From the Desk of Dr. Louis M. Weiner

This is a most bittersweet blog, as we prepare to say thank you and farewell to three treasured colleagues who are retiring. Today is Michael Vander Hoek’s last day at Lombardi. He was the first, most important and enduring connection I have with Georgetown from the time of my arrival at the end of 2007. In his many years here, Michael has held many jobs, and has done all of them superbly well. As the cancer center’s lead administrator for 12 years he made sure that Lombardi and the Department of Oncology stayed on course in a challenging external environment. I came to think of him as my “fixer” (though not in the Michael Cohen context!). He had an answer to every question or challenge, and he took on the hard problems so I could focus on our strategic priorities. Michael’s accomplishments are so numerous, I can’t do them all justice in this space. Prime among them is the pivotal role he played in the process to gain approval from the National Cancer Institute for the Georgetown Lombardi Cancer Consortium in 2019, one of only 16 such consortia in the country. He has since served as the consortium’s director of finance and business development, continuing to provide exceptional leadership in operations and business development. Nobody knows how to get things done at Georgetown better than Michael! I have come to treasure his friendship, his excellent taste in wine and his tireless dedication to our mission. As I mentioned at our little ceremony in his honor last year, he has been most ably succeeded by Sharon Levy, but like so many of our Lombardi colleagues, he will never be fully replaced. I know he will enjoy retirement, fishing and puttering around his vacation home in Michigan, and look forward to calling upon him for sage advice from time to time. Thank you, Michael, we are all beneficiaries of your excellence. You will be dearly missed.

Michael first met Morse Hendricks in the early 1990s when his company, TeamCare (later Critical Care America), established a Homecare Program at Georgetown. Morse worked on the Podium level of the Lombardi Clinic where John Marshall is located now. Morse has been here for so long, but has never been taken for granted by anybody who knows him.

Though Morse’s official title is Procurement Analyst 2, he has served in quite a few roles over the 45+ years (yes, 45!) he has been with Lombardi. Who can forget his summer cookouts? In addition to hosting holiday potluck celebrations for Thanksgiving and many other holidays, he is well known for the service he provides to others. Morse has spent endless hours helping staff and faculty get things processed through a sometimes confusing and difficult system. He helped many patients through the years in getting bills paid through the Patient Caring Fund. We could always count on Morse to volunteer for many activities, including the External Advisory Committee Meetings, site visits, and even the Active Shooter Drills — Morse is an Armed Forces Service Medal veteran. He has made our lives better by the way he has built and sustained our community. Morse has plans to visit Havana after he retires, and I am sure he will go back to the vintage car show. Morse, you will be missed, though you leave behind footprints in the sand that will remain for many years to come. Thank you.

Deb Carbott does not retire until the middle of November. I have never seen her without a smile on her face, as she has sustained our research in innumerable ways. She has always been on call, it seems; we will never forget the holidays she spent at Georgetown. Michael tells a story where he got a call after Thanksgiving dinner one year, and the emergency backup in PCS had gone out and all electrical power was down. She met him there and relocated several freezers that would have otherwise been compromised. Important research was saved that day. And of course, who will forget how she stepped up when we had the S-level floods? With Deb on the case, we never needed to call 911.

These three people, representing nearly 100 years of cumulative service to Georgetown, to the cancer center and to the Department of Oncology, move into the next phases of their lives with our collective gratitude and very best wishes for many years of happiness. We are better for having known them and having had them as members of our collective family. Godspeed to each of you. You will be terribly missed, but never forgotten.

I hope you’ll join me today at the Fall Faculty Convocation, at which our own Dick Schlegel will deliver the “Life of Learning” address. We’ll also have the opportunity to celebrate colleagues who have recently received promotion or tenure. It will be a welcome break from the whirlwind of events that otherwise surrounds us.

Our yearly External Advisory Committee meeting will be held on Monday, and it has been exhilarating to witness our progress. However, I don’t expect to write a blog on Sunday as I finish up preparations for that important meeting.

Wait, is anything else important happening next week? You bet. Remember that Tuesday will be a very important day for our democracy, and what happens will be in the history books long beyond our lives on this Earth. Please vote, and do so in line with your own heartfelt convictions. America needs to hear your voice. But if you plan to vote on Tuesday, please remember that there is still a killer among us. Wear your mask, wash your hands, and stay safe.

Be well.

Lou

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.

Greetings on a stormy Sunday evening. We are at the beach, closing the house down for the season, and I will work from here on Monday, with a full slate of meetings. And there is a lot of work to do!

