PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab led to tumor control in 55% of patients with stage 3 cutaneous melanoma, according to the results of a single-arm phase 2 clinical trial led by the University of Pittsburgh, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Alexander Sorkin Recognized for Body of Work

10/8/2024 - UPMC Hillman Cancer Center member, Alexander Sorkin, has been recognized by ScholarGPS as No. 2 in the world for his lifetime of work in endocytosis as part of their Highly Ranked Scholars classification. 

5 UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Members Ranked Among the World’s Best Female Scientists

10/4/2024 - Of the 12 researchers from the University of Pittsburgh included in Research.com’s 2024 ranking of the “best female scientists in the world,” five are faculty at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center: Jane A. Cauley, Anne B. Newman, Theresa L. Nimick-Whiteside, Angela M. Gronenborn, and Donna B. Stolz.

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Exercise Oncologist Receives Prestigious Presidential Award

9/13/2024 - Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH, has been selected by The President's Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition to receive a 2024 Lifetime Impact Award.

Michalopoulos Receives 2024 AASLD Distinguished Achievement Award

8/27/2024 - George K. Michalopoulos, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center member, selected to receive the 2024 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Distinguished Achievement Award.

New Study Supports Annual Breast Cancer Screening for Women Over 40

8/27/2024 - Women diagnosed with breast cancer who had regular screening mammograms every year were less likely to have late-stage cancer and had higher overall survival than those who received screening every other year or less often, according to new research led by UPMC Hillman researchers published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Nivolumab and Relatlimab Work Together to Treat Advanced Melanoma

8/13/2024 - UPMC Hillman Cancer Center researchers showed the combination boosted the immune system’s ability to recognize and attack cancer cells, even though some immune cells showed signs of being tired from fighting against the cancer cells.

Jeremy Rich, MD, MHS, MBA, Announced Interim Director

8/7/2024 - Dr. Rich will serve as interim director of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center following the announced departure of Robert Ferris, MD, PhD, and during the national search for a new director.

When Tumors Collide: Analysis of Mixed-Type Breast Cancer Reveals Complexity

7/24/2024 - Histopathological/molecular profiling of individual tumor regions for patients with mixed invasive ductal and lobular carcinoma may guide clinical decision-making and benefit patients, according to study published in PNAS led by UPMC Hillman Cancer Center researchers.

Michelle Williams, PhD, Joins UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

7/23/2024 - Dr. Williams is Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology at the University of Pittsburgh. 

Joel Maust, PhD, and Alina Chaudry, MPH, Join UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

7/19/2024 - Two new members have joined the Research Administration team at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. Dr. Joel Maust joined May 1, 2024 as a scientific writer and Alina Chaudry joined July 1, 2024 as a research program manager. 

Hadjipanayis Elected AANS/CNS Tumor Section Chair

7/18/2024 - Costas G. Hadjipanayis, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center member, elected chair of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Section on Tumors.

Devanjan Sikder, DVM, PhD, Joins UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

7/18/2024 - Dr. "Dev" Sikder is Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Malignant Hematology/Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh and Director of the Hematopoietic Stem Cell (HSC) Lab and Immune Monitoring and Cellular Products Laboratory (IMCPL).

Electronic Prompt for Surgeons May Reduce Breast Cancer Overtreatment

7/17/2024 - UPMC Hillman Cancer Center researchers have developed a nudge, embedded in electronic health records, that could reduce overtreatment of older patients with early-stage breast cancer. 

Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer Linked with Lower Dementia Risk

7/16/2024 - Hormone modulating therapy used for the treatment of breast cancer was associated with a 7% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias later in life, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open by a team of researches, including UPMC Hillman Cancer Center researcher Francesmary Modugno.

New CTP and CIIP Research Program Leads

5/30/2024 - After a search, thorough consideration of several highly talented individuals, and consultation with our external advisory board UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is pleased to announce Dr. Jan Beumer as our new co-leader for the Cancer Therapeutics Program (CTP) and Dr. Greg Delgoffe as our new co-leader for Cancer Immunology & Immunotherapy Program (CIIP).

Study Suggests It May Be Safe to De-escalate Surgery in Middle-Aged Breast Cancer Patients

5/22/2024 - Surgery involving sentinel lymph node biopsy for middle-aged women with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer may do more harm than good, according to a new study led by UPMC Hillman Cancer Center researchers.  

Electronic Survey Helps Integrate Exercise as Standard of Care at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

5/9/2024 - For people living with cancer, exercise can improve quality of life, sleep and energy levels and help with side effects of cancer treatment. And even though physicians and oncology researchers agree about these benefits, a recent survey found that only 15% of cancer patients had been referred to an exercise program.  

