The Georgia Cancer Coalition

History of the Georgia Cancer Coalition

The late Hamilton Jordan, a six-time cancer survivor and former White House Chief of Staff for President Jimmy Carter, founded the Georgia Cancer Coalition. The impetus was a discussion at a holiday party in 1999. Jordan recalled talking with Dr. Michael Johns, then head of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center, agreeing that “we need to do something about cancer in Georgia.”

Together they built a presentation and took their case to then Governor Roy E. Barnes. They convinced him that the State of Georgia needed to improve its standing in cancer control: to accelerate cancer research, prevention, early detection and treatment.

Georgia was one of the top 5 states in the nation in the incidence of cancer. Yet, each neighboring state boasted at least one National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, while Georgia had none. The 10th largest state in population, Georgia ranked only 27th in federal funding of cancer research. Governor Barnes agreed that Georgians should not have to leave the state to obtain quality cancer care. By November, 2000, he announced the concept of the Georgia Cancer Coalition.

To successfully launch this private, nonprofit venture, the founders seized the opportunity created by the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between the tobacco industry and the 50 states. Georgia’s plan, supported by the General Assembly, invested a portion of the state’s tobacco settlement dollars into the Coalition. The challenge to Coalition leadership was to leverage the anticipated $400 million in funding and to grow that investment into more than $1 billion through federal and foundation grants, private industries, venture capital and donations.

Under Jordan’s direction, the original strategic plan outlines a statewide cancer initiative, a catalyst for positive change. The first of its kind in the nation, the Georgia Cancer Coalition unites the state’s doctors, hospitals, governmental agencies, public health services, community health and survivor groups, universities, industries and non-profit organizations around a common goal: to reduce the number of cancer-related deaths in Georgia.

The following timeline gives a brief overview of major milestones to improving cancer control in the State of Georgia since the inception of the Georgia Cancer Coalition.

Cancer is a constant struggle. The Coalition intends to stay engaged in the battle.

1998

The Master Settlement Agreement between the tobacco industry and state governments is announced.

1999

Hamilton Jordan, White House Chief of Staff under President Jimmy Carter, and Dr. Michael Johns, then head of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center, discuss the need for a Georgia Cancer Initiative.

2000

Governor Roy Barnes holds a statewide Cancer Initiative Workshop in May, 2000. Presenters include Renay Blumenthal, the Governor’s Policy Director; Dr. Kathleen Toomey, Director, Department of Public Health; Michael Cassidy, Executive Director, Georgia Research Alliance; and Hamilton Jordan.
On October 25, 2000, formal announcement of the formation of the Georgia Cancer Coalition is made at the State Capitol.
Legislators approve a State Income Tax Check-Off program where citizens of Georgia can donate a dollar or more to fund Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer and Ovarian Cancer Research Awards.
A Strategic Plan is developed with the input of the original group of stakeholders and a panel of experts.

2001

The Georgia Cancer Coalition is incorporated under the laws of the State of Georgia effective July 27, 2001. A logo is designed and a domain name established. Russ Toal, then Commissioner of the Department of Community Health, is selected by Gov. Barnes to lead the new initiative as President. Nancy Paris is recruited as Vice President.
The Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence (GCCE) is conceived. The concept is to develop a facility with highly skilled cancer specialists; cutting edge treatments, access to clinical trials, and research that could generate new procedures and drugs. Grady Memorial Hospital is selected to house the GCCE and provide much needed services to African-American Georgians who have a disproportionately higher incidence of cancer.
The Distinguished Cancer Clinicians and Scientists Program is initiated in an effort to attract researchers to Georgia’s academic medical centers. The goal is to recruit 150 Distinguished Cancer Scholars who are involved in bench research, clinical studies, population sciences and translational research. Local experts participate in the peer review application process. On September 24, the Governor announces the first 15 Distinguished Cancer Scholars.
The Georgia Cancer Coalition facilitates creation of a strategic Statewide Cancer Plan to serve as a reference point for cancer control activities for five years. The plan follows the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Comprehensive Cancer Control planning.
Kaiser Permanente (KP) hosts an event for Dr. Ernie Bodai, a leading local physician who successfully advocated for the US Postal Service breast cancer research stamp. KP then approaches the Governor's office and the House of Representatives to request permission to obtain a special license plate for breast cancer using the stamp image. Legislation passes in 2002. The Breast Cancer License Tag Fund awards expand breast cancer screening, including education, outreach and access, for the medically indigent, consistent with clinical standards-of-care.
The Tobacco Technical Assistance Consortium (TTAC) is established in the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University thanks to a $15 million grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the American Legacy Foundation and the American Cancer Society. The consortium helps states and communities develop and run effective programs to prevent and reduce tobacco use.

