DETROIT, March 18, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Gerold Bepler, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, recently announced the promotion of five scientific staff members. They include: Jennifer Beebe-Dimmer, Ph.D., MPH; Michele Cote, Ph.D.; Justin Klamerus, M.D., MMM; Larry Matherly, Ph.D.; and Hayley Thompson, Ph.D.
'We are fortunate to have an incredibly gifted team of cancer experts at Karmanos and these five individuals demonstrate their commitment every day by their leadership and advancements to science," said Dr. Bepler. "Their example is helping to train, mentor and support scientists who will continue to advance oncology research in the years to come as well as help close the gap on cancer disparities."
Jennifer Beebe-Dimmer, Ph.D., MPH, has been appointed co-leader of the Population Studies and Disparities Research (PSDR) Program at Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University School of Medicine. Dr. Beebe-Dimmer is an associate professor in the Department of Oncology. Her research focuses on the epidemiology of genitourinary cancers with a special interest in hereditary prostate cancer and familial aggregation of prostate with other cancers. She also serves as the scientific director of the Epidemiology Research Core at Karmanos.
Dr. Beebe-Dimmer joined the PSDR team at Karmanos in 2007. In her new position, Dr. Beebe-Dimmer will work closely with Program Leader Hayley Thompson, Ph.D. and Co-Leader Michael Simon, M.D., MPH, and together, they will work to advance the goals of the PSDR Program, which include both investigating cancer risk factors in populations, survivorship and outcomes with attention to racial and ethnic disparities, as well as examining patient, family member, physician and community interactions and behavior to understand and conduct interventions to address cancer risk, treatment and outcomes.
Michele Cote, Ph.D., has been appointed associate center director for Education at Karmanos Cancer Institute. Dr. Cote is also associate professor in the Department of Oncology at Wayne State University School of Medicine.
In this newly created position at Karmanos, Dr. Cote will coordinate educational activities across the Institute, overseeing the integration of research-focused education into the scientific research programs. This includes working closely with clinicians and facilitating communication with directors of clinical training programs with respect to integrating research training standards and identifying opportunities to enhance research support across the programs. Ultimately, the goal is to continue the upward trajectory of scholarly publications and successful research applications by clinical and research faculty.
Dr. Cote joined the staff of Karmanos and Wayne State University in 2005 as assistant professor. Her research focuses on the intersection of molecular epidemiology and health disparities with a special interest in examining genetic and molecular factors in lung and female cancers that impact disease occurrence or prognosis in underserved populations.
Justin Klamerus, M.D., MMM, has been appointed to the new position of associate center director for Community Oncology at Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University School of Medicine. Dr. Klamerus, an assistant professor in the Department of Oncology, is also the vice president of Community-Based Programs and chief quality officer for Karmanos. Additionally, he serves as medical director for Clinical Oncology Research for McLaren Health Care.
Dr. Klamerus joined the staff of Karmanos in 2014. In his position, Dr. Klamerus oversees all areas related to the clinical/research integration of Karmanos' expanded network of cancer centers, ensuring common/consistent, high-quality standards of performance and evidence-based practice at all current and future Karmanos sites within the network, including the development of common care plans, pathways and alternate payment reform strategies. Dr. Klamerus currently oversees operations at 12 Karmanos Cancer Institute's community-based centers in the network.
Dr. Klamerus's independent research has focused on upper aerodigestive cancers (cancers of the oral cavity, esophagus, pharynx, and larynx), health policy and health care disparities. He currently serves as program director of the Pathways initiative of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and also serves on numerous committees and work groups within the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Dr. Klamerus is presently a Fellow of the Health Management Academy's General Electric leadership program.
Larry Matherly, Ph.D., has been appointed as associate center director for Basic Sciences at Karmanos Cancer Institute. He also serves as the leader of the Molecular Therapeutics (MT) Program at Karmanos and as is a professor in the Department of Oncology at Wayne State University School of Medicine.
Dr. Matherly's dedication and commitment are exemplified through his relentless efforts to ensure the success of the MT Program. During the most recent National Cancer Institute Cancer Center Support Grant review, Dr. Matherly's efforts were noted as the MT Program garnered strong support by national experts.
His research focuses on the basic biology of membrane transporters and the biology and therapeutic applications of folates and related analogs. Additionally, he leads studies aimed towards drug discovery and translational studies of chemotherapy response and resistance.
Dr. Matherly's tenure spans back to 1987 when he joined the staff at assistant member of the Michigan Cancer Foundation, now known as Karmanos Cancer institute. In his new position, Dr. Matherly is an integral member of the senior leadership team at Karmanos working to achieve the mission of exceptional cancer care, research and education. He oversees the Basic Science Core Cluster, which includes the Animal Model and Therapeutics Evaluation; Microscopy, Imaging and Cytometry Resources; and Proteomics Cores. He promotes and facilitates intra- and inter-programmatic collaborations, recruits new faculty, mentors junior faculty and advocates for the interests of basic science research at Karmanos.
Hayley Thompson, Ph.D., has been appointed leader of the Population Studies and Disparities Research (PSDR) Program at Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University School of Medicine. Dr. Thompson is also an associate professor in the Department of Oncology.
Dr. Thompson's research has primarily focused on the development and testing of culturally targeted interventions at all phases of the cancer care continuum, including community-based research implementation. She also works in the area of cancer survivorship, eHealth and the use of personal technologies in cancer care.
Dr. Thompson joined the faculty of Karmanos and Wayne State University in 2011. In her new role, Dr. Thompson will work closely with the co-leaders of the PSDR Program Jennifer Beebe-Dimmer, Ph.D., and Michael Simon, M.D., MPH.
Together, they serve to advance the goals of the PSDR Program which include investigating the distribution and determinants of cancer risk, survivorship and outcomes with attention to racial and ethnic disparities and examining patient, family member, physician and community interactions and behavior to understand and conduct interventions to address cancer risk, treatment and outcomes with attention to reducing and eliminating racial and ethnic disparities.
Dr. Thompson is also the director of the Witness Project of Detroit.
About the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute
Located in mid-town Detroit, Michigan, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, a subsidiary of McLaren Health Care, is one of 45 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Karmanos is among the nation's best cancer centers. Through the commitment of 1,000 staff, including nearly 300 physicians and researchers on faculty at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, and supported by thousands of volunteer and financial donors, Karmanos strives to prevent, detect and eradicate all forms of cancer. Its long-term partnership with the WSU School of Medicine enhances the collaboration of critical research and academics related to cancer care. Gerold Bepler, M.D., Ph.D., is the Institute's president and chief executive officer. For more information call 1-800-KARMANOS or go to www.karmanos.org
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SOURCE Karmanos Cancer Institute
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