URMC / Department of Surgery / Research / Supportive Care in Cancer
Supportive Care in Cancer
For over 35 years, Supportive Care in Cancer has conducted cancer control and cancer care delivery research locally and nationally investigating the etiology, prevention and management of side effects from cancer and its treatments. Our mission is “to help good people through lousy times” by working with patients and survivors of cancer and their families and caregivers, to alleviate cancer-related toxicities and side effects in order to ultimately improve quality of care and quality of life.
Our faculty research members are internationally known for their impactful contributions to the field of supportive care and survivorship, for training new supportive care researchers, and fostering multidisciplinary collaborations. These faculty are supported by over 50 Division staff member colleagues who are integral to our success. To read more about faculty research programs, click on individual investigators’ pages below and also see program links below featuring our research and team.
Over the last couple of years, we have faced many challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Supporting each other through these times has been critical to our well-being as team members as well as our research mission. We have adapted several of our local and nationwide studies to include both in-person and remote research procedures. Both our PEAK Human Performance Lab and Cancer Control and Psychoneuroimmunology labs (CCPL) have continued to support researchers on-site within the Division as well as the Department and Wilmot Cancer Institute (WCI) at large.
We continue to grow our Division, having almost doubled our funding over the last few years with new R01 grants and other grant mechanisms (some examples are included below). Several of these grants are supported by our URCC NCORP Research Base infrastructure, which is only one of 2 housed within academic cancer centers. This program allows us to make a nationwide impact toward our mission. Additionally, our world-renowned T32 program in cancer control research training continues to train fellows that ultimately achieve career development awards and academic positions nationwide in cancer research. Five of our faculty hold leadership roles within WCI’s effort for Cancer Center Support Grant designation.
We are committed to the University’s Equity and Anti-Racism Action Plan and the University’s Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy. These are critical to our mission and values in the Division of Supportive Care in Cancer.
If you have interest in learning more about our research, please feel free to contact us!
Michelle Janelsins, PhD, MPH, FSBM
Division Chief of Supportive Care in Cancer
Useful links for more information on our Supportive Care in Cancer division:
Who We Are
Lindsey Mattick, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor of Surgery
Contact Us
Kate Kessler
Administrator and T32 program Coordinator
(585) 275-9959
William Bloss
Administrator for Finance
(585) 276-5687
Sarah Strause
Administrator for NCORP Research Base
(585) 275-1398
ReKeeta Goodfriend
Administrative Assistant for All Other
Division Inquires
(585) 275-5513
News
-
Shari Hofmann received the inaugural 2022 Division of Supportive Care in Cancer Team Player Staff Award. Kate Kessler received the inaugural Professionalism Staff Award.
- Drs. AnnaLynn Williams, Nikesha Gilmore and Hongying Sun join our tenure-track faculty in 2022 as Assistant Professors.
- Drs. Mustian, Lin and Dr. Dunne (Medicine) were recently awarded a Cancer Grand Challenge Grant for their project, “Cancer Cachexia Action Network.”
- Dr. Charles Kamen and Dr. Song Yao of Roswell Park received a $13M grant from NCI for their UG3/UH3 project titled “Disparities in Results of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment (DIRECT): A Prospective Cohort Study of Cancer Survivors Treated with anti-PD-1/anti-PD-L1 Agents in a Community Oncology Setting.”
- Dr. Luke Peppone was awarded an NCI R01 titled “High-dose Vitamin D Supplementation for ADT-Induced Bone Loss in Older Prostate Cancer Patients.”
- Drs. Supriya Mohile (Medicine and secondary in Surgery), Michelle Janelsins, Karen Mustian and received a $3.85M grant from NCI for their MPI R01 titled, “Geriatric Evaluation and Management for Older Adult Survivors of Cancer.”
- Dr. Nikesha Gilmore was award a CTSI KL2 titled, “A Phase 2 Randomized Controlled Trial Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (EGCG) on Frailty and Inflammation in Older Survivors of Colon Cancer.” From Surgery, Drs. Janelsins, Peppone, and Fleming serve as mentors/advisors.
- Dr. Gilmore received a supplement to Dr. Janelsins’ R01 titled, “Using Epigenetic Markers of Aging to Predict Frailty Trajectories in Survivors of Breast Cancer.”
- Dr. Ian Kleckner and Dr. Po-Ju Lin were awarded an MPI NCI R21 titled, “Assessing the Role of the Interoceptive Brain System in the Pathophysiology and Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy.”
- Dr. Lee Kehoe (T32 fellow) was awarded an NIA Rochester Roybal Center for Social Ties and Aging ProtoSTAR research pilot grant titled, “A Dyadic Life Review Intervention for Individuals with Advanced Cancer and Mild Cognitive Impairment and their Care Partners.”
- Dr. Michelle Janelsins was elected as Co-Chair of the NCI Symptom Management and Quality of Life Steering Committee and member of the NIH Center for Scientific Review Advisory Council.
- Dr. Karen Mustian was nominated to the NCI Board of Scientific Advisors.
- Dr. Eva Culakova presented at the NCI NCORP Research Base Statistical Leads Meeting.
- Dr. Michelle Janelsins’ JCO study on exercise for chemotherapy-related cognitive decline was featured in the New York Times and Washington Post.