2002

The Georgia Cancer Coalition is incorporated as its own nonprofit organization, with corporate by-laws. During its first year, it operates under the guidance of the Board of the Georgia Research Alliance which enables a strategic consulting engagement with Tanner & Associates.
In February 2002, the Coalition announces its first Board of Trustees. The first chairman of the board is K. Terry Dornbush, a former U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands and a cancer survivor.
The Georgia Cancer Coalition, working with the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Public Health and Georgia Department of Community Health, splits $3.4 million in grants among 64 rural counties for early detection equipment, including mobile unit mammography.
The Georgia Cancer Coalition works with the Department of Human Resources (DHR) and Division of Public Health (DPH) on a multi-pronged strategy for reducing tobacco use, including a statewide advertising campaign to prevent tobacco use and a toll free Georgia Tobacco Quit Line. A phone system designed to provide support for Georgia tobacco users, the Quit Line employs trained specialists to counsel callers on comprehensive approaches to tobacco cessation, including links to community resources.
Together with Georgia’s physicians and hospitals, GCC, DHR and DPH join forces in the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Initiative, a nationwide, comprehensive public health program for increasing access to breast and cervical cancer screening services for underserved women.
Georgia’s Comprehensive Cancer Registry meets the very stringent criteria of the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACR) and the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to secure gold certification. The Registry is responsible for collecting and evaluating statewide cancer incidence data.
The GCC brokers an agreement designed to encourage more cancer patients to enroll in trials: eight major private health insurance plans and three state-run plans agree to cover all routine patient care costs of clinical trials.
Nine planning grants totaling $2 million are awarded to Regional Programs of Excellence (RPEs), coalitions across the state that address locally identified gaps in prevention, education, research and access to care and have developed innovative, multidisciplinary and integrated programs for detecting and treating cancer. Recipients include: the East Georgia Cancer Coalition, working with the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta and the University of Georgia in Athens; the Southwest Georgia Cancer Coalition in Albany-Thomasville-Tifton-Valdosta; the North Crescent Cancer Coalition in Marietta-Dunwoody-Sandy Springs-Carrollton; the Southeast Georgia Cancer Alliance in Savannah-Brunswick-Waycross-Statesboro; the Greater Atlanta Regional Program of Excellence; the West Central Georgia Cancer Coalition in Columbus; the Northeast Georgia Cancer Coalition in Gainesville; the Northwest Georgia Regional Cancer Coalition in Rome-Dothan-Calhoun-Fort Oglethorpe; and the Central Georgia Cancer Coalition in Macon-Forsyth.
The GCC provides funding to the Medical College of Georgia to initiate a statewide Tissue and Tumor Bank which would store samples and data from cancer patients and make them available for researchers. Dr. Stephen Peiper, then chairman of the Department of Pathology at MCG and interim director of cancer research, leads the initiative. Four Southeast Georgia hospitals start the network: Memorial Health University Medical Center, St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System, Satilla Regional Medical Center and Southeast Georgia Medical Center. The Tissue and Tumor Bank is later named the Biorepository Alliance of Georgia for Oncology (BRAG-Onc).
In June, Drew Smith is hired as Director of Business and Finance and Kathy L. Russell, is brought on as a Special Advisor to the GCC to provide clinical and technical assistance on research, grants, operational and liaison matters. She is based in Washington DC.
In February, 2002, Kate Canterbury joins the Coalition as Research Program Assistant. She remains with the Coalition for six years, ultimately serving as Director of Research Programs.
The GCC partners with Georgia Public Broadcasting on a public awareness campaign. Together, they develop a marketing video and public service campaign, The Voice and Face of Cancer, distributed to media outlets throughout the state.
Partnering with the Georgia Society for Clinical Oncology (GASCO), GCC develops a business plan for the development of The Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education, Georgia CORE. The purpose of this non-profit organization is to improve access, entry, conduct and outcomes of cancer control and therapeutic clinical trials for Georgia residents.

