I’ve been burning the candle at both ends this week. On top of very full days extending into various work-related evening activities, I’ve been keeping tab on the Phillies-Giants National League Championship Series. While work has been fine, the baseball hasn’t gone so well. As I write this blog, the Phillies are down, three games to two; one more loss and the baseball season is over for me. Well, if so, there’s always next year!
On Tuesday we hosted a delegation from Queens University, Belfast, to explore opportunities for collaboration in areas such as breast cancer and colorectal cancers. Some of you may remember that a few of us visited there last year, and as we have gotten to know each other better, several outstanding collaborative ideas have emerged that we are exploring. That evening I had a wonderful time with our major donors for the annual Lombardi Gala, which will be held on Saturday evening, November 6. I am pleased to report that we are tracking well ahead of last year’s numbers, and all signs point to a fabulously successful event. I am very grateful to Elena Jeannotte, Joe Teague and the rest of the “team,” as well as to our fabulous co-chairs —Paul Schweitzer, Barry Scher, Mark DeLuca and Brian Katz —for their unflagging efforts on our behalf. Plus, Tanya and Howard Adler have continued to be exceptional supporters. Thanks to everyone for their confidence in Lombardi and our mission!
On Wednesday morning Subha Madhavan, Hartmut Juhl and I spoke at a GU-sponsored symposium on biobanks (for the US-Norwegian Transatlantic Science Week) in the fabulous Lohrfink Auditorium of the Hariri Building on the Main Campus. It was a very interesting symposium. And the building is really magnificent.
On Thursday morning I met with the Hematology/Oncology fellows to discuss clinical research. It is incredibly rewarding to speak with them. I try to meet with them monthly; if anybody wants to talk about their work at one of these meetings please let Phyllis Rand know. After seeing a few patients in the afternoon I had the privilege of participating in a reception to honor the Prince Charitable Trust for its $2.5 million endowment gift to Georgetown University Hospital for the purpose of supporting staff morale, with a focus on the activities of Lombardi’s terrific Arts and Humanities program and Palliative Care Program, headed by Nancy Morgan and Andrew Putnam, respectively. These programs make a huge difference in the lives of our patients, their families, our staff and our trainees, and this type of sustaining gift will provide a stable source of financial support for years to come.
So, I’ve been pretty busy this week, and there will be a lot to do next week, too.
On Monday afternoon, Lombardi is hosting a seminar, “Protecting Your Research Data: A Seminar on Information Security,” from 2-3:30 pm in the New Research Building Auditorium. We’ll be unveiling our newly revamped Policy on Protection of Research Data, which incorporates UIS policies but is specific to the work in which all of us are engaged. This is a timely activity because October is National Cybersecurity Awareness month.
This seminar is a unique opportunity to get a clear understanding of university and Lombardi information security policies and procedures, as well as best practices to ensure the security and integrity of your data. Speakers include: Tod Greene, director of Lombardi Information Services; Subha Madhavan, Ph.D., chair of the Lombardi Data Security Group and director of Clinical Research Informatics at Lombardi; Heidi L. Wachs, director of Georgetown IT/ privacy officer; and Judith F. House, associate university information security officer.
The responsibility of protecting our data falls to all of us, so I hope you’ll make attending this seminar a priority.
On Tuesday we’ll continue the discussion on information technology with the long-awaited public launch of the Georgetown Database of Cancer, or G-DOC. The event is Tuesday afternoon, from 2-4:30, in the New Research Building Auditorium. Subha Madhavan, Lombardi’s director of clinical informatics, and her team have done a tremendous job of convening leaders from throughout Lombardi, GUMC and the university to demonstrate this tool’s practical applications for the study and management of cancer—and eventually other diseases.
I can’t express enough how critical I see G-DOC as being to our center’s mission. It will enable us to convert information into knowledge, and knowledge into power. With the G-DOC site live, this is a proud moment for Georgetown – I hope you’ll be a part of it Tuesday afternoon.
Finally, please consider supporting or joining a Lombardi team for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on Saturday, October 30 on the National Mall. Lombardi is a flagship sponsor this year, meaning we’ll have greater visibility and opportunity to get the Lombardi name in front of thousands of walkers. More importantly, this is a wonderful fundraising event to combat breast cancer. There are eight Lombardi teams that I know will make us proud. One in particular, GoPink DC led by Jane Crawford, is currently in third place out of more than 100 teams for fundraising in the entire DC region (at least as I write this). It’s not too late for others to catch up!
For more information on how to support or join a team, contact Lauren Wolkoff at lw263@georgetown.edu. Or you can visit the Making Strides DC webpage and search for Lombardi teams.