Dogma-Challenging Telomere Findings May Offer New Insights for Cancer Treatments

5/7/2024 - A new study led by UUPMC Hillman Cancer Center researchers shows that an enzyme called PARP1 is involved in repair of telomeres, the lengths of DNA that protect the tips of chromosomes, and that impairing this process can lead to telomere shortening and genomic instability that can cause cancer.  

Affordable Care Act Expansions Improved Access to Cancer Care, Study Suggests

5/6/2024 - Insurance expansions under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) were linked with an increase in patients receiving care at accredited cancer hospitals in Pennsylvania, according to a study published in Health Services Research by University of Pittsburgh researchers.  

Jeffrey Brodsky, PhD, Yuan Chang, MD, and Patrick Moore, MD, MPH, Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

4/24/2024 - Drs. Brodsky, Chang, and Moore, faculty members of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, have been elected to the the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The Academy is a beacon of excellence and leadership across a wide range of disciplines with the mission to unite leaders and innovators from every field of human endeavor to advance the public good.  

Bennett Van Houten, PhD, Named AAAS Fellow

4/18/2024 - Dr. Van Houten, co-director of the Genome Stability Program at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, and Richard M. Cyert Professor of Molecular Oncology and professor of pharmacology and chemical biology in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, has been recognized by AAAS with one of the most distinct honors in the scientific community. 

New Insights Could Unlock Immunotherapy for Rare, Deadly Eye Cancer

4/16/2024 - New research from UPMC Hillman Cancer Center explains why metastatic uveal melanoma is resistant to conventional immunotherapies and how adoptive therapy, which involves growing a patient’s T cells outside the body before reinfusing them, can successfully treat this rare and aggressive cancer. 

Norman Wolmark, MD, Receives the Medallion for the Advancement of Surgical Care

4/10/2024 - The Medallion for the Advancement of Surgical Care was awarded to Dr. Wolmark by the American Surgical Association, our nation’s oldest and most prestigious surgical association. 

Marija Balic, MD, ScD, MBA, Joins UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

3/27/2024 - Dr. Balic is professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh, sees patients at the outpatient clinic of UPMC Magee Breast Cancer Clinic, and serves as co-director of Magee Women's Cancer Program, clinical co-leader of the Women’s Cancer Research Center, and Scientific Director of the NSABP Foundation Translational Research Program. 

CAMILLA Trial Results Offer Potential New Colorectal Cancer Treatment Option

3/11/2024 - Researchers led by Anwaar Saeed, MD, published their results from the CAMILLA trial showing that combining cabozantinib and durvalumab in patients with chemotherapy-refractory colorectal cancer is a promising treatment, potentially expanding treatment options for patients with microsatellite stable advanced colorectal cancer.

Saad Sheikh, MD, Joins UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

3/5/2024 - Dr. Sheikh will develop an active research program focusing on basic and translational research in pediatric cancers and will work to develop collaborations among other members of the Pediatric Cancers Disease Team and UPMC Hillman.

Tatiana Moiseeva, PhD, Joins UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

3/1/2024 - Dr. Moiseeva will develop an independently-funded research program in genome stability, which includes collaborative efforts with basic and clinical faculty across the cancer center. She is primarily interested in the investigation of the initiation in DNA replication in human cells.

New Test Could Predict Immunotherapy Responders for Broader Range of Cancers than Current Tools

2/13/2024 - A newly identified genetic marker could potentially predict which patients are likely to respond to immunotherapy in cancer types that have lacked such tools until now, according to a study published in Cancer Immunology Research, led by University of Pittsburgh researchers.

Novel Clinical Trial to Treat Glioblastoma with Innovative Photodynamic Therapy

2/6/2024 - A first of its kind clinical trial in the United States to treat glioblastoma will be launching in early 2024 at UPMC and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center led by Jan Drappatz, MD, and Costas G. Hadjipanayis, MD, PhD.

Growth Factor Administration in Pancreatic Cancer Treatment

1/31/2024 - Led by Amer Zureikat, MD, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center researchers and colleagues found that the administration of G-CSF during neoadjuvant therapy was associated with worse oncologic outcomes and overall survival in patients with resected pancreatic cancer.

Continuing a Legacy of Excellence

1/30/2024 - As Chuck Bogosta's 25-year tenure with UPMC concludes, current UPMC Hillman Cancer Center president Elizabeth Wild steps into an expanded executive leadership role, assuming full administrative leadership of the Hillman network.

Kelly Bailey, MD, PhD, Publishes “Innovations In Cancer Treatment Of Children,” in Pediatrics

1/24/2024 - With colleagues from multiple institutions, Dr. Bailey discusses the overall improvements of pediatric cancer outcomes, while recognizing the ongoing challenges in the disparity of outcomes across cancer types and patients.

Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH, Named Associate Director of Population Sciences

1/2/2023 - Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH, has been named the new Associate Director of Population Sciences. Dr. Schmitz is an exercise oncology researcher and professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology as well as the director of UPMC Hillman’s Exercise Oncology efforts.

Enhancing Antitumor Immunity Targeting Regulatory T Cells

Abby Overacre-Delgoffe Recipient of New Innovator Award

8/18/2023 - Abby Overacre-Delgoffe, PhD, has received a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases New Innovator Award for her project, “Microbiota initiation of lymphangiogenesis.”

Policies Favoring High-Volume Hospitals May Disadvantage Rural Cancer Patients

8/17/2023 - Patients with cancer who live in rural Pennsylvania appear to know that they may have better outcomes if they receive their cancer surgery at a high volume hospital, but still opt for lower volume hospitals closer to home when their cancer is less complex, according to a new analysis published in JCO Oncology Practice.

Cancer-Infecting Virus ‘Warms Up’ Cold Tumors and Improves Immunotherapy

8/15/2023 - Equipping cancer-infecting, or oncolytic, viruses with tumor-inhibiting genetic cargo stimulates the immune system and helps immunotherapy to shrink or completely clear aggressive tumors in mice, according to a new study in the Journal of Experimental Medicine led by University of Pittsburgh and UPMC researchers. 

Miracle Makers: The Immunologic Monitoring and Cellular Products Laboratory

8/14/2023 - Yen-Michael Hsu, MD, PhD, says the most exciting part of being director of the IMCPL is working with investigators on the newest ways of making miracles with living cells. 

Low Dose, High Alert: A New Radiotherapy Wakes Up the Immune System

8/11/2023 - Ravi Patel, MD, PhD, is using low-dose radiopharmaceuticals that locate and kill some cells in a tumor and then alert the patient’s own immune response to take care of the rest — a different approach than the typical treatment.

Melanie Potiaumpai, PhD, MPH, Joins UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

Tony Cillo, PhD, Joins UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

Marci Nilsen, PhD, RN, Receives NIH R37 MERIT Award to Study Radiation-Induced Treatment Toxicity in Head and Neck Cancer Patients

8/8/2023 - Dr. Nilsen's award will further her research into head and neck cancer survivorship and treatment-related toxicities and morbidities, specifically how radiation-induced fibrosis impacts patients longitudinally.

UPMC Hillman Physicist Receives Top Award from the American Association of Physicists in Medicine

8/1/2023 - Saiful Huq, PhD, FAAPM, FInstP, received the William D. Coolidge Gold Medal Award from the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) for his distinguished career and significant impact on the science and practice of medical physics.

Screening Won’t Solve Racial Disparities in Melanoma Outcomes, Study Suggests

7/27/2023 - Increased skin cancer screening in individuals with skin of color is not sufficient to address racial disparities in melanoma survival rates, according to a new JAMA Dermatology study, led by senior author Laura Ferris, MD. 

UPMC and Pitt Researchers Identify Link Between Cancer-Causing Gene and Aging

7/26/2023 - A gene called Myc — among the most important drivers of cancer — plays a newly discovered crucial role in aging, according to a new Cell Reports study by researchers including senior author and UPMC Hillman member Edward Prochownik, MD, PhD. 

Ben Nacev, MD, PhD, Named Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator for his Innovative Sarcoma Research

7/24/2023 - Benjamin A. Nacev, MD, PhD, has been named a Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator by the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. Dr. Nacev will use this opportunity to continue his work on recurring genetic changes that happen in sarcoma patients. 

How Skin Cancer Virus Outcompetes Host Cell Replication

7/18/2023 - University of Pittsburgh researchers have shown for the first time how Merkel cell polyomavirus initiates DNA replication in host cells. Published in PNAS, the study sheds light on the fundamental question of how viruses override their host cells’ carefully regulated DNA replicating system to make hundreds of new copies of themselves.  

Treating Ewing Sarcoma When Underlying Liver Disease Is Present

6/26/2023 - Researchers including Kelly Bailey, MD, PhD, published details from a recent case in which a patient with PFIC1 was diagnosed with localized, early-stage Ewing sarcoma and successfully treated with a modified plan of chemotherapeutic agents.

Yvonne Mowery, MD, PhD, DABR, Joins UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

6/5/2023 - UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is pleased to welcome Yvonne Mowery, MD, PhD, DABR, an associate professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology who will develop an active research program focusing on basic and translational research in head and neck cancer.

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center ASCO 2023 Presentations

6/2/2023 - See a full list of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center faculty presenting at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. 

