The SITC Immune Monitor
February 2013

President's Message

Dear Colleagues,

It’s with great excitement that I begin my tenure as SITC President. We’re only a few months into 2013 and it’s already shaping up to be a monumental year—not only for the field of cancer immunology and immunotherapy, but also for SITC—as we prepare to embark on several new initiatives and a number of new educational programs throughout the year.

The first program of the year, "Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Trials: Concepts and Challenges" is a two-day workshop set to take place April 4-5, 2013 on the NIH Campus in Bethesda, MD and will outline the current challenges posed by the development of therapeutic trials in immunotherapy. Whether you are in academia, industry or government, I encourage you to participate in this interactive program either by attending or submitting an abstract to be considered for an oral presentation. Abstract submission can be done online up until the submission deadline of February 28, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. For more information on abstract submission or to register visit the SITC website.

The start of the new year also includes the start of publication for SITC’s new online, open access, peer-reviewed journal, the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC). We are looking forward to announcing the first published papers soon. I’d also like to remind everyone that the Society is offering waived article processing fees for SITC members through the end of 2013, so be sure to take advantage of this unique member benefit.

Sincerely,


Francesco Marincola, MD
SITC President

SITC Educational Programs - Upcoming Dates & Deadlines

Find upcoming dates and deadlines for SITC educational programs that take place during first part of the year below. For additional program information please visit the SITC website.

Cancer Immunotherapy Clinical Trials: Concepts and Challenges
April 4-5, 2013 ~ Masur Auditorium at National Institutes of Health Campus ~ Bethesda, MD

Cancer Immunotherapy 2013: Overcoming Barriers to Adaptive Immunity
SITC Guest Symposium at the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) Annual Meeting
May 4, 2013 ~ Hawaii Convention Center ~ Honolulu, HI

Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy: From Bench to Bedside and Back
Leading into the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting
May 31, 2013 ~ Hilton Chicago ~ Chicago, IL

Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy: From Bench to Bedside and Back
Regional Pilot Program in partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center, NCI Designated Cancer Center
June 14, 2013 ~ MD Anderson Cancer Center Campus ~ Houston, TX

To learn more about how you can help support SITC's educational activities or initiatives, please see the information on the "Support SITC" tab of the website.

SITC in Action

Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC) Call For Papers

SITC invites you to submit your research to our new official society journal, the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC). JITC is an online, open access, peer-reviewed journal focused on both basic tumor immunology and clinical/translational cancer immunotherapy. Submit your paper today and take advantage of the following benefits:

Help Spread the Word About Cancer Immunotherapy—Become a SITC Champion

The SITC Champion initiative was developed by the SITC Membership Committee to open a two-way communication line between the Society and institutions throughout the country. The goal of this program is to help address the need for community education on immunotherapy and to disseminate important information about SITC’s educational programming, professional development opportunities and scientific initiatives to institutions and companies across the globe. By becoming a SITC Champion you will receive recognition from the Society and the cancer immunotherapy community, networking opportunities with other SITC Champions at top institutions, and the opportunity to further the field of cancer immunotherapy. If you’re interested in learning more about this dynamic initiative, or if you would like to become a SITC Champion at your institution or company, please contact the SITC office at info@sitcancer.org.

Join the SITC Early Career Scientist Committee

SITC recognizes the unique interests and concerns of early career professionals and students. The Early Career Scientist (ECS) Committee was established to partner with SITC leadership to address the needs of early career scientists in the fields of immunology and immunotherapy. This committee serves to promote career development by utilizing the core knowledge and experience of established SITC members. Additionally, the ECS Committee provides access to support and resources early career scientists require to succeed. One of the most popular activities of this committee is the creation of professional development activities for the SITC Annual Meeting program. For more information or to join the ECS Committee, please contact the SITC office at info@sitcancer.org.

Thank You for Helping SITC Move "Forward"

SITC would like to thank everyone who contributed to the Forward Fund in 2012! Your donations are instrumental to this fund’s mission to support young investigators committed to cancer immunotherapy initiatives. Help the Forward Fund reach its $1 million goal in the next four years by contributing today. For more information about the Forward Fund, visit the SITC website.

SITC is on Oncology Tube 

Watch the latest videos from SITC on Oncology Tube, the world's first free video sharing site for oncology professionals. Visit SITC's channel today!

Membership

Reminder – Renew Your SITC Membership

You are very important to us and we don’t want to lose you! Please renew your SITC membership today to keep your member benefits coming uninterrupted. SITC appreciates your membership and thanks you for your continued support! If you have questions regarding your membership status, please contact the SITC office at + 1 (414) 271-2456 or via email at info@sitcancer.org.

Become a SITC Member

The brightest minds in the cancer immunology and immunotherapy community are members of SITC. Join SITC today and you'll have the opportunity to participate in discussions and activities that will shape the field of cancer! For membership information please visit the SITC website.

Welcome New SITC Members

SITC would like to welcome the following new members for the months of December and January:

Other Happenings

T Cell Function and Modulation Conference

The T Cell Function and Modulation Conference will take place prior to the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) Annual Meeting, at the Makena Beach and Golf Resort in Maui, HI from April 28 - May 1, 2013. This meeting will focus on T cell function (CD4s, CD8s, and Tregs); speakers were chosen based on their expertise in T cell biology. The goal of this meeting is to share as much about T cell function as possible so that these principles may be applied to enhancing and/or blocking T cell function in hosts with disease. For more information or to register, visit the conference website at www.agonox.com/mauiconference2013.html.

 

Visit SITC Online

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