Recognized by cancer specialists from around the globe, Joseph R. Bertino, MD, interim director and chief scientific officer at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) was honored with the Distinguished Service Award for Scientific Achievement at the 44th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) held last month. Dr. Bertino, a university professor of medicine and pharmacology at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, was recognized during the President’s Dinner at the annual gathering, which is attended by international clinical researchers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other related health professionals.  The award recognizes Dr. Bertino’s dedication to cancer research and scientific inquiry, as well his exceptional record of service to the Society.  Dr. Bertino is a past president of ASCO, having served from 1976 to 1977, and has been a member of the Society for 41 years.  Last year he was a recipient of ASCO’s inaugural Statesman Award, which recognizes volunteer efforts and significant societal contributions made by ASCO members, who have served 20 cumulative years in the organization.

Dr. Joseph R. Bertino recently named Edmund C. Lattime, PhD, associate director for education and training and professor of surgery at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, to serve as the new Deputy Director of CINJ. Dr. Lattime joined CINJ in 1998 following faculty appointments first at Memorial Sloan- Kettering and then at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. His laboratory and clinical studies focus on tumor immunology, gene therapy and the development of vaccines for cancer treatment. As deputy director, he will be responsible for continuing the development of the research programs at CINJ. While research is a main component of his work, Dr. Lattime also is responsible for coordinating numerous seminar series and continuing medical education opportunities including the Governor’s Conference on Effective Partnering in Cancer Research. He also co-chairs the Annual Retreat on Cancer Research in New Jersey, which encourages leading experts in the basic science and clinical aspects of cancer to join together to share their work with each other and the public. Both events are held in collaboration with the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research. Dr. Lattime currently chairs the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Immunopathology and Immunotherapy Grant Review Panel. He has authored over 100 scientific publications and is the editor of “Gene Therapy of Cancer,” the Elsevier book currently in its second edition.

Cycling enthusiasts are being encouraged to register for the one-day, 100-mile Century for the Cure bicycle ride being held on September 6th, at Camp Riverbend in Warren Township proceeds from which will benefit The Cancer Institute of New Jersey. CINJ is where the founder of the ride, Scott Glickman, was treated for stage four non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma more than a decade ago. The disease will affect more than 66,000 Americans this year, killing a little more than a third. In New Jersey, some 2,200 new cases will be diagnosed in 2008, with 550 deaths. A cyclist himself, Glickman for years participated in the 200-mile, two-day Pan Mass Challenge Bike Ride and in recent years worked to bring a similar ride closer to home in an effort to give back to the institution that was so instrumental to his recovery. The Century for the Cure was born, and it is the aim of event organizers this year to top the $102,000 raised last year by some 60 riders. Since it’s inception in 2005, the Ride has raised more than $185,000, with 97-percent of the proceeds going directly to CINJ. Registration and donation forms for this year’s Century for the Cure can be downloaded via www.centuryforthecure.com or www.cinjfoundation.org. Volunteers to staff the event also are being sought. This year’s ride is sponsored by Capital One Bank, Benefit Sources and Solutions, and Genetech.