Cancer Center gets grant for gastrointestinal cancer research

The National Cancer Institute has awarded the Arizona Cancer Center a five-year, $11.8 million grant for research.

The grant will fund a program that focuses on translating new laboratory cancer research to finding treatments for current gastrointestinal cancer patients.

GI cancers make up approximately 24 percent of cancer deaths in the United States.

The goal of the Specialized Program of Research Excellence is to prevent and cure GI cancers. The program plans on working toward these goals through studying prevention, genetics and therapy.

The university's cancer research program was one of four recipients of the nationwide SPORE grant. It is the third largest grant in UA's cancer center history.

Along with the SPORE program, the existing UA GI program aims to provide basic research and information between basic and clinical scientists. The two programs bring together 13 departments, 41 faculty members and six colleges.

The program will also involve University Medical Center, Tucson Medical Center and the Southern Arizona Veterans Administration Medical Center. The SPORE program aims to recruit Hispanics and Native Americans for prevention, treatment and trials. Hispanics and Native Americans were selected because of their lower incidence of several types of GI cancer.

UA displays new self-identity photo exhibit ĪNAR CIS SISM'

The UA will be displaying a photo exhibit that explores the ideas of self-identity, self-expression and the relationship between science and photography.

"NAR CIS SISM" opened Friday and will feature works by Mary Ivy Martin and Travis Leroy Southworth until Oct. 21 at the Lionel Rombach Gallery, just east of the University of Arizona Museum of Art.

Both artists are UA fine arts seniors.

For more information contact the UA Fine Arts Complex.

UA professor awarded grant to research human voice tissue

A UA professor was recently awarded a $500,000 grant to study tissues that protect the nerve and blood supply to the human voice box. The National Institute for Deafness and Other Communication Disorders awarded Julie Barkmeier the grant with the hopes that her research will help scientists and medical professionals understand some of the nerve injuries that hinder speech.

Barkmeier has also done studies on the larynx of army sergeants who attended drill-sergeant training camp, where soldiers yelled for hours on end.

Society of Mining Engineering holds high school photo contest

The UA Society of Mining Engineering is holding a photography contest with the hopes of teaching Arizona high schoolers about mining operations.

Many high school students are unaware of the mining industry's impact, despite Arizona's responsibility for 65 percent of the U.S. mine production, the society stated.

The 72 Arizona mining companies operate 126 mines in the state. Along with Arizona's sand and gravel producers, the companies employ 15,000 state residents.

The UA Society of Mining Engineering hopes the contest will provide an opportunity for students to better explore the industry. Students may submit no more than three photos, postmarked before Oct. 15.