Bench to Bedside: The Research Journey of Fecal Microbiota Transplants

6/2/2023 - Diwakar Davar, MD, and Hassane Zarour, MD, set out to understand if changing the gut microbiome could improve patient outcomes.

Patricia Opresko, PhD, Named the Dr. Bernard F. Fisher Chair for Breast Cancer Discovery Science

5/9/2023 - UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is pleased to announce Patricia L. Opresko, PhD, as the Dr. Bernard F. Fisher Chair for Breast Cancer Discovery Science, a newly formed chair being launched this year.

Leadership in Head and Neck Cancer

4/28/2023 - As head and neck cancer incidences increase, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is dedicated to research and clinical innovations to better help patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer.

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Faculty AACR 2023 Presentations

4/13/2023 - See a full list of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center faculty presenting at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting. 

The FDA’s Rule Change Requiring Providers to Inform Women About Breast Density Could Lead to a Flurry of Questions

4/7/2023 - Wendie A. Berg, MD, PhD, explains how the rule change could affect screening recommendations as well as the way people interpret their results.

Study Reveals How Diet and Probiotics Boost Melanoma Immunotherapy Response

4/6/2023 - In mice with melanoma, probiotic bacteria travel from the gut and establish in tumors, where they directly stimulate immune cells to make cancer immunotherapy more effective, according to a new study led by University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center researchers.

Cancer Therapy & Fecal Microbiota Transplants

4/6/2023 - In this UPMC Physician Journal video, join Diwakar Davar, MD, and Hassane M. Zarour, MD, as they study ways to help more cancer patients respond to immunotherapy using fecal microbiota transplants.

Women’s History Month at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

3/31/2023 - At UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, the Women’s Initiatives Task Force supports and fosters women all throughout the year. Learn more about their efforts.

Q&A with Kelly Bailey, MD, PhD

3/30/2023 - For Women’s History Month, this research Q&A focuses on Kelly Bailey, MD, PhD, and her experience as a female researcher. 

Diwakar Davar, MD, Named Clinical Director of the Melanoma and Skin Cancer Program

3/29/2023 - UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is very pleased to announce Diwakar Davar, MD, MS, as clinical director for the Melanoma and Skin Cancer Program.

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Looks to Increase Cancer Screenings Through Community Outreach

3/27/2023 - Monica Baskin, PhD, director of community outreach and engagement at UPMC Hillman, answers questions about ways to lower the risks of colorectal cancer. 

Q&A with Olivera Finn, PhD

3/27/2023 - For Women’s History Month, this research Q&A focuses on Olivera Finn, PhD, and her experience as a female researcher. 

Study of Immune ‘Neighborhoods’ Highlights Macrophages as Key Players in Invasive Breast Cancers

3/16/2023 – Published in Nature Cancer, Hillman researchers and colleagues found that macrophages were the dominant immune cell infiltrating ER+ invasive lobular carcinoma and invasive ductal carcinoma tumors. 

Disparities in Women’s Cancer Care featuring Alexander B. Olawaiye, MD

3/13/2023 – Alexander B. Olawaiye, MD, focuses much of his work on how disparities affect cancer care and cancer research specifically in women’s cancers.

Important Cancer Screenings Still on the Decline

3/10/2023 – A recent study from the American Cancer Society, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology indicates that cancer screenings remain below pre-pandemic levels for the second consecutive year. Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD, comments on the issue.

Chemotherapy-Resistant Ovarian Cancer Cells Protect Their Neighbors

3/6/2023 – Certain chemotherapy-resistant ovarian cancer cells protect neighboring cancer cells by sending signals that induce resistance, according to a new study from University of Pittsburgh and UPMC researchers.

Renfeng Li, PhD, Joins UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

3/3/2023 – UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is pleased to welcome Renfeng Li, PhD. Dr. Li’s research interests include Epstein-Barr virus, human papillomavirus, and virus-associated cancer.

Scientists Use New Optical Tweezer Technology to Study DNA Repair 

3/2/2023 – Researchers in the Van Houten Lab used the cutting-edge C-trap to investigate how DNA repair proteins identify and bind to forms of damage, providing an unparalleled level of detail that could someday be used to halt cancer in its tracks. 

Angela Mazul, PhD, Joins UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

3/2/2023 – UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is pleased to welcome Angela Mazul, PhD. Dr. Mazul will focus on head and neck cancer epidemiology, including a focus on understanding and addressing health disparities in cancer presentation and outcomes. 

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Researchers are Advancing the Field of CAR-T Cell Research

2/10/2023 – Published in OncoImmunology, researchers in the Tumor Microenvironment Center developed a new model that can be used by immunologists to further the understanding of CAR-T cell biology and identified a new possible human CAR-T cell target.

