ECOG-ACRIN Names New Leaders

At the Spring 2025 Group Meeting, the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (ECOG-ACRIN) announced the following leadership appointments:

• Seena C. Aisner, MD (Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey), is co-chair of both the Laboratory Science Advisory Committee and the Laboratory Science and Pathology Committee, filling new positions
• Daniel P. Barboriak, MD (Duke University/Duke Cancer Institute), is Imaging Representative on the Executive Committee, filling a new position; he is also co-chair of the Biomarker Steering Committee, succeeding joint co-chairs Stanley R. Hamilton, MD, David A. Mankoff, MD, PhD, and Anthony F. Shields, MD, PhD
• Lisa Beckendorf (Research Advocacy Network), is co-chair of the Cancer Research Advocates Committee, filling a new position
• Connie Folz, PharmD (Marshfield Medical Center/Wisconsin NCORP), is chair of the Pharmacy Committee, succeeding Virna I. Almuete, PharmD
• Petros Grivas, MD, PhD (University of Washington/Fred Hutch Cancer Center), is co-chair of the Genitourinary Cancer Committee, succeeding Naomi B. Haas, MD
• Christine M. Lovly, MD, PhD (Vanderbilt University/Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center), is co-chair of the Scientific Planning Committee, joining co-chairs Keith T. Flaherty, MD, and David A. Mankoff, MD, PhD
• Elizabeth S. McDonald, MD, PhD (University of Pennsylvania/Abramson Cancer Center), is chair of the Image Analytics Working Group, filling a new position on the Data Science Committee
• Kathy D. Miller, MD (Indiana University/IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center), is Cancer Centers Liaison on the Executive Committee, succeeding George W. Sledge Jr., MD
• Courtney Morris, PharmD (Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center/Aurora NCORP), is co-chair of the Pharmacy Committee, succeeding Connie Folz, PharmD
• Harlan A. Pinto, MD (Stanford University/VA Palo Alto Health Care), is co-chair of the Health Equity Committee, succeeding the late Edith P. Mitchell, MD

Suresh Ramalingam Included in 2025 TIME100 Health List

Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD (Emory University/Winship Cancer Institute), was recently featured in the 2025 TIME100 Health List for his achievements in lung cancer—and in particular for his role leading the LAURA Clinical Trial. The trial’s results, published in 2024 in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that treatment with osimertinib resulted in significantly longer progression-free survival than placebo in patients with unresectable stage 3 EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer.

Dr. Ramalingam was also recently honored at Emory University with the Albert E. Levy Award for Excellence in Scientific Research.

At ECOG-ACRIN, Dr. Ramalingam is a deputy chair on the Executive Committee, representing the Therapeutic Studies Program. He is a co-chair and co-founder of the Mentoring Program and a member of the Thoracic Cancer Committee, which he chaired from 2011-2021. Read the TIME feature on Dr. Ramalingam.

Changes at the Central Biorepository and Pathology Facility

Scott D. Jewell, PhD (The University of Texas/MD Anderson Cancer Center), is the new director of the ECOG-ACRIN Central Biorepository and Pathology Facility (CBPF), located at MD Anderson Cancer Center, succeeding Ignacio I. Wistuba, MD. Dr. Jewell is an experienced leader in pathology with extensive experience in biobanking. He is a professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Previously, he served as a professor and director of the Program for Technologies and Cores and the Program for Biospecimen Science at the Van Andel Institute. He also directed the Human Tissue Resource Network and was the associate director of the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Biorepository and Biospecimen Services Shared Resource. He served as President of the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories from 2009 to 2010.

Dr. Wistuba has transitioned to the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, where he serves as the inaugural chair of translational pathology. He will continue to participate in ECOG-ACRIN trials.

Clinical Imaging Features Etta Pisano

In a recent issue, Clinical Imaging included a profile on Etta D. Pisano, MD, highlighting her remarkable career in radiology and her work as an advocate for women’s health. Dr. Pisano is the chief research officer at the American College of Radiology’s Center for Research and Innovation. She is also the lead investigator for the ongoing Tomosynthesis Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (TMIST), which enrolled over 108,000 women from across the world. She formerly chaired ECOG-ACRIN’s Prevention, Screening and Surveillance Committee. The profile piece is co-authored by Elizabeth S. McDonald, MD, PhD, chair of the Image Analytics Working Group, part of the Data Science Committee. Read the profile on Dr. Pisano.

ECOG-ACRIN Awards 2025 Paul Carbone, MD Fellowship

Zachary M. Avigan, MD, MHS (Mount Sinai Health System/The Tisch Cancer Institute), is the recipient of the 2025 Paul Carbone, MD Fellowship Award, a research grant that aims to develop and promote excellence in clinical trials leading to improvements in cancer care. Each year, ECOG-ACRIN names one outstanding senior oncology or hematology research fellow at a member institution to receive this award and associated professional recognition. Dr. Avigan’s research project is titled Defining the clonal dynamics and inflammatory pathways driving delayed hematologic recovery after BCMA CAR-T in multiple myeloma.

Spring Group Meeting Session Recordings Now Available

Did you miss the Spring 2025 Group Meeting? If you are an ECOG-ACRIN member, you can now catch up on important study updates and trainings by viewing our library of session recordings. These are available for both attendees and those who missed the meeting. Attendees can simply visit the Attendee Hub Website and log in with the information provided during registration. Everyone else should first register for the meeting and then visit the Attendee Hub to view session recordings on demand.

After registration, users should go to the Attendee Hub and log in with the information they provided. Navigate to ‘Schedule,’ and then select ‘On Demand’ from the dropdown list. Note: The Attendee Hub Website will expire 90 days following the meeting (mid-August 2025).

In the coming weeks, we will also post select session recordings and resources from the Spring Group Meeting on the members’ section of the ECOG-ACRIN website. These materials will be available to anyone with member login credentials, regardless of meeting attendance.