Minorities in Cancer Research (MICR) will present the following programs during the AACR Annual Meeting 2013, April 6 - 10, in Washington, D.C. All Annual Meeting registrants are invited to participate in these events. Click on event titles to learn more about the programs.
MICR Networking and Resource Center
Sunday, April 7 - Wednesday, April 10
MICR Networking and Resource Center, AACRcentral
All Minorities in Cancer Research members and Annual Meeting registrants interested in MICR membership and activities are encouraged to visit the MICR Networking and Resource Center in AACRcentral during exhibit hours. The center will provide meeting attendees with a comfortable environment to network one-on-one and in small groups while learning about AACR and MICR programs as well MICR membership and committee service opportunities.
MICR members are invited to provide relevant information/brochures/fliers for distribution in the Networking and Resource Center. Please contact us in advance of the Annual Meeting.
MICR Meet and Greet
Sunday, April 7, 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
MICR Networking and Resource Center, AACRcentral
The MICR Meet and Greet is an opportunity for the MICR Council to meet and answer questions from MICR members, as well as the general Annual Meeting attendance, on issues related to award opportunities, programs sponsored by the MICR Council, as well as other topics of interest to attendees.
Members are invited to submit any questions and concerns they have to the council.
Eighth Annual AACR-MICR-Jane Cooke Wright Lectureship
Sunday, April 7, 4:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Ballroom C, Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Lecturer: Gabriel N. Hortobagyi, M.D., UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
The AACR-Minorities in Cancer Research-Jane Cooke Wright Lectureship was first presented in 2006. The lectureship is intended to give recognition to an outstanding scientist who has made meritorious contributions to the field of cancer research and who has, through leadership or by example, furthered the advancement of minority investigators in cancer research.
MICR Forum:
Precision Medicine in Cancer: Will There Be Equitable Benefits?
Monday, April 8 - 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
East Hall, Salon C, Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Chair: Chanita Hughes-Halbert, Ph.D.
Precision Medicine is a systems-based approach in which genomic, cellular and phenotypic information is integrated into clinical care to predict disease risk and outcomes. With more biologically informed strategies for treatment and prevention, less specific indicators of disease process could become obsolete. It is anticipated that precision medicine will lead to improved health outcomes through the delivery of individualized therapy, risk reduction, and prevention in all populations. Precision medicine has the potential to reduce and/or eliminate racial disparities in cancer, to the extent that issues related to racial and ethnic background are addressed as part of each component in the pathway of precision medicine. The Minorities in Cancer Research Council (MICR) Forum presented at the 2013 American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting will examine the implications of precision medicine on racial disparities in cancer outcomes by critically examining the ways in which race and ethnicity are being addressed in each component of precision medicine.
MICR Town Meeting
Monday, April 8 - 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Constitution CDE, Grand Hyatt Washington Hotel
Chair: Marcia R. Cruz-Correa, M.D., Ph.D.
This session is a can’t-miss for MICR Members and Annual Meeting attendees. The MICR Town Meeting provides an opportunity for the MICR Council to present its agenda and programs to AACR members and annual meeting participants, and share the progress we have made on your past recommendations. The MICR Council is soliciting discussion topics for MICR members to address in open floor discussion. Please contact us to submit topics or questions.
MICR Professional Advancement Roundtable:
Navigating the Road to a Successful Career in Cancer Research
Monday, April 8 - 6:30 p.m. - 8:45 p.m.
Grand Ballroom, Renaissance Washington Hotel
Co-chairs: Rick A. Kittles, Ph.D., and Miguel A. Villalona-Calero, M.D.
This exciting session is a must for all individuals pursuing careers in cancer research or other biomedical sciences. It provides a forum in which students, postdoctoral candidates and junior faculty can discuss important career development issues and survival skills with senior established scientists. This event includes a networking reception and mentored roundtable discussions facilitated by senior researchers from a variety of sectors in the cancer community, including academia, government and industry.
For AACR members, Professional Advancement Sessions are free with your Annual Meeting registration and are an added benefit of your membership. For nonmembers, there is an additional fee of $50 for attendance at each session to be paid on site. Participation for sessions is on a first-come, first-served basis and space is limited.
MICR Scientific Symposium:
Why Are Aggressive Forms of Cancer More Common Among Certain Racial/Ethnic Groups?
Tuesday, April 9 - 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Room 144, Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Co-chairs: A. William Blackstock, M.D., and Christopher I. Li, M.D., Ph.D.
There is long-standing evidence that several aggressive forms of cancer are more common among certain racial/ethnic groups. For example, compared to non-Hispanic whites, African American and Hispanic women have higher incidence rates of triple-negative breast cancer and African American men have higher rates of high grade prostate cancer. For many cancers African American, Hispanics, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and Pacific Islanders also experience higher mortality rates. However, the reasons why these cancer disparities exist are multifaceted and to a degree uncertain. Diverse answers to the question, “Why are aggressive forms of cancer more common among certain racial/ethnic groups?” will be sought from leading experts in the field.
Meet the Director and Branch Chiefs of the NCI-Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities
Tuesday, April 9 - 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
MICR Networking and Resource Center, AACRcentral
Participants:
Sanya A. Springfield, Ph.D., Director
H. Nelson Aguila, D.V.M.
Rina Das, Ph.D.
Emmanuel A. Taylor, Dr.P.H.
Mary Ann S. Van Duyn, Ph.D., M.P.H.
The Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD) is central to the NCI's efforts to reduce the unequal burden of cancer in our society and train the next generation of competitive researchers in cancer and cancer health disparities research. All MICR members and Annual Meeting attendees are invited to this informal meet with the director and branch chiefs.
AACR Minority-Serving Institution Faculty Scholar Awards in Cancer Research
The AACR is proud to administer the Minority-Serving Institution Faculty Scholar Awards in Cancer Research program. These awards are offered to full-time faculty members of Minority-Serving Institutions (Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and other post-secondary institutions as defined by the US Department of Education). The purposes of this award program are to increase the scientific knowledge base of faculty members at Minority-Serving Institutions, and to encourage them and their students to pursue careers in cancer research.
AACR Minority Scholar Awards in Cancer Research
The AACR Minority Scholar Awards in Cancer Research program first began in 1985. Each year since then, these awards have been offered to eligible minority scientists wishing to participate in the Annual Meetings of the American Association for Cancer Research. The awards are intended to enhance the education and training of minority researchers and to increase the visibility and recognition of minorities involved in cancer research.