Announcements

Lydia Hu graduated with Highest Honors.

Nho Cong Luong received a Travel Award for an oral presentation at the 2024 Radiation Research Society Annual Meeting.

Mark Essien will attend medical school at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

David Yu is Principal Investigator of a new NCI T32 Training Grant in Cancer Biology at Winship Cancer Institute in support of postdoctoral trainees.

Pam Head published her first author paper in Nucleic Acids Research on how DNA-PK is activated by SIRT2 deacetylation to promote DNA double-strand break repair by non-homologous end joining.

David Yu was elected a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) honor society for physician-scientists.

Diana Danelia will attend medical school at Medical College of Georgia.

Alicia Yin graduated with Highest Honors and received the Bobby Jones Scholarship which will provide her a full-ride scholarship to pursue a Masters of Research in Anthropology, Art, and Perception at the University of St. Andrews (UK).

Linda Chen graduated with Honors and will pursue a Masters of Medical Sciences in Immunology at Harvard Medical School.

Priya Kapoor published her first author paper in Nature Communications on how SAMHD1 deacetylation by SIRT1 promotes DNA end resection by facilitating DNA binding at double-strand breaks.

David Yu was awarded as initiating PI and Zach Buchwald as Partnering PI a DOD Breast Cancer Research Program Breakthrough Award on exploiting SAMHD1 to potentiate immune checkpoint inhibition therapy in breast cancer.

David Yu was awarded as MPI a NIH/NCI U54 to establish a Radiation Biology Integration Network (ROBIN) Center on the Genomic and Microenvironmental Determinants, Temporal Dynamics, and Treatment Efficacy of Radiation-Based Combination Therapies. The Emory team in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation is one of only three teams nationally to receive this highly competitive award of $7.5 million in total costs.

Hui Zhang published her first author paper in Scientific Reports on a quantitative proteomic analysis of the lysine acetylome in revealing diverse SIRT2 substates

Elizabeth Minten published her first author paper in STAR Protocols on a protocol for in vitro lysine deacetylation to test putative substrates of class III deacetylases.

Neil Pfister received an appointment as a tenure-track Assistant Professsor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine.

Neil Pfister was awarded a NIH/NCI K08 award.

Jeff Chu will be attending medical school at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

David Yu was appointed a permanent member of NIH Radiation Therapeutics and Biology (RTB) study section.

Elizabeth Minten published her first author paper in Cell Reports on the role of SIRT2 in promoting BRCA1-BARD1 heterodimerization through deacetylation.

Jessie Jiang will be completing a Fulbright Scholarship in Spain.

Nikita Deng will be attending medical school at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Neil Pfister was awarded a Winship Cancer Institute Chester Rochfort Fellowship.

Allyson Koyen successfully defended her PhD thesis. She will be working as a medical writer in California.

Elizabeth Minten successfully defended her PhD thesis. She will be attending medical school at the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program.

David Yu was awarded a NIH/NCI R01 on Elucidating SAMHD1 in DNA Double-Strand Break Repair

Allyson Koyen published her first author publication in Oncogene on the role of EZH2 in stabilizing DDB2 to promote NER independent of its catalytic activity and PRC2.

David Yu was appointed to the Editorial Board of Cancer Research (AACR Journal).

Neil Pfister received a Discovery Award from the Department of Defense. The three-year grant will support his project titled "Implementing CRISPR/Cas9 Genomic Screens to Identify Genetic Risk Factors for Lung Radiation Injury.

Neil Pfister was awarded first place at the annual Emory Radiation Oncology Resident Research Day.

Kristin Limpose was awarded the Emory Radiation Oncology Medical Student Scholars Award.

Erica Werner received an appointment as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell Biology at Emory University School of Medicine.

Erica Werner published her first author publication in Scientific Reports on the role of ionizing radiation induction of cholesterol biosynthesis in lung tissue.

Jacob Wynne matched in the radiation oncology residency program at Emory University School of Medicine.

Neil Pfister was awarded a Winship Cancer Institute Nell W. and William S. Elkin Fellowship.

Waaqo Daddacha received an appointment as a tenure-track assistant professor of biochemistry at Medical College of Georgia.

Carly Zaladonis enrolled at the Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine Postbaccalaureate Program with Conditional Medical School Acceptance.

Neil Pfister was awarded a Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO Young Investigator Award.

Allyson Koyen was awarded the 2019 Cancer Biology Graduate Program Scholar of the Year.

