The analogy isn’t far off the mark. The center, launched last year with an $11 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant, already has attracted four top-drawer researchers and is searching for four more.

“I couldn’t be happier with the people we’ve got coming here,” said Berger, a veteran cancer researcher and biological sciences faculty member. “We’ve got superb candidates from some of the best labs in the world. This is creating an immediate cohort of experts who will be interacting with the three dozen or so faculty members actively engaged in cancer research.”

The NIH grant created a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) with the goal of mentoring junior faculty at USC and recruiting rising stars to create a critical mass of scientists who can compete for NIH research grants. The grant will support recruitment of eight scientists to USC and two to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Of the four remaining appointments to be made at USC, one will be in the Arnold School of Public Health.

“The COBRE grant is the magnet that’s attracting these applicants,” Berger said. “It’s an exciting time amidst all this budget turmoil.”

Following are brief profiles of USC’s four new colon cancer researchers:

Troy Baudino, currently completing a post-doctoral fellowship at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, will join USC in January in the School of Medicine’s Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Anatomy.

Baudino’s research focuses on hematopoiesis (the formation of blood), vasculogenesis, and angiogeneis (formation of blood supply in the developing embryo and in tumors), as well as mapping out different players in cancer pathways. He also has begun studies examining the chemopreventative and chemotherapeutic efficacy of various compounds.

“I chose to come to USC and the Colon Cancer Research Center to start up my lab because I believe that the researchers and the institute as a whole have the potential to do great things in the cancer field,” Baudino said. “I am looking forward to helping mold the institute into a top research center.”

Phil Buckhaults Phil Buckhaults most recently completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Molecular Genetics Lab at Johns Hopkins University and joined USC this summer with appointments in the School of Medicine’s pathology and microbiology department and the S.C. Cancer Center.

Buckhaults’ research focuses on profiling the genetic makeup of colon tumors to predict which cases are likely to be more aggressive and require intensive treatment. By determining the “bad” genes that make some colon cancers more aggressive than others, clinicians will be able to more accurately inform patients on their prognosis and scientists will be able to target drug development for these aggressive tumors.

Much of Buckhaults’ work uses gene expression analysis to examine the genetic signatures of colon cancer. This analysis has revealed different “fingerprints” among tumors, which suggests that treatment strategies might vary depending on the predicted aggressiveness of the tumor.

“It’s important to note that almost everyone with colon cancer was, at some point, walking around with a curable form of the disease. They just didn’t know about it. Early detection and treatment are key to saving lives.” Buckhaults said.

His arrival at USC is “a dream come true. Getting in on the ground floor with the Center for Colon Cancer Research leverages priceless commodities— excitement, exuberance, and enthusiasm all make this a perfect climate for all of us to succeed. Everybody wants this to work.”


Dan Dixon, most recently on the faculty at Vanderbilt University, will join USC in October with joint appointments in biological sciences and at the S.C. Cancer Center.

Dixon’s research focuses on the molecular mechanisms regulating the expression of cyclooxygenase (COX-2), a key enzyme in the production of prostaglandins, which regulate intestinal cell growth and proliferation. Unregulated COX-2 expression plays a significant role in cancer cell growth, specifically in colon carcinogenesis and inflammatory diseases. By better understanding the cellular mechanisms involved in regulating COX-2 and other cancer-associated gene expression, novel successful therapeutic strategies to prevent and combat colorectal cancer can be developed.

“This award has brought together multidisciplinary researchers interested in working on the problem of colorectal cancer along with providing the necessary resources to make my research program competitive in obtaining federal funding,” Dixon said.

“This position has provided me with a unique opportunity to associate with biomedical researchers and clinicians at the S.C. Cancer Center along with world-class researchers working in the basic sciences through my primary appointment in the Department of Biological Sciences.”

Lorne J. Hofseth, currently in the Laboratory of Human Carcinogenesis at the National Cancer Institute, will join USC’s College of Pharmacy in early 2004.

Hofseth’s research focuses on chronic infection and associated inflammation, which contribute to about one-fourth of cancers world-wide. These oxyradical overload diseases include hepatitis, Barrett's esophagus, and ulcerative colitis, which is an inflammatory condition of the colon associated with a high colon cancer risk.

“I am examining the influence of damaging free radicals, released in areas of chronic inflammation, on key cancer proteins and their pathways in ulcerative colitis,” Hofseth said. “Complementary to these studies will be long-term, prospective chemoprevention studies on patients with ulcerative colitis and other oxyradical overload diseases to see if we can decrease their cancer burden.”

Hofseth was attracted to USC because of the “structure, facilities, and mentorship program associated with the College of Pharmacy and the COBRE grant. There are also outstanding young recruits and more experienced scientists that allow a lot of room for collaborations and team-oriented research.”

10/03