September 2020 eNews

 

The Conquest of Cancer

Through Research

Thank you to all those who responded to a joint letter from Wood Hudson and the Ft. Thomas Corvette Club with a donation to Wood Hudson.  Every summer for the past 20 years, the Ft. Thomas Corvette Club has hosted a car show to benefit Wood Hudson Cancer Research.  Thank you Ft. Thomas Corvette Club.  Thank you to all those who gave.  $9,727 was raised from 65 donations.  Your generosity is inspiring.  

 

Gifts were given to the memory and honor of the following friends and loved ones: Bruce Baarendse, David Baarendse, Judy Bauerle, Harry Carter, Lynn Coleman, Mary Davis, Jeanette Dittoe, Karen Enlow, Randy Hibbard, Finley Isaacs, Jr., Gene E. Landrum, Norman B. Lucas, Margaret Mader, David Pharo, John D. Salyers, Rosella Schof, Lori Staggs, Helen J. Speakes, James Sprotts, Bob Steinhauser, Ken Stoll, Mary Lou Summers, Janet Thompson, Bob Verkamp, and Jerry Zint.

 

A happy 50th anniversary gift was made in honor or Bill & Diane Detzel, as well as a gift honoring Julia Carter for continued dedication.

 

We hope to see you at the car show next August!  

Wood Hudson Reopening

Closing the physical lab on March 13 for COVID-19 didn't shut down cancer research.  Studies continued remotely, and much forward progress was made.  But now, it feels good to be reopening!  The microtome is in action, histological staining is happening, the tissue bank is busy, the office staff are moving and grooving, and Dr. Carter is immersed in the many facets of operating a nonprofit cancer research lab.  We are grateful to have Dr. Larry Douglass examining tissues on his microscope from home in Nashville.  You won't see students at the lab based on the Board of Trustees vote to suspend UREP for the fall, so things are quieter.  In the meantime, we are getting the lab in order after being closed for six months, and ready for students to return in January 2021.  Hoods, balances, autostainers, pipettes, and microscopes are being tested and calibrated.  Our new cell-culture incubator will be set up.  COVID changed things at the lab, but studies are moving forward, and we are anxious for students to get back into action. 

The final weeks of the "Piggest Raffle Ever" are here!  Will you win the raffle??  You can purchase tickets through Saturday, October 10, with the drawing taking place on October 11.  Cincinnati's Flying Pig Marathon supports local nonprofits in this exciting way, and you can be part of it!

 

When you buy a $5 ticket, the total of that $5 goes directly to Wood Hudson and cancer research, and if your ticket is drawn, you will win $5000 for yourself and $5000 for Wood Hudson.  Whether you buy 1 ticket or 100, you can feel good knowing there is no overhead to the raffle, and Wood Hudson very efficiently uses 98 cents of every dollar directly for its cancer research and education programs.  And who knows but your ticket may win!  Think of that!  Buy tickets (or adopt a pig) HERE.

Congratulations to Leah Focke, Wood Hudson Research Assistant, who accepted a position at Cincinnati Children's in Molecular Cardiovascular Biology as a Research Assistant 3.  Leah started UREP in 2018 while a student at Mount St. Joseph University.  As an Undergraduate Student Research Assistant she did her Senior Research Project for Mount St. Joseph University at Wood Hudson. Her project was on the role of variants in the gene for Transforming Growth Factor beta in development of ovarian cancer. The project was supported in part by a grant from the Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Greater Cincinnati. Leah presented her research at the Kentucky Academy of Science Annual Meeting in November 2019. At graduation from Mount St. Joseph, she won the Chemistry student of the year award.  We are so proud when our students can take the training and experience gained in cancer research out into the world to benefit all.  Good luck Leah!

This video features three of our Summer 2020 Undergraduate Research Education Program (UREP) students.  Thanks to Norman Chan for producing this video.

 

 

Most research institutions across the nation and world dropped summer internships for students because of COVID-19.  Dr. Carter didn't let the pandemic stop Wood Hudson.  Although the regular UREP program was impossible to execute, Wood Hudson ran a 10 student, 10 week program complete with study, virtual learning of research techniques, journal presentations, guest speakers, and, most importantly, capstone projects wherein students creatively addressed a National Institute of Health provocative question.  These capstone projects, complete with background, experimental design, anticipated results, and discussion, included a written report and an oral presentation.  See project titles here.  The students presented via Zoom on August 4th.  It was exciting to see each student's personal interests, knowledge, and creativity show forth in each presentation.     

 

Thank you to our guest speakers, Trustees Dr. Doug Hartman and Dr. Jeremy Graff, and collaborators Dr. Jim Deddens and Dr. Zachary Taylor.  Thanks to Dr. Julia Carter, Dr. Larry Douglass, Dr. Ron Snyder, and Professor Diane Fritz for devising and executing an original and successful summer UREP.

 

Great Job Students!