Researchers and clinicians focused on ovarian cancer participated in the inaugural Indiana-Illinois End Epithelial Cancer Coalition Workshop on June 10-11 at the University of Notre Dame. The attendees at this intensive workshop included basic and clinical researchers and trainees from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana University School of Medicine (Bloomington, Indianapolis, South Bend), University of Chicago, University of Illinois (Chicago and Urbana-Champaign), Southern Illinois University – Carbondale, and Rush University.
The discussion began with a presentation by Dr. Ernst Lengyel, Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the Univ. of Chicago who presented, “The Clinical Behavior of Ovarian Cancer.” This was followed by a poster session and a series of short talks that introduced a wide spectrum of research questions and approaches, and detailed many novel model systems including 3-dimensional organotypic models, novel animal models in the hen and the mouse, and research using patient materials. Trainees from Univ. Ill., IU and Univ. of Chicago chaired the oral presentation sessions.
The workshop culminated with two intensive moderated discussions of “Model Systems,” led by Dr. Buck Hales, SIU, and Dr. Yan Xu, IUPUI, and “Clinical and Translational Opportunities,” led by Dr. Ernst Lengyel, Univ. of Chicago, and Dr. Bill Beck, UIC. Participants discussed ways to facilitate collaborations to maximize resources and expertise, sharing of key reagents and protocols, and targeted extra-mural funding opportunities.