2003

Sonny Perdue is sworn in as Georgia’s 81st Governor on January 13, 2003, and continues to support the Georgia Cancer Coalition funding. Hamilton Jordan and Dr. Louis Sullivan, former President of Morehouse School of Medicine and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, lead a committee to review the overall strategic mission of the GCC.
Russ Toal resigns as President and CEO.
Bill Todd is selected and approved by the Board of Trustees to lead the Georgia Cancer Coalition as President and Chief Executive Officer.
The Coalition partners with the Healthcare Georgia Foundation to develop and implement initiatives to eliminate health disparities in rural Georgia.
The Georgia Cancer Center of Excellence at Grady Memorial Hospital opens in March, 2003. The $28.4 million facility is a unique collaboration between Grady, the Coalition, Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine, Georgia State University and others. The GCCE is focused on patient care, teaching and research. The Center’s 9th floor is devoted to breast cancer and named after the Avon Foundation, which commits an additional $4.3 million. The 10th floor serves patients with other forms of cancer, including rare cancers and people with special challenges or seeking experimental treatment. Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, director of the National Cancer Institute, speaks at the event, applauding Georgia’s collaborative efforts in cancer control.
The inaugural Tour de Georgia, April 22-27, a weeklong professional cycling race founded by the Georgia Department of Economic Development, donates proceeds to the Coalition and forms a partnership that helps raise statewide cancer awareness. The Georgia Cancer Coalition remains the Tour beneficiary for four years, through 2007.
In September, 2003, Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute opens a new, 280,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility housing all original departments plus additional research and high-tech treatment facilities.
In August, 2003, Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute (WCI) is awarded a $1.9 million National Cancer Institute Planning Grant, a critical first step in attaining Georgia's first-ever NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center designation. NCI established the competitive P-20 grant to provide promising cancer centers assistance in establishing the research programs that are required for the NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center designation.
The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a component of NIH, awards a five-year, $6.7 million grant to a team headed by scientists at The University of Georgia for research that could eventually help in the treatment of certain kinds of cancer and Parkinson's disease. The grant is co-sponsored by the National Cancer Institute.
The University of Georgia becomes a National Institutes of Health-designated Center for Biomedical Glycomics after receiving a $6.2 million grant from the agency.
The Georgia Cancer Coalition, with funding from the Woodruff Foundation, commissions the Institute of Medicine to conduct a landmark study to identify key means of measuring quantifiable progress toward its goal of improving cancer control in the state of Georgia. A national panel of cancer experts is convened to work on this report, which is completed in 2004.
The Georgia Cancer Trials website is developed by Georgia CORE and the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups, powered by the national database, TrialCheck. The site is an information resource for people searching for clinical cancer trials in Georgia.

2004

On May 6-7, the Georgia Cancer Coalition co-hosts a Cancer Research Conference in Braselton, Georgia, designed to provide scientific exchange among Distinguished Cancer Clinicians and Scientists and Cancer Research awardees. Joseph V. Simone, M.D., Chair of the National Cancer Policy Board of the Institute of Medicine, is the keynote speaker. The program includes a poster session, scientific presentations, and breakout discussions on experimental therapy, molecular biology and new applications of traditional therapies.
The University of Georgia opens a three-story, $39 million Complex Carbohydrate Research Center. The CCRC was founded in September 1985; the new facility allows the CCRC to position itself as a leader in the growing field of medical glycobiology and glycotechnology.
NIH awards scientists from Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology a collaborative research grant of $7.1 million to develop the Bioengineering Research Partnership (BRP) program “Linking Biomarkers with Cancer Behavior.”
NIH awards a $3.7 million grant to the Grady Health System, Morehouse School of Medicine and Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute to study the root cause of disparities in cancer diagnosis, treatment and outcomes. Dr. Otis Brawley, then director of the Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence, leads the study.
Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute receives a $10 million award from the U.S. Department of Defense for prostate cancer research.
The Medical College of Georgia is designated by the National Cancer Institute as a Minority-Based Community Clinical Oncology Program. (MBCCOP)
The University of Georgia Cancer Center is created. Areas of specialty include the discovery of drug targets, diagnostic tests, cancer vaccines and new strategies for cancer prevention and improving patient quality of life.