Elizabeth Minten had her first author review article in Clinical Oncology on DNA repair translation to the clinic.

David Yu was named associate editor of International Journal of Radiation Biology (Taylor and Francis Press).

Ashley Schlafstein, Allison Withers, and Soumon Rudra published their first author paper in International Journal of Breast Cancer on the role of CDK9 expression as a favorable prognostic biomarker in breast cancer patients who fail to achieve a pathologic complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Elizabeth Minten was awarded a NIH/NCI NRSA F31 predoctoral fellowship award.

Allyson Koyen was awarded the RRS Marie Curie Award for the Scholar-In-Training showing the highest potential for a successful career in cancer research. Allyson will also present her work at a plenary session.

Allyson Koyen, Elizabeth Minten, and Jacob Wynne were awarded travel awards for the RRS annual meeting in Chicago. Allyson and Jacob also received oral presentations.

Allyson Koyen and Elizabeth Minten received oral presentations for the EMGS annual meeting in San Antonio.

Allyson Koyen and Elizabeth Minten were awarded travel awards and oral presentations for the GRC on Chromosome Replication, Repair, and Architecture in Hong Kong. Allyson will also be a discussant.

David Yu was named director of the Division of Cancer Biology in the Department of Radiation Oncology.

David Yu was endowed with the Jerome Landry MD Chair of Cancer Biology.

Pam Head successfully defended her PhD thesis.

Ashley Schlafstein matched into the radiation oncology residency program at Emory University School of Medicine.

Waaqo Daddacha was awarded a NIH/NCI K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award.

Allyson Koyen was awarded a NIH/NCI NRSA F31 predoctoral fellowship award.

Waaqo Daddacha published his first author publication in Cell Reports on the role of SAMHD1 in promoting DNA end resection to facilitate DNA double-strand break repair by homologous recombination.

Allison Withers enrolled in the MD program at Medical College of Georgia.

David Yu was promoted to associate professor with tenure.

Pam Head published her first author publication in Journal of Biological Chemistry on the role of cancer-associated mutations in impairing the activity of SIRT2 in maintaining genome integrity.

Ashley Schlafstein and Jacob Wynne were awarded RSNA Research Medical Student Grants.

Dillon Li matched into the radiation oncology residency program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Vishal Dhere matched into the radiation oncology residency program at Emory University School of Medicine.

Geraldine Nabeta successfully defended her thesis for the MS program in Cancer Biology.

Amanda Bastien will be enrolling in the MD/MBA program at Dartmouth Medical School.

Waaqo Daddacha was awarded best poster and a travel award at the Gordon Research Seminar on Mechanisms of Mutagenesis and Genome Alterations in Girona, Spain.

Hui Zhang and Pam Head were first authors of a publication in Cell Cycle on how SIRT2 orchestrates the DNA damage response.

Allyson Koyen passed her oral qualifying exam for the Cancer Biology Graduate Program.

Matthew Madden enrolled in the MSTP program at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

Pam Head passed her oral qualifying exam for the Genetics and Molecular Biology Graduate Program.

Souman Rudra matched into the Radiation Oncology Residency Program at Washington University School of Medicine.

Jessica Cheng was a first author of a publication in Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology on radiotherapy patterns of care in gastric adenocarcinoma.

David Yu received the Michael Fry Award from the Radiation Research Society on Sept. 22 during an award lecture. The Michael Fry Award was established to recognize junior scientists who have made extraordinary contributions to the field of radiation research.

Scott Smith was a first author of a publication in Nucleic Acids Research on identification of NEK9 as a novel replication stress response protein.

Elaine Liu enrolled in the MSTP program at the University of Michigan Medical School.

Lauren Colbert was a first author of a publication in Cancer Research on how CHD7 is a novel DNA damage response protein whose expression predicts survival outcomes in patients with resected pancreatic cancer. Lauren also received a RSNA Medical Student Research Grant and an Emory Radiation Oncology Medical Students Scholars Award to complete this work.

Bill Hall was a first author of a publication in Oncogene on how low CHD5 expression activates the DNA damage response and predicts for poor outcome in patients with early-stage resected pancreatic cancer. Dr. Hall also received first place for his presentation of this work on Resident Research Day.

Hui Zhang was a first author of a publication in PNAS on how SIRT2 directs the replication stress response through CDK9 deacetylation. Dr. Zhang gave an oral presentation of this work at the RRS annual meeting in New Orleans.