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Director’s Update
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<<Greeting>>,
When I became the director of Massey in December 2019, I made a pledge that community would be at the core of everything we do. Since then, I have worked to earn the trust of the people in our communities as I work to reduce the burden of cancer.
This month, STAT called Massey a “trust-builder” for our commitment to community-guided research. You can read more about the report, along with news about the other great work we are doing, from breakthroughs in cancer research to 30 years of Massey Club to sharing simple (and delicious) ways to stay healthy. We are making a difference here in Virginia and on a national scale.
I am proud to be the director of this cancer center, and I know our positive impacts are boundless.
Best,
Robert A. Winn, M.D.
Director and Lipman Chair in Oncology, VCU Massey Cancer Center
Senior Associate Dean for Cancer Innovation, VCU School of Medicine
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Be Informed
Learn how we are improving health
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Massey continues to take aim at racial disparities in cancer, leads new Alliance for Equity in Cancer Care
Massey has been selected as the national program office for the Alliance for Equity in Cancer Care, an initiative funded by the Merck Foundation to help cancer patients living in underserved communities receive timely access to high-quality, culturally responsive care. In this role, Massey will help the foundation provide grants to select nonprofit health care organizations to support evidence-informed, innovative programs that advance equity in cancer care.
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Massey’s focus on trust-building among underserved populations recognized
Massey was recently recognized as a leader for its work in the community and in building trust. STAT recently highlighted Massey and center Director Robert A. Winn, M.D., in a special report that showcases how we foster trust and candid dialogue with medically underserved populations. The report called Massey a “trust-builder” that is “breaking the barriers between research and Black patients.”
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Be Inspired
Meet the people who inspire us
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Happy place: Massey offers free wigs to cancer patients
“The wig salon is the happy place of the hospital.”
– Moné Bailey
August was Hair Loss Awareness Month, and Massey cosmetologist Moné Bailey has insights to share about the impact of the Massey Wig Salon. Following a diagnosis, cancer patients can receive one free wig per year through the wig salon program at Massey’s Adult Outpatient Pavilion location in Richmond, Virginia, and at the newly opened Cancer Resource Center in Lawrenceville, Virginia. “[Patients] walk out [of our salon] feeling pretty and like themselves. … Adding that piece of confidence back in their already strenuous journey is amazing,” Bailey said.
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Chickahominy T.R.U.T.H.: A new community partnership inspired by truth
If truth is power, a new community-academic partnership is about empowerment. VCU Massey Cancer Center and the Virginia Chickahominy Tribe have partnered to create the Chickahominy T.R.U.T.H. project. Led at Massey by Maria Thomson, Ph.D., and Katherine Tossas, Ph.D., the initiative, whose name stands for Trust, Research, Understand, Tell and Heal, was launched in response to community concerns about a cancer cluster; researchers investigated how community environmental issues can increase cancer risks and provided grant writing and other support to communities potentially at risk.
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Be Involved
Support advances in cancer research
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Yum: Have weekly recipes and wellness tips delivered to your inbox
Fighting cancer starts with all of us. Staying healthy and eating well is an important part of cancer prevention. Every Wednesday, Massey registered dietitian Allie Farley sends out an email with simple and healthy recipes and other wellness tips. On Aug. 31, National Trail Mix Day, the Wellness Wednesday newsletter included a recipe for a great snack that is high in protein, calories and fiber, and is easy to take on the go. If you’d like to receive weekly recipes, be sure to sign up.
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One mission, three events, $450,000 raised for cancer research
This month, Massey Nation swam, floated, dunked and celebrated its way closer to a future without cancer. What a way to celebrate the end of summer.
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Massey on the River 2022: A night of fun and fundraising
Massey on the River, hosted by the Massey Alliance, was back as an in-person event after a two-year hiatus. The evening of revelry combined live music, food and fun to raise $140,000 (and counting) for Massey. More than 300 guests joined a long and impressive lineup of sponsors who contributed to the success of the night, and who shared their reasons for supporting the event in a video.
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Are you or friends interested in joining the Massey Alliance to have fun while fighting cancer? Email Massey Alliance President Ben Barani to learn more.
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Swim Across America – Richmond 2022
RVA’s third annual swim event saw more than 100 participants swim, float and fundraise their way to $100,000-plus, the event’s highest fundraising total.
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Pancreatic cancer research at Massey
Massey’s Chief of Surgery Jose Trevino, M.D., joined Fight Cancer Stay Positive founder Julie Shudtz for Dunk for a Cure 2022. Friends of all ages had a fun afternoon that raised $150,000 to combat pancreatic cancer.
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Did you know that nearly a third of Massey’s annual budget comes from philanthropy, including corporate sponsorships? Learn more about how your company can support Massey and Massey events while receiving recognition.
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Be Innovative
Check out our latest research news
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Massey researchers breathe new life into platinum-based drug
Triple-negative breast cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers, and few targeted therapies exist to combat the diagnosis. Once the cancer recurs, average life expectancy is about one year. But that could be changing, thanks to researchers at VCU working across disciplines to understand how a drug developed by Nicholas Farrell, Ph.D., could be better targeted to patients. Farrell and Massey researcher Jennifer Koblinski, Ph.D., are working together on a once-shelved drug, Triplatin, that could soon make it to phase 3 clinical trials as a potential treatment for ovarian, breast and lung cancer.
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Doggone it: Searching for the healthiest and safest dog foods
David P. Turner, Ph.D., a researcher in Massey’s Cancer Prevention and Control program, has teamed up with program co-leader (and wife) Victoria Findlay, Ph.D., to explore the potentially negative links between Advanced Glycation End (A.G.E.) products and human health. Prevalent in highly processed foods, AGEs are linked to the development and complications associated with chronic diseases, and, especially, cancer in humans. The Turners wondered what the products’ consequences might be for our canine friends, since their foods are much more processed than human food is, and AGEs are usually consumed at every meal.
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At Massey, a future without cancer is how we will measure our success.
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Make a gift or tribute in honor or memory of a loved one affected by cancer to support lifesaving cancer research at VCU Massey Cancer Center.
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