We are proud to announce that Dr. Jacqueline Jeruss, a talented researcher and practitioner arriving from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, is the first Lynn Sage Scholar. She will serve here in two capacities: as breast surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Lynn Sage Comprehensive Breast Center and as a basic science researcher at the Robert Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Hardly a newcomer to Northwestern, Dr. Jeruss comments, “When I had completed three years of residency, I began my Ph.D. studies at the Northwestern Evanston campus. There I began to examine the effects of soy proteins on breast cancer cells, and to also investigate the role of specific growth factors in the progression of breast cancer.”

During her training at Northwestern, Dr. Jesuss earned the award of “Intern of the Year” and another for “compassionate care of patients”. Myriad recognition for Dr. Jeruss’ accomplishments as both investigator and scholar just reinforce our good fortune to have influenced her recruitment and her return to Northwestern, where she has the potential to bring us closer to eradicating a disease that has affected us all.

December 2008: Dr. Kaklamani Update

The Lynn Sage Foundation, in partnership with the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, is pleased to introduce the second Lynn Sage Scholar, Dr. Virginia Kaklamani. An accomplished physician-scientist who completed her fellowship training in Hematology-Oncology through the Feinberg School of Medicine, Dr. Kaklamani focuses primarily on breast, ovarian, and colon cancer risk.

Dr. Kaklamani works to identify patients at high risk for breast, ovarian, and colon cancers based on their genetic background. The Northwestern Cancer Genetics program has a large database profiling the genomes of patients with breast and ovarian cancer. By studying commonalities across the genetic profiles in this database, Dr. Kaklamani will identify novel genes and examine individual risk based on changes in these identified genes.

Dr. Virginia Kaklamani has been studying several genes and their relation to cancer risk, most notably TGF-beta and adiponectin. One particular change in TGF-beta has been shown to be associated with increased colon and breast cancer risk in individuals who carry this expression. Adiponectin, which is related to obesity and diabetes, has also been found to change breast and colon cancer risk— Dr. Kaklamani and her colleagues were the first scientists to recognize that a change in the gene for adiponectin increases cancer risk (published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on 10/1/2008).

The results of this research will help identify correctly high risk patients. Once identified, these patients could be offered better preventative measures (such as oophorectomy) or better screening strategies such as colonoscopies, MRIs of breast, and more frequent mammograms. Dr. Kaklamani’s research holds great promise for cancer patients everywhere. The Lynn Sage Foundation is delighted to name her the second Lynn Sage Scholar.

December 2007: Dr. Jeruss Update

Due to the support of the Lynn Sage Foundation, Jacqueline Jeruss, MD, PhD, as the Lynn Sage Scholar, has made huge progress in her research, education and patient care activities. Specifically, her work centers on evaluating breast cancer in order to bring crucial refinement to disease prognosis and treatment.

In her role as a researcher, Dr. Jeruss now has a technician, research assistant, MD candidate researcher, and a graduate student working with her in her laboratory. She has written over 20 grant applications and, because of her research as a Lynn Sage Scholar, has received a two-year grant from the OncoFertility Consortium and funding from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Dr. Jeruss also has had two abstracts accepted for presentation at upcoming national conferences; the Association for Academic Surgery, 3rd Annual Academic Surgical Congress and the Society of Surgical Oncology, 61st Annual Cancer Symposium. Additionally, Dr. Jesuss’ journal article “Use of Clinical and Pathologic Staging Variables to Define Outcomes for Breast Cancer Patients Treated With Neoadjuvant Therapy” is being published in an upcoming American Journal of Clinical Oncology.

In her role as educator and clinician, Dr. Jeruss mentors her research colleagues in the laboratory and in the summer of 2007, had six MD students working with her in the lab. She won a Teaching Award within the Department of Surgery for her efforts, and clinically, continues to expand her patient base as a member for the Division of Surgical Oncology.