CONGRATULATIONS to Kristen Mehl, Dr. Jim Carson's doctoral student! She was awarded first place at the South Carolina Nutrition Research Consortium Research Summit Graduate Student Poster Award in Columbia, SC (November 2005). Submission titled The interaction of a high-fat diet and exercise on intestinal polyp development in ApcMin/+ mice.

CONGRATULATIONS! Frank Berger, Ph.D., received the 2005 Governor's Award for Excellence in Scientific Research on Thursday, August 25, 2005 at the Statehouse. The award cites Berger's research on colon cancer in particular, as well as his work as a scientist, teacher and scholar. Berger has written more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and trained more than 20 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.For more information check out: USC Times Article

A paper by Dr. Lorne Hofseth's group (in collaboration with Dr. Dixon) has been accepted and is in press in the journal, Cancer Research. The paper is entitled: "Chronic Inflammation Promotes Retinoblastoma Protein Hyperphosphorylation and E2F1 Activation". It is significant because it is one of the first studies to implicate the retinoblastoma pathway in the link between chronic inflammation (colitis) and increased (colon) cancer risk.

A new look for the CCCR web site was launched thanks to web designer Cyndy Buckhaults of Send De Bee Graphics.

August 11, 2005, a special issue was published by the The eJournal of the South Carolina Medical Association. CCCR PI's, Dr. James Hebert, Dr. Mike Wargovich, and Dr. Lorne Hofseth participated in this publication. The journal included 7 articles highlighting South Carolina’s most significant cancer disparities. This issue represents a major step forward in the commitment of many state health agencies to work collectively on a chief area of clinical and public health importance. The research conducted places South Carolina in the vanguard of cancer research and treatment in the United States.Full Text (PDFs):

• Complete Version: July 2005 e-Journal (All 7 articles)
• Overview: Meeting the Challenges of Cancer Prevention and Control in South Carolina: Focus on Seven Cancer Sites
• Colorectal Cancer in South Carolina

The CCCR External Advisory Committee (Drs. David Dyer, Eugene Gerner, Amy Moser, and Carl Porter) visited USC on June 6-7. During this visit, the Committee met with COBRE Project PIs, Mentors, Core Facility Directors, and recently hired faculty. The External Review Committee then met to discuss progress and plans with the CCCR Director, Frank Berger.