2005

Nancy Paris, formerly Vice President of the Georgia Cancer Coalition, is named President and Chief Executive Officer of Georgia CORE.
Assessing the Quality of Cancer Care: An Approach to Measurement in Georgia is published by the Institute of Medicine for the GCC. It outlines a matrix of 52 measures to serve as guideposts for state cancer control activities.
The Georgia Cancer Quality Information Exchange is initiated to facilitate the design, access and retrieval of clinical information and public health data for the purpose of measuring the quality of cancer care, enhancing adherence to standards of care and improving patient centered care through process change. Over the next three years, the Exchange enlists several demonstration partners.
The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) contracts with the Georgia Cancer Coalition to award $1.4 million in caregiver grants to the remaining six Regional Programs of Excellence and DHR awards each $83,000 for cancer control activities.
The John B. Amos Cancer Center at Columbus Regional Medical Center opens in January, 2005. This three-story building provides facilities for patient care, clinical trials, integrative medicine, rehabilitation services, and educational resources.
The Georgia Cancer Summit is presented by the Georgia Cancer Coalition, the Georgia Health Foundation, the Georgia Department of Human Resources and the American Cancer Society on November 2-3, 2005, in Atlanta. The theme is Georgians Leading the Way.
Angie Patterson joins the Georgia Cancer Coalition as a “loaned executive” from BellSouth. One year later is named Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.
St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System in Savannah Cancer Care & Research Pavilion is renamed the Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer & Research Pavilion. The new $24 million freestanding cancer facility facilitates the expansion in radiation therapy equipment, specialized outpatient oncology care and research.
The Georgia Legislature passes the Smoke Free Air Act, which bans indoor smoking in publicly accessible buildings, workplaces (with some exceptions) and restaurants that serve or employ anyone under age18. More than 450 groups, organizations, and businesses across Georgia signed resolutions of support.
On October 5, the Georgia Cancer Coalition hosts celebrations in Atlanta at Centennial Olympic Park honoring the Tour of Hope, lead by cancer survivor and seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong. A CEO roundtable discussion at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce gives Lance Armstrong the opportunity to share his vision and to raise awareness of cancer research and clinical trials. Hamilton Jordan serves as moderator. Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, Director, National Cancer Institute, attends.
The National Cancer Institute awards $19.5 million towards the development of the Emory-Georgia Tech Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (CCNE). The broad goal of this Nanotechnology Center for Personalized and Predictive Oncology is to develop translational nanotechnology for biomarker-enabled cancer imaging, detection, diagnosis and treatment.

2006

In February, 2006, Alan C. Wills joins the Georgia Cancer Coalition as Chief Financial Officer.
In April, 2006, Coalition partners begin revising the state’s cancer plan. Key stakeholders represent Georgia at the Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) 2006 Leadership Institute organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Georgia’s Department of Public Health, directed by Dr. Stuart Brown. The Georgia Health Policy Center facilitates the process.
The Medical College of Georgia Cancer Research Center (CRC), a five-story, $54 million facility, breaks ground in 2004 and opens in 2006. It serves as a hub for expanding initiatives in basic and clinical cancer research and treatment as well as the education of future cancer physicians and scientists on the Medical College of Georgia campus.
The NCI awards Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute a $7.9 million, five-year grant to study cell signaling in lung cancer. It is one of the largest lung cancer research grants in the country. The GCC provides additional financial support for the project, which is led by Dr. Fadlo Khuri, Associate Director of Emory Winship.
Georgia State University breaks ground on the $250 million University Science Park on October 10, 2006. The complex will provide teaching and research for students and faculty in biology, chemistry and public health in the Parker H. Petit Science Teaching Laboratory and the Science Research Laboratory.
The Georgia Cancer Coalition receives funding for The Georgia Cancer Study (GCS). Emory University investigators and staff from the Rollins School of Public Health and School of Medicine pilot the cohort cancer study in partnership with community cancer coalitions from Southwest and Central Georgia. Together, they recruit 1,000 people to test methodologies, questionnaires, specimen collection, and other aspects of the study. Dr Jack Mandel, then Chair of the Department of Epidemiology in Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health, leads this effort.

