It’s hard to review the past week while awaiting a truly disruptive weather event. Hopefully, you will have power to be able to fire up your computer to read this if are inclined to do so. As I sit here this evening it appears that we will be pounded with about 6 inches of rain over the next two days or so, with accompanying high winds. Floods and electrical outlets are anticipated. I hope everyone is safe. GUMC is closed, so I won’t be parking my car in the outdoor lot to serve as bait for falling tree limbs (or trees)! Plus, I was scheduled to be on jury service starting on Monday morning; however, DC government is closed, so I don’t know what will happen. However, we have all of the necessities to ride out the storm (we hope).
The past week was a bit of a blur, anyway. I left for Copenhagen on Sunday evening, and had a quick, busy but generally pleasant trip. After 2 days of meetings, I caught a flight back to the States on Wednesday afternoon.
During the trip I was able to secure an opportunity to conduct synthetic lethal screening of our EGFR library using a cocktail of antibodies targeting HER2, HER3 and EGFR. It is an interesting approach to sweeping the EGFR family off the cell surface, and I look forward to conducting the studies. While I was gone, Habtom Ressom met with Sandy Jablonski and Chip Petricoin (he is from George Mason University) to analyze data from a very interesting phosphoproteomic experiment in which estrogen-independent breast cancer cells undergo knockdown of one of four genes known to be selectively lethal to these cells. The preliminary analysis is absolutely fascinating. Interestingly, Chip and colleagues are actively collaborating with us to study the pan-HER antibody cocktail as well.
On Thursday I caught up with work in the morning, and then had a busy afternoon of clinic. I then hurried off to the Blue Hope Bash gala at the Park Hyatt to support the Chris4Life Foundation, which has pledged more than $1 million to support colon cancer research and clinical care at Lombardi. Chris4Life is under the inspired leadership of Mike Sapienza, whose mother Chris Sapienza lost her battle to colon cancer a few years ago. It was a lovely evening.
Friday was highlighted by a chat with Ellen Pure of the Wistar Institute, who presented our Visiting Professor seminar. Ellen is a long-time acquaintance due to our shared interest in fibroblast activation protein. It was great to catch up with her, and I thought her seminar was very interesting. Thanks to Chunling Yi for the inspiration to invite her!
Later that day I met with Elena Jeannotte to go over final plans for the 26th Lombardi Gala, which will be held this coming Saturday, Nov. 3. It should be a great event, and I look forward to honoring both Robert Kraft (owner of the New England Patriots) and Barbara McDuffie, who is one of Lombardi’s true heros – she has done so much to raise money for the cause, and is an inspiration to all of us. And, I was able to convince Elena that I should not follow DeMaurice Smith on the podium – nobody can follow someone with his passion, eloquence and message. Thanks, Elena, for all of the work you do for Lombardi, and for removing me from the anti-climactic role!
Stay warm and dry, everyone.