Yael Schenker, MD, MAS, Appointed Associate Director for Education and Training

2/8/2023 – Yael Schenker, MD, MAS, has been appointed to the position of Associate Director for Education and Training, focusing on clinical investigators at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.

Four Leading UPMC/Pitt Breast Cancer Scientists Receive Funding for Critical Research

2/6/2023 – Steffi Oesterreich, PhD, Adrian V. Lee, PhD, Wendie Berg, MD, PhD, and Norman Wolmark, MD, FACS, have each received funding from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Learn about how their work is changing the field of breast cancer research and care.

New Analysis Sheds Light on Link Between and Ovulation and Ovarian Cancer

2/1/2023 – A new international study led by Francesmary Modugno, MS, PhD, MPH, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, offers new clues as to how oral contraceptives, pregnancy, and breastfeeding impact ovarian cancer risk beyond simply suppressing ovulation and how this link may vary among different ovarian cancer subtypes. 

Q&A with Dr. Lyn Robertson: HPV and Cervical Cancer

2/1/2023 – Learn more about Lyn Robertson, DrPH, MSN, BSN, and her work regarding the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and cervical cancer. 

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center to Expand Clinical Research in Erie with Hamot Health Foundation Gift

1/31/2023 – Thanks to a gift from the Hamot Health Foundation, the clinical research team in Erie will be bolstered to enhance the capability to screen, qualify and enroll patients for hundreds of clinical trials that would otherwise have required a trip to Pittsburgh.

Pitt Study Reframes Understanding of Graft-Versus-Host Disease

1/30/2023 – New research led by Warren Shlomchik, MD, Faruk Sacirbegovic, PhD, and Thomas Höfer, PhD, challenges the prevailing hypothesis for how donor stem cell grafts cause graft-versus-host disease, or GVHD, and offers an alternative model that could guide development of novel therapies. 

University of Pittsburgh Receives $11M NIH SPORE Award to Continue Research Excellence in Head and Neck Cancer

1/24/2023 – The University of Pittsburgh was awarded a five-year, $11.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to support a Head and Neck Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence in 2022. The award will be led by Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD, and Heath Skinner, MD, PhD.

Pitt Brain Tumor Expert Awarded Prestigious Research Grant

1/23/2023 – Sameer Agnihotri, PhD, member of the Cancer Biology Program at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and assistant professor of neurological surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, is one of five scientists awarded a prestigious 2022 Distinguished Scientist Award from the Sontag Foundation. 

Announcing Jason Luke, MD, as Interim Associate Director for Clinical Research

1/18/2023 – Jason J. Luke, MD, FACP, will be the Interim Associate Director for Clinical Research at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center beginning February 1, 2023. Dr. Luke will be charged with reviewing and enhancing clinical research organization, support, and disease center functions in conjunction with Tess Cummings, RN.

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center 2022 Research Highlights

12/22/2022 – In 2022, we at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center greatly expanded the capabilities for the research that is done here every day to envision life without cancer. Learn more about our highlights from the last year.

Turncoat T Cells: When Exhausted, Cancer-Fighting T Cells May Switch Sides

12/21/2022 – In a new study published in Nature Immunology, researchers led by Greg Delgoffe, PhD, and Paolo Vignali, PhD, report that the low oxygen environment of tumors can prompt tired T cells to switch allegiance so that they suppress the immune system instead of combating cancer.

Norman Wolmark Receives Brinker Award for Scientific Distinction

12/9/2022 – Norman Wolmark, MD, FACS, FRCSC, is recognized with the Brinker Award for Scientific Distinction in Clinical Research from Susan G. Komen® for his outstanding contributions to the advancement of clinical care for breast cancer patients.

Novel Nanoparticles Deliver Innovative Cancer Chemoimmunotherapy

11/24/2022 – University of Pittsburgh researchers led by Song Li, MD, PhD, have designed cancer-fighting nanoparticles that co-deliver a chemotherapy drug and a novel immunotherapy, according to a new Nature Nanotechnology study.

Q&A with Taofeek Owonikoko, MD, PhD

11/23/2022 – Learn more about what led Dr. Owonikoko into the field of lung cancer biology, how his research is advancing cancer treatment, and the importance of enrolling minorities in clinical trials in this Q&A.

Study Reveals Dual Roles Wielded by Type of Cell Death Involved in Fighting Cancer 

11/22/2022 – New research published in Nature reveals that ferroptosis is doing more than marking cells for death — it’s also sending signals that influence the immune response. 

