Michelle Hill, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, and The University of Queensland, Australia
A new initiative at HUPO2017 was a round table discussion with clinical scientist travel grant winners, the B/D-HPP executives, selected previous clinical scientist travel grant winners, and HUPO2018 organiser Ileana Cristea. The goal of the round table discussion is to gain insight on the challenging facing clinical scientists in proteomics research, and feedback how HUPO could facilitate their clinical proteomics research. In addition, it was hoped that each of the travel grant winners could work closely within one or more B/D-HPP initiatives.
The five award winners hail from across the globe, with broad specialities.
Dr Mariette Labots is a medical oncologist at the VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She is currently pursuing PhD in the OncoProteomics Laboratory led by Dr Connie Jimenez. Dr Labots has worked on phosphoproteomics of cancer tissues in response to targeted therapies.
Dr J Robert O’Neill is a clinical lecturer and honorary specialty registrat in upper gastrointestinal surgery, University of Edinburgh, UK. After completing his PhD in 2014, which involved the use of proteomics to explore therapeutic target discovery, Dr O’Neill is currently building a program in esophageal cancer research in Edinburgh.
Dr Emma Nimeus is a breast cancer surgeon at Skane’s University Hospital and principal investigator for the Breast Cancer Proteogenomics Group at Lund University in Sweden, in the next-door buildilng. Dr Nimeus has established an interdisciplinary and international collaboration to enable proteogenomics research using clinical samples procured from her clinical practice.
Professor Richard D. Semba is an ophthalmologist from Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He is one of the leaders of B/D-HPP EyeOME initiative which began in 2012. Prof Semba’s research aims to understand three important blinding eye diseases: age-related macular degeneration, chronic angle closure glaucoma, and idiopathic macular holes.
Dr Krishna R Murthy is a vitreo-retinal surgeon and the medical director of Vittala International Institute of Ophthalmology, Bangalore, India. He recently defended his PhD from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. Dr Murthy’s areas of clinical interest include diabetic retinopathy, Retinopathy of prematurity, HIV related eye diseases and proteomics of the ocular structures.
The round table began with self-introductions of research areas, how proteomics technologies are accessed, and any challenges currently facing the travel award winners. In-depth discussions between the participants explored diverse topics including the need for proteomic (and lipidomic) research, challenges to obtain access to advanced mass spectrometry technologies and to keep abreast of the fast pace of technology change.
Finally, B/D-HPP executives and HUPO2018 organisers solicited and received feedback on how the HUPO World Congress program could be modified to further facilitate clinical proteomics research and collaboration. Look out for new ideas and formats at HUPO2018!
From left to right: Hui Zhang (Cancer HPP co-chair), Mariette Labots (grant winner), Ferdinando Cerciello (past grant winner, B/D-HPP ECR rep), Robert O’Neill (grant winner), Emma Nimeus (grant winner), Jenny Van Eyk (B/D-HPP chair and executive committee member), Richard Semba (grant winner), David Herrington (past grant winner), Murthy Krishna (grant winner), Eric Deutsche (B/D-HPP executive committee member). Not pictured: Gil Omenn (B/D-HPP ex-officio), Fernando Corrales (B/D-HPP co-chair), Ileana Cristea (HUPO2018 organiser), Michelle Hill (B/D-HPP news article editor).
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