Head & Neck Cancer Program News
Greater Boston Head and Neck SPORE Proposal Submitted
A revised proposal for a Greater Boston Head and Neck Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) was submitted to the National Cancer Institute on September 22, 2017. Led by Dr. Maria Kukuruzinska, Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, and Dr. Robert Haddad, Disease Center Leader in Head and Neck Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the SPORE brings together exceptional scientific expertise, resources and clinical care in head and neck cancer at five major Boston area institutions, with the long-term goal of mobilizing and enhancing the research workforce dedicated to... More
Head and Neck Cancer Symposium Explores Latest Research Developments
On September 25, 2017, the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute co-hosted the third Head and Neck Cancer Symposium. This event, titled Advances in Head and Neck Cancer: Immunotherapy and Precision Medicine, brought together experts from across the country to present on current research, developments, challenges, and therapies in head and neck cancer. Over one hundred faculty, clinicians, researchers, residents, and students attended the symposium. The symposium consisted of four sessions with presentations and interactive panel discussions: Immunotherapy: Checkpoint Regulation; Immunotherapy: Beyond Checkpoint Inhibitors; Precision Medicine Strategies for Cancer and the Microbiome; and Clinical... More
GSDM and OCRI Mark World Head & Neck Cancer Day with Lunch & Learn
On Thursday, July 27th, the Oral Cancer Research Initiative (OCRI) and the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) marked World Head & Neck Cancer Day with a Lunch & Learn. The Lunch & Learn event explored multiple facets of head and neck cancer research, including biobanking and clinical outcomes research. Students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty from GSDM and BU School of Medicine attended this event. Dr. Maria Kukuruzinska, Associate Dean for Research at GSDM and Director of the OCRI, opened the Lunch & Learn with a short presentation on the current state of head and neck cancer. Head and... More
OCRI Spearheads Outreach Efforts with Head & Neck Cancer Patients, Survivors, and Families
A team from the Oral Cancer Research Initiative (OCRI) is spearheading efforts to communicate with and support head and neck cancer patients, survivors and family members. These efforts are centered on the Greater Boston Head and Neck Cancer Community Advisory Board (CAB). Members of the CAB include head & neck cancer survivors and patients as well as care-givers and members of advocacy groups. The mission of the CAB is to promote the engagement of patients and caregivers with researchers and healthcare providers in order to accelerate the development of new therapies and techniques for patient care. The Board meets on a... More
Head & Neck Cancer Symposium Planned for September 25, 2017
The third Head and Neck Cancer Symposium, titled Advances in Head and Neck Cancer: Immunotherapy and Precision Medicine, will take place on Monday, September 25, 2017. The symposium builds on the success of highly successful previous symposia in 2014 (Translating Research to Therapy and Cure) and 2015 (From Pathways to Therapies). The previous symposia were marked by strong attendance, robust discussions, and outstanding presentations from leading head and neck cancer researchers and clinicians. As in previous years, the objective of the symposium is to promote discussions and collaborations between clinicians and researchers in order to bridge the translational gap, with the... More
Etiology and Pathogenesis of Oral Cancer ARC Hosts Annual Symposium
On October 24, 2016, the Etiology and Pathology of Oral Cancer (EPOC) Affinity Research Collaborative (ARC) hosted its annual symposium. Six cancer researchers and clinicians presented on their current work and future opportunities to an audience of researchers, clinicians, residents and students. The Symposium opened with remarks from Dr. Maria Kukuruzinska, Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Molecular & Cell Biology at the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) and co-Director of the EPOC ARC. Dr. Ravindra Uppaluri, Director of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, presented the keynote talk, More
Dr. Maria Kukuruzinska Receives Evans Center Research Collaborator of the Year Award
Dr. Maria Kukuruzinska, Associate Dean for Research and Professor in Molecular & Cell Biology at the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, was named the 2016 Evans Center Research Collaborator of the Year by the Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research and the Boston University Department of Medicine. This recognition was announced at the annual Department of Medicine Awards Dinner on October 13, 2016. The Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research promotes growth and discovery for interdisciplinary biomedical research through its dynamic organizational structure. It brings together investigators from different fields together to study disease mechanisms and identify further opportunities... More
OCRI participates in Oral Cancer Foundation Walk/Run for Awareness
On Sunday, October 2, 2016, the Oral Cancer Research Initiative (OCRI) joined forces with the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) for the 10th Oral Cancer Foundation Walk/Run for Awareness at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir in Boston. Students, faculty, and staff from GSDM participated in the 5K walk to raise oral cancer awareness and promote early detection as well as to celebrate survivors and remember those who have passed away. The Boston University team was organized by the OCRI and the BU chapter of the American Student Dental Association (ASDA). Zachary Snider, DMD 18, captained the Boston University team. Before the walk began, More
Khalid Alamoud Receives Award for Poster Presentation at American Head & Neck Society Conference
Dr. Khalid Alamoud, Ortho 19, DScD 19, at the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM), presented his recent research conducted in the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology at the 9th International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer: Technology Transforming Head and Neck Cancer Care. Dr. Alamoud is a post-doctoral student in the Department of Orthodontics and the Department of Molecular & Cell Biology at Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM). This event was held in Seattle, Washington, from July 16 to 20, 2016, and was hosted by the American Head & Neck Society. Dr. Alamoud’s... More
OCRI Hosts Lunch & Learn on Head & Neck Cancer Day
On Wednesday, July 27th, 2016 the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) Oral Cancer Research Initiative (OCRI) marked World Head & Neck Cancer Day with a Lunch & Learn. This event featured a variety of perspectives on head and neck cancer, including discussion of current research, clinical treatments, and patient quality of life. Over thirty students, faculty, and staff members from GSDM and the greater Boston community participated in this event. After an introduction from Dr. Maria Kukuruzinska, Associate Dean for Research at GSDM and Director of the OCRI, Dr. Scharukh Jalisi began the event with a clinical perspective... More