2007

In June, 2007, St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System is selected as a pilot site for the NCI Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP). Clinical alliance partners include the Harbin Clinic in Rome and the John B. Amos Cancer Center in Columbus. The Georgia Cancer Coalition fosters this partnership of healthcare organizations in different regions of the state to encourage collaboration and sharing of information, best practices and funding, with the goal of improving the overall care of cancer patients in Georgia.
After a year of work, Georgia’s Revised Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan: 2008-2012 is compiled. More than 100 individuals—survivors and stakeholders representing many statewide cancer control organizations and associations— participate in one or more of seven committees that meet, discuss and consult to produce this comprehensive document.
The Medical College of Georgia Cancer Center is selected for membership in the Association of American Cancer Institutes, an organization of the 90 leading cancer research centers in the United State.
In Savannah, the William and Iffath Hoskins Center for Biomedical Research celebrates its grand opening on October 11, 2007 at the Memorial Health University Medical Center (MHUMC) campus. MHUMC is one of two teaching hospitals for the Mercer University School of Medicine. Generous donations from philanthropists such as Curtis and Elizabeth Anderson make the research center possible.
In August, the National Cancer Institute awards a five-year, $12.5 million Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant in head and neck cancer to Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute, the first SPORE grant ever received in the state of Georgia. SPORE grants are large, multidisciplinary federal grants that fund scientific research aimed at bringing new laboratory findings quickly to the clinic. They are highly competitive grants and are sought after by the most prestigious research and medical facilities across the country.
The Medical College of Georgia receives a five-year, $2.3 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to renew its designation as Minority-Based Community Clinical Oncology Program (MBCCOP). The Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Augusta; Athens Regional Medical Center in Athens; and Aiken Regional Medical Center in Aiken, South Carolina, are collaborators on the grant.
Clark Atlanta University announces in October, 2007, that their Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development (CCRTD) was awarded a $6.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD), to establish a Center of Excellence for Prostate Cancer Research, Education and Community Services.
The Regional Programs of Excellence (RPEs) change their name to Regional Cancer Coalitions of Georgia to reflect their broad scope of activities.

