Self-Assembling 3D Mini-Tumors Are Poised to Become a New Tool for Studying Cancer

Robert Wiltrout, Ph.D., director, NCI Center for Cancer Research (CCR), recently announced the appointment of Eric Freed, Ph.D., as deputy director of the HIV Drug Resistance Program (HIV DRP). Freed will join Stephen Hughes, Ph.D., director of HIV DRP, in leading this CCR program that focuses on understanding HIV replication and pathogenesis, with the goal of developing more effective strategies for treating HIV infections, and also builds on the existing strength of HIV and retrovirus research within NCI.

The April Puzzler is a steel bar joist connecting wings 2 and 3 of Building 560, the largest laboratory building at the NCI Campus at Frederick. The bar joist supports pipes that bring carbon dioxide and nitrogen to the building, which are used for a variety of laboratory functions.

They came from as far away as Russia and Japan, and from as nearby as the NCI at Frederick/Fort Detrick campus, Bethesda, and Baltimore, all with one purpose: to honor the mentor, colleague, and friend they have in Joost Oppenheim, as he celebrated his 80th birthday.

The winners of the 2014 Spring Research Festival, held May 7 and 8, were recognized on July 2, and included 20 NCI at Frederick researchers: Matthew Anderson, Victor Ayala, Matt Bess, Cristina Bergamaschi, Charlotte Choi, Rami Doueiri, Laura Guasch Pamies, Diana Haines, Saadia Iftikhar, Maria Kaltcheva, Wojciech Kasprzak, Balamurugan Kuppusamy, James Lautenberger, George Lountos, Megan Mounts, Uma Mudunuri, Martha Sklavos, Gloriana Shelton, Alex Sorum, and Shea Wright.

Beginning in September, phones at the NCI Campus at Frederick will begin to be replaced, as the project to upgrade the current phone system ramps up. Over the next 16 months, the Information Systems Program will be working with Facilities Maintenance and Engineering and Computer & Statistical Services to replace the current Avaya phone system with a Cisco Unified Communications phone system. The Cisco system is already in use at the Advanced Technology Research Facility.