Making Melanoma Immortal: Pitt Scientists Discover Key Genetic Step in Cancer’s Race to Live Forever

11/10/2022 – In a paper published in Science this week, Jonathan Alder, PhD, and his team describe how they discovered the perfect combination of genetic alterations that tumors use to promote explosive growth and prevent their own demise, a development that could change the way oncologists understand and treat melanoma. 

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Welcomes Leading Researcher in Exercise Oncology

11/8/2022 – UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is pleased to welcome Kathryn H. Schmitz, PhD, MPH. Dr. Schmitz is leader for catchment area research and exercise oncology across the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center network.

UPMC Partners with Physician-Innovator to Offer Advanced Cancer Services in Croatia

11/7/2022 – UPMC announced that it is partnering with a leading physician and health care innovator in Croatia to offer cancer services in the country. The cancer services will be managed by UPMC and integrated into the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center network.

Pitt Public Health Receives CDC Award to Rebuild Public Health Workforce

11/1/2022 – Maureen Lichtveld, MD, MPH, dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and member of the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Program, has been awarded a new five-year, $3.5 million award from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to fund up to 50 CDC John R. Lewis Undergraduate Public Health Scholars from minority communities.

Research Spotlight: Dr. Steffi Oesterreich

10/25/2022 – Steffi Oesterreich, PhD, is a researcher at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center who focuses her work on better understanding how to most effectively treat breast cancers, including invasive lobular carcinoma and estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer resistant to hormonal therapies. 

Multi-Center Study Sheds Light on Understudied Breast Cancer Type

10/14/2022 – Published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, a study of more than 33,000 patient records from three large cancer centers, including UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, shows that ILC and IDC are biologically distinct, highlighting important differences between the two diseases and the need for specific detection and treatment options for the lobular subtype. 

Preventative Measures: A Potential Cancer Vaccine

10/10/2022 – What if you could prevent cancer from ever developing with something as simple as a shot? Olivera Finn, PhD, a renowned Pitt immunologist, is conducting groundbreaking research to bring us closer to a cancer vaccine reality.

Pitt-Developed Genetic Test for Pancreatic Cancer Outperforms Current Guidelines

10/5/2022 – A molecular test called PancreaSeq accurately classifies pancreatic cysts as potentially cancerous or benign, according to a large, multi-center study led by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC researchers including Aatur Singhi, MD, PhD, associate professor of pathology at Pitt and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center investigator. 

UPMC in Italy Comes to the Rescue for 21 Cancer Patients from Malta 

8/23/2022 – Responsiveness, passion and teamwork were crucial to ensuring the continuity of care for cancer patients from Malta who were recently treated by UPMC clinicians and staff in Italy. Some patients received radiotherapy at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at San Pietro FBF in Rome and others underwent chemotherapy at UPMC Salvator Mundi International Hospital.

Q & A: Leading Health Disparities Expert to Join UPMC Hillman Cancer Center & University of Pittsburgh 

8/22/2022 – Monica L. Baskin, PhD, who for two decades has led an extensive research program aimed at reducing health disparities, has joined UPMC Hillman Cancer Center as associate director of community outreach and engagement and professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology. Learn more about her vision.

Reinvigorating ‘Lost Cause’ Exhausted T Cells Could Improve Cancer Immunotherapy

8/5/2022 – In a study, published in Science Immunology, a research team including Amanda Poholek, PhD, and Greg Delgoffe, PhD, profiled molecular features of T cells as they progressed from early to terminal exhaustion in a mouse model of melanoma. 

Novasenta Closes $40 Million Series A Funding Round

7/29/2022 – Novasenta, a UPMC Enterprises portfolio company founded by Robert Ferris, MD, PhD, director of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, and Greg Delgoffe, PhD, and Dario Vignali, PhD, leading researchers from Hillman, announced today the completion of a $40M Series A financing. Novasenta discovers and validates novel targets to develop cancer therapies.

Cells Become Zombies When the Ends of Their Chromosomes are Damaged – A Tactic Both Helpful and Harmful for Health

7/21/2022 – UPMC Hillman Cancer Center researchers Patricia Opresko, PhD, and Ryan Barnes, PhD, found that damage to the ends of chromosomes can create “zombie cells” that are still alive but can’t function, according to their recently published study in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology.

Researchers Uncover New Pathway for Accumulation of Age-Promoting ‘Zombie Cells’

6/30/2022 – A study led by a team of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Genome Stability Program researchers has uncovered a mechanism by which senescent, or “zombie,” cells develop. These findings could eventually point to new therapeutics that promote healthy aging or combat cancer.

UPMC Hillman & Pitt School of Medicine announce New Radiation Oncology Leader

6/10/2022 – Heath D. Skinner, MD, PhD, has been appointed professor and chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.