2008

On January 14-15, 2008, the Georgia Cancer Coalition hosts the 2008 State Cancer Summit to discuss how to foster collaboration for implementation of the Comprehensive Cancer Control plan. Dr. Matthew Mumber receives the Georgia Cancer Coalition Hamilton Jordan Founder’s Award.
Hamilton Jordan, founder of the Georgia Cancer Coalition, dies on May 21, 2008.
Georgia CORE develops the first statewide Directory of Oncologists in hard copy as well as an online searchable document.
The Promise of Collaboration is fulfilled at the 2008 Cancer Research Symposium of the Georgia Cancer Coalition on May 12-13 in Greensboro, Georgia.
The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) launches a $1.2 million initiative providing grants to community groups that offer breast cancer education, screening and treatment to low-income and minority women.
The Medical College of Georgia (MCG) and MCG Health Inc. officials break ground September 18, 2008 on a $31 million Cancer Center for outpatient treatment. It has an expanded Clinical Research Unit that houses early-phase clinical trials in new treatments for cancer.
Clark Atlanta University is awarded a $7.2 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to expand its facilities and hire more researchers for the study of prostate cancer in African-American men.
The University of Georgia receives a five-year, $8.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for research on stem cells and cancer cells.
Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute earns a five-year, $7.4 million grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to study links between oxidative stress and colorectal cancer, the second deadliest cancer in the United States. The NIEHS is part of the NIH.
Susanna Greer, Ph.D., a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar and an Assistant Professor of Biology at Georgia State University, is among the 116 investigators at 75 institutions nationwide to be selected for the prestigious American Cancer Society (ACS) Research Scholar grant, with an award of $718,000 from 2009-2012. Dr. Greer’s laboratory is researching new regulatory mechanisms involved in the induction of antitumor immune responses.
The Avon Foundation awarded a one-year, $950,000 grant to Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute and Grady Memorial Hospital to support community outreach, patient navigation and breast cancer research at the Avon Foundation Comprehensive Breast Center at Grady.
The Georgia Pain Initiative was formed to address pain management and palliative care practice and policy in Georgia. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for children and adults affected by pain through education, advocacy, public policy and the promotion of excellence in clinical practice. GPI is a project of the American Cancer Society, South Atlantic Division; GCC is represented on its board.
Georgia CORE and Emory Winship Cancer Institute formed a strategic partnership in an effort to increase the quality, distribution and enrollment in Georgia’s cancer clinical trials. WCI faculty will function as lead investigators on clinical trials, and physicians from non-academic, community settings will be named Co-Investigators. WCI staff will serve as consultants, advisors, and members of the Georgia CORE Board of Directors. Georgia CORE will include WCI-sponsored cancer clinical trails on its searchable listing and publicize them to raise awareness.
The Garry Betty and The V Foundation Chair in Cancer Nanotechnology at Georgia Tech was established with a $2.5 million commitment. Funding came from the Garry Betty Foundation, The V Foundation for Cancer Research, the Georgia Research Alliance, and the Georgia Cancer Coalition. The funding will enhance the potential of cancer nanotechnology research to dramatically advance the state of cancer diagnosis and treatment

2009

In April, Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute announced that it had earned the coveted National Cancer Institute Cancer Center designation. Winship is the first medical facility in Georgia to earn this distinction. As an NCI designated center, Winship joins an elite group of 65 cancer centers. Winship will receive $4,285,191 in funding over the next three years to grow scientific research; NCI will then review their designation for a five-year renewal.
The Georgia Society for Clinical Oncology (GASCO), working in cooperation with the Georgia Cancer Coalition, was awarded a $10,000 state affiliate grant from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) to asses cancer patient navigation resources in Georgia and determine the need for a statewide professional organization. A professional meeting for navigators is planned for July, 2009.
On May 5, at a media conference at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Governor Sonny Perdue signed legislation broadening the Georgia Cancer Research Fund awards to better reflect Georgia's comprehensive approach to cancer research. In 2010, Cancer Research Awards made possible by the State Income Tax Check-Off program will be open to cancer researchers studying any type of cancer. Funding had previously been restricted to scientists in Georgia doing research into the causes, treatments, and cures for breast, prostate, and ovarian cancer.
In March, 2009, the National Cancer Institute named Emory University’s Chemical Biology Discovery Center as one of 11 member institutions in a new nationwide NCI Chemical Biology Consortium (CBC). The CBC is designed to accelerate the discovery and development of new molecular targeted cancer therapies.
The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) at Emory Winship Cancer Institute earned a six-year extension of its Cooperative Group Agreement with the National Cancer Institute (NCI). RTOG was awarded a $60.5 million grant to carry out its research effort. RTOG has received 36 years of continuous funding from the NCI and this award will sustain the group's efforts through 2014.
Georgia Cancer Coalition (GCC) Distinguished Cancer Scholar E. Shyam P. Reddy, Ph.D., professor and co-director, Cancer Biology Program, Morehouse School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence at Grady Health System received a $525,000 grant from the DOD to continue his groundbreaking work on prostate cancer.
On April 24, Georgia Tech dedicated the Marcus Nanotechnology Building, a
190,000-square-foot complex, $90 million facility. Coupled with Georgia Tech’s nanotechnology research facilities at the Pettit Microelectronics Building, the complex poises Georgia Tech to be a global hub for nanotechnology research and development. Philanthropist Bernie Marcus, founder and chairman of the Marcus Foundation, made a $15 million commitment to the project

June 23, 2009