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Nickerson critical to cancer center's NCI designation by Cindy Abole Public Relations Several years ago, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control chronic disease division director Brenda Nickerson could see the warm rays of retirement shining on her horizon. But instead of staying the course for the following five years, she was enticed towards a new direction and challenge—the opportunity to help guide the state’s cancer center to its goal of improving statewide and regional cancer care while advancing cancer research.    Nickerson was hired by Hollings Cancer Center (HCC) director Carolyn E. Reed, M.D., to coordinate key grant funding opportunities and outline plans that meet Reed’s vision for HCC’s emergence as an NCI-designated cancer center. The center's aim is to join an elite group of 60-plus institutions that have received NCI-designated status throughout the United States.    Since 2000, Nickerson has worked hard to become the center’s authority on P30 cancer center grant funding. A details-oriented person, Nickerson had to orient herself quickly to the center’s organization, staff and learn to juggle priorities while keeping her eye on the target.    “The ability to write, submit and manage grants is critical to the success of a cancer center,” said Reed. “Brenda has a talent to keep several ‘balls in the air’ at the same time, and yet remain calm and focused. Her writing, organizational and communication skills have brought different people together to seek funding. These new collaborations energize and strengthen the cancer center.”   Accepting a challenge Just weeks after her hire, Nickerson joined Reed during a visit to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, Md., where they met with officials to discuss their options for steering towards NCI-designated center status. She accepted the tall challenge of preparing and submitting a P20 Cancer Center Planning Grant, a precursor to the considerable P30 NCI Cancer Center Support Grant, within a two-month time frame.     She did it and has accomplished much more.    The process begins when eligible institutions apply for and accept an NCI  P20 Cancer Center Core Grant, which helps programs evaluate, organize and coordinate information and requirements, plus it provides fundamental funding support in preparation for the P30 Core Grant. It evaluates essential characteristics required for NCI designation including the institution’s cancer focus, institutional commitment, infrastructure, leadership roles and interdisciplinary coordination.    An important result of this process is the creation and organization of various groups and committees who are focused on cancer research and clinical care.     One key group at MUSC  is HCC’s External Scientific Advisory Board, composed of directors and leaders from seven NCI-Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Representatives include leaders from H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center at the University of South Florida, University of Alabama-Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center at the University of Washington, University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center, the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center.    The group’s primary goal is to support and evaluate HCC’s progress through mock assessments, response and feedback. Preliminary results from this collaboration praised MUSC’s basic research and prevention and control capabilities, but pushed for improvements in clinical and translational research.        Nickerson does much more than paperwork. She works closely with Reed and HCC deputy director for research Yusuf A. Hannun, M.D., in managing and prioritizing tasks, and staying on a strict time line to meet their goals. She stays informed of activities on all levels from Reed and the HCC Executive Council to committees and subgroups. Last year, she also met with the campus basic research program leaders to organize a detailed operational plan and to assess their progress and set goals for the next few years. Opening doors for collaboration  Results of this process have already opened doors and initiated important dialogue and collaboration among clinicians, researchers and scientists in a more focused fashion. Last August, HCC held its first basic research retreat which provided a forum for interaction and communication among 190 campus researchers. Their focus was on cancer-related programs in three areas of research: cancer biology, functional genetics and basic and pre-clinical therapeutics. This effort has led to new approaches to organize research projects. The group’s second retreat is scheduled for Aug. 23 at Wild Dunes.    An extension of the P30 External Advisory Committee is an internal scientific advisory committee composed of seasoned scientists and researchers from various departments. A separate review committee evaluates, discusses and scores new proposals and coordinates packages. Nickerson passes these results to Reed and Hannun for their approval and input.    “This is such a great opportunity for our faculty and staff to participate and become involved with HCC,” Nickerson said.    Another group, the HCC Research Committee is headed by Hannun and monitors cancer research progress, collaborations with other researchers and oversees the university’s growing list of shared resources to generate more advanced cancer research. Nickerson works closely with HCC shared resource manager Sallie Abbott and the oncology clinical trials director Rhonda Yusuff in these efforts.  Prevention, control and outreach Beyond research, Nickerson helps manage HCC’s collaboration for the prevention, control and outreach component of the center. New partnerships between HCC, MUSC’s College of Nursing and the Department of Radiology Mammography Center were formed to organize collaborative cancer screening opportunities with HCC’s mobile health unit throughout Lowcountry neighborhoods and communities.    “Brenda is terrific,” said Peggy Schachte, director of MUSC’s Office of Research Development. “Not only does she have the background, but she also possesses the right personality, people skills and positive attitude than can accomplish this challenge.”    Nickerson and Reed recently filed a P20 Planning Grant progress report summarizing the center’s progress, efforts and accomplishments. According to Nickerson, the process now shifts to recruiting the best qualified people to fill key positions and establish efforts to strengthen the translational research program, while continuing ongoing building expansion and construction efforts. Nickerson is confident that with HCC and the university’s continued support they will prevail. “Once we attain NCI designation we’ll undergo a more rigorous process in maintaining NCI-designated status,” Nickerson said, further predicting that HCC faculty and staff will never rest on their laurels.    The time line to move forward from P20 status to P30 must be completed within a three to four-year period. The P30 challenge begins with submission of a completed application, review process and site visit.     “This is the road we’re on; we have our map and we know our destination,” Nickerson said. “We will stay on course and succeed in having an NCI-designated cancer center for the people of South Carolina.”    For information visit http://danube.musc.edu   Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. 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