UPMC Hillman Immunologist Receives Holzer Research Award

6/8/2022 – UPMC Hillman Cancer Center immunologist Tullia C. Bruno, PhD, has been presented with the Sy Holzer Endowed Immunotherapy Research Fund Award to advance innovative research in cancer.

UPMC Hospitals Recognized for Nuclear Medicine Excellence

6/6/2022 – UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside and UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh have been designated as Comprehensive Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Centers of Excellence by the Society of Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging (SNMMI), which recognizes facilities that offer the latest technology, cutting-edge research, Food and Drug Administration-approved radiopharmaceutical therapies and the best health care possible in this field of medicine.

New UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Fundraiser “Rush to Crush Cancer” Announced

6/7/2022 – UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, in partnership with P3R, announced that they will host the first-ever Rush to Crush Cancer, a bike ride with the goal of raising money for cancer research, in Spring 2023.

Yael Schenker named an Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Fellow

6/2/2022 – Yael Schenker, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center member, professor in the School of Medicine and director of the Palliative Research Center, has been selected for the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) 2022-2023 class of fellows.

Leading UPMC Hillman Cancer Researchers Named as Susan G. Komen® Scholars and Advisors

5/20/2022 – Adrian V. Lee, PhD, breast cancer researcher at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, will join the Susan G. Komen Scientific Advisory Board to help lead Komen’s overall research strategy and investments. The Komen organization also added Steffi Oesterreich, PhD, also a UPMC Hillman breast cancer researcher, scientific collaborator and co-director of the Women’s Cancer Research Center, as a Komen Scholar.

New Insights About ‘Bad News’ Breast Cancer Mutation Point to Treatment Opportunities

4/19/2022 – New studies co-led by UPMC Hillman Cancer Center member Steffi Oesterreich, PhD, uncover mechanisms for a mutated gene found in more than 20 – 30% of breast cancer recurrences that may open new targets for treatments.

Illumination of Immune Checkpoint LAG3 ‘Black Box’ Could Yield New Cancer and Autoimmune Therapies

4/19/2022 – New study by UPMC Hillman Cancer Center member Dario A.A. Vignali, PhD, pinpoints how LAG3 modulates T cell activity, providing important insights for cancer therapies.

What is Palliative Care? How is it Different From Hospice?

4/6/2022 – UPMC Hillman Cancer Center member Yael Schenker, MD, reflects on the difference between palliative care and hospice.

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Researcher Receives Prestigious Award

3/28/2022 – Tullia C. Bruno, PhD, a UPMC Hillman Cancer Center immunologist and assistant professor in the Department of Immunology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, has been selected to receive scientific research funding by the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research.

Leading Cancer Researcher with National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project Joins UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

3/24/2022 – Charles Edward Geyer, Jr., MD, FACP, will join UPMC Hillman Cancer Center as co-director of its National Cancer Institute (NCI) National Clinical Trials Network efforts.

New Study Homes in on Gut Bacteria That Help or Hurt Melanoma Treatment

3/21/2022 – UPMC Hillman Cancer Center’s Hassane Zarour and Diwaker Davar found found that melanoma patients’ gut bacterial communities, which differ depending on a patient’s geographical region, are associated with favorable or unfavorable responses to cancer immunotherapy.

Malaria Drug Could Combat Chemotherapy-Resistant Head and Neck Cancers

3/14/2022 – A new study co-led by UPMC Hillman Cancer Center’s Umamaheswar Duvvuri, MD, PhD, suggests that the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine inhibits pathways that drive resistance to the chemotherapy agent cisplatin in head and neck cancers and restores tumor-killing effects of cisplatin in animal models.

Visualizing the Invisible: New Fluorescent DNA Label Reveals Nanoscopic Cancer Features

3/4/2022 – Researchers, including UPMC Hillman Cancer Center’s Dr. Yang Liu, associate professor of medicine and bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh, have developed a new fluorescent label that gives a clearer picture of how DNA architecture is disrupted in cancer cells. The findings could improve cancer diagnoses for patients and classification of future cancer risk.

Online Tool Helps Ovarian Cancer Patients Feel More in Control of Symptoms

2/7/2022 – A new study led by UPMC Hillman Cancer Center’s Heidi Donovan, PhD, RN, professor of health and community systems in Pitt’s School of Nursing and obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive services in the School of Medicine, developed an online symptom management tool that could help women with ovarian cancer better manage complex symptoms.

