Researchers and interested supporters from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC) recently met in a mini-symposium to report on some of the collaborative research the two institutions have been conducting. This program, which took place at Fox Chase, was entitled “Current Science, Future Goals and Shared Objectives.” It was the most recent of the many conferences and symposia the two research centers have conducted since formalizing an affiliation agreement in 2008 to join forces in the battle against cancer. This agreement was made possible by the Philadelphia Chapter of American Associates, Ben-Gurion University (AABGU), a nonprofit organization that supports BGU by raising awareness about the institution throughout the United States.

Since 2008, several basic science and clinical science research collaborations have been conducted, and joint articles have been published. For example, symposium organizers Dr. Glenn Rall, of FCCC, and Dr. Jacob Gopas, of BGU, are collaborating in defining what role human viruses may play in certain cancers. Their research is funded in part by a grant from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Kerry Campbell, of FCCC, and Dr. Angel Porgador, of BGU, are researching natural killer cells for detecting and attacking tumors.

The BGU-FCCC partnership has received five grants and has been responsible for the training of three BGU graduate students and one post-doctoral fellow. One of these students, Dr. Eugene Izumchenko, earned a PhD as a result of his course of study at the two institutions. He is now a member of the Johns Hopkins University faculty. The partnership between BGU and FCCC was initiated by Dr. Alton Sutnick, who founded the Health Sciences and Academic Affiliations Committee of the AABGU Philadelphia chapter.

This very active committee is now chaired by Dr. Robert Zipkin, founder and scientific director of Med Chem 101, who, with his wife, Marla, co-chairs the Philadelphia chapter as a whole. Through the Health Sciences and Academic Affiliations Committee, the Philadelphia chapter continues to offer leadership and financial support to the important collaboration between Ben-Gurion University and Fox Chase Cancer Center.