Artificial Intelligence Research at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center has New Leader

Yufei Huang, PhD, joins UPMC Hillman Cancer Center as Leader for Artificial Intelligence Research. Dr. Huang also serves as Professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

It Takes a Village — Helping the Vulnerable Navigate Cancer

They see around 12,000 patients combined a month, many underserved. It’s challenging but rewarding work for the folks at Pittsburgh’s UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and Birmingham Free Clinic. Dr. Linda Robertson, Patricia Andres-Sanmartin, and Lilcelia Williams are part of a network connecting underserved patients with cancer screenings, clinical trials, and other programs to support their health journeys.

UPMC and Pitt Develop New Cancer Immunotherapy

A new collaboration among UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and New Jersey-based biotechnology company Avalon GloboCare Corp. aims to develop new cancer immunotherapy approaches and streamline manufacturing processes to bring these powerful treatments to cancer patients within days instead of weeks.

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Joins Other NCI-Designated Cancer Centers Urging Action to Get Cancer-Preventing HPV Vaccination Back on Track

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and other National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers and partner organizations today issued a joint statement urging the nation’s physicians, parents and young adults to get the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination back on track.

Three Hillman Researchers Featured on American Cancer Society’s “TheoryLab” Podcast

The American Cancer Society recently published a “TheoryLab” podcast episode featuring three researchers from UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, including Kathy Shair, PhD, Sarah Hengel, PhD, and Yuri Bunimovich, MD, PhD. Listen to learn how these researchers are revolutionizing cancer care from their respective labs. 

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center Names New Chief of Hematology Oncology

Taofeek K. Owonikoko, MD, PhD, will join the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and Department of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh as chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology. Owonikoko, a physician-scientist board-certified in medical oncology, hematology and internal medicine, also will serve as associate director for translational research and co-leader of the Cancer Therapeutics Program at Hillman. He will hold the Stanley M. Marks – OHA Endowed Chair in Hematology/Oncology Leadership and will begin his appointment on July 1, 2021.

New Research Suggests Breast Cancer Treatment in Patients over Age 70 can be Safely Reduced

A study published in JAMA Network Open by researchers at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine sheds new light on this choice and suggests the rate of cancer recurrence or survival may be no different in treated vs. untreated elderly patients diagnosed in the early stages of the cancer diagnosed most commonly in women.

UPMC/Pitt Researchers Share New Data on COVID-19 Vaccination in Elderly and Cancer Patients

UPMC and University of Pittsburgh physician leaders recently shared new data on how certain UPMC patients with weak immune systems have responded to COVID-19 vaccination and offered clinical recommendations in light of these findings. They also provided an update on UPMC’s COVID-19 vaccination and monoclonal antibody treatments in the communities we serve. 

New Faculty Welcome: Dr. Nadine Hempel, Member of the Cancer Biology Program

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is pleased to welcome Nadine Hempel, PhD, to the faculty as a member of the cancer biology program. Hempel will serve as an associate professor of medicine in the division of hematology/oncology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Hillman Researchers Receive More Than $2.5M for Ovarian Cancer Research

Pitt researchers at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and Magee Womens Research Institute (MWRI) were awarded more than $2.5 million by the Department of Defense to support ovarian cancer research.

Insight About Tumor Microenvironment Could Boost Cancer Immunotherapy

A paper published today in Nature shows how chemicals in the areas surrounding tumors — known as the tumor microenvironment — subvert the immune system and enable cancer to evade attack. These findings suggest that an existing drug could boost cancer immunotherapy.

Fecal Transplant Boosts Cancer Immunotherapy

Researchers at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute demonstrate that changing the gut microbiome can transform patients with advanced melanoma who never responded to immunotherapy — which has a failure rate of 40% for this type of cancer — into patients who do.

UPMC Hillman Immunologist Receives Holzer Research Award

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center physician-scientist Leisha A. Emens, MD, PhD, has been presented with the Sy Holzer Endowed Immunotherapy Research Fund Award to advance innovative research in cancer. Internationally recognized for her work in breast cancer immunotherapy, Emens is co-leader of the Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program and Director of Translational Immunotherapy for the Women’s Cancer Research Center at UPMC Hillman.

New Faculty Welcome: Dr. Jing Hong Wang, Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Program

UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is pleased to welcome Jing Hong Wang, MD, PhD, to the faculty as a member of the cancer immunology and immunotherapy program. Wang will also be appointed as a professor of medicine in the division of hematology/oncology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Hillman Announces New Director for Cell Therapy Laboratory

The UPMC Hillman Cancer Center today announced that Yen-Michael Hsu, MD, PhD, will serve as the new as Director of the Immunologic Monitoring and Cellular Therapeutics Laboratory at (IMCPL). He is also appointed as associate professor of hematology and oncology in the Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He has been awarded a Hillman Fellowship for Innovative Cancer Research to support his research.

Hillman Appoints Brain Tumor Expert as New Deputy Director of Research