We are gearing up for our External Advisory Committee meeting on November 2, which will be a virtual “Zoom” event. Everybody with a speaking role is busy pulling together their presentations, which will be pre-recorded to assure that we avoid glitches caused by poor connectivity or other problems. There is a lot to this!

Somehow, I also have submitted a new R01 and am about to submit a pancreatic cancer-focused R21, while preparing to resubmit in the next couple of days our “magnum opus” on mechanisms of resistance to pancreatic cancer-based resistance to immune attack, first-authored by our recent T Bio PhD graduate Reham Ajina. We had to do a lot of experiments to respond to the review of the original submission, no small feat in the midst of COVID-19 related research restrictions.

I don’t know about you, but I am counting down the minutes until the polls close on November 3. Please remember to vote if you have not done so. Any vote is of course based on balancing many factors, but I for one am certainly thinking about how my vote could contribute to the advancement of research and health care. It is such a privilege to exercise this precious franchise.

Please take care, and remember to stay safe, stay sane and be well.

Lou

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.

Coronavirus deaths passed 219,000 this weekend, with more than 8 million cases. The fall surge continues, fueled by the foolish behavior of so many. I know — I repeat this refrain endlessly — but the message is no less urgent. As the out-of-control locomotive that is the 2020 election season hurls headlong toward the reality and consequences of Election Day, I am both innervated and exhausted. We already voted, and I hope all eligible voters among us exercise their right to vote as well.

The past week was devoted to comprehensive strategic planning and preparation for our upcoming EAC meeting. I find the work compelling and vital as we consider how to best organize ourselves to do the best possible science. It also provides a welcome distraction from this crazy political season!

Last week I shared my concerns regarding my father’s health. We drove up to the Philly area last Sunday, and he actually seemed OK. We watched the Eagles lose to the Steelers, and learned a few days later that his blood counts were actually stable. So, that was a bit of a welcome reprieve…

I did have a bit of a scare when I developed a mild sore throat on Tuesday night and Wednesday. Since I was scheduled to see patients on Thursday, I had a COVID-19 test performed on Wednesday out of an abundance of caution. The test was negative, my mild allergy subsided completely, and I uneventfully saw patients on Thursday afternoon with a renewed sense of confidence that I was not endangering those around me. Our society would function better, even during these stressful times, were rapid COVID-19 tests more readily available to guide our actions. It can’t happen soon enough.

Stay safe, and be well.

Lou

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.

I write this blog edition on Saturday evening. We concluded our very successful “5 Days with Lombardi” virtual fundraising event yesterday. I want to thank everybody who participated, all of our Lombardi event leaders who pivoted in this challenging year to support this effort, both as donors and volunteers, and Cristy Seth and her fabulous team in Advancement. The virtual format eliminated the possibility of a real party, but yielded important content that we can use to inform our constituents about the challenges and cutting-edge approaches we employ to achieve our goal of ending cancer. We announced a new $1M gift from Jeannie and Tony Loop, with great gratitude; the proceeds will continue to support the exciting immunotherapy research of Samir Khleif and his colleagues. Finally, we announced our inaugural BellRinger bicycle ride, scheduled for late September 2021. Those of you who are up to riding 100 miles will get a chance to do so, while shorter options will be available as well. I am setting my sights on the 100-mile ride, and have begun to increase the intensity of my training so I will be up to the challenge. Stay tuned for more updates.

Meanwhile, coronavirus continues its grim march through our nation. As of this evening, there have been 7,681,000 cases and 213,000 deaths in the United States, and cases are increasing in many states. Our son in New York tells me that the ICUs are filling up yet again. DC has reported 91 new cases per day over the past week, up 73%. While it is tempting to blame the White House superspreader event as a contributor to this spike, it surely does not account for more than 600 cases. So, increased vigilance is essential. That includes complying with all university requirements for COVID-19 testing and other campus protocols as a prerequisite for retaining GOCard access to campus buildings.

I write tonight’s blog with a full heart that is a bit broken. First of all, our niece Lisa got married on Friday night in Los Angeles. Ordinarily, this would have been a great opportunity for our clan to descend upon L.A. or wherever the wedding would have been held, but these are not ordinary times. So we had to content ourselves with FaceTime and a plan for the real party to be held a year from now, when we hope this madness has subsided.

I have not written much about my father lately. He has been more or less holding his own, though he is gradually fading. We learned a few days ago that he now has blasts on his peripheral blood smear, representing either a progression of his myelofibrosis, or transformation into acute leukemia. Either way, it is not good. We hope it is a false alarm. With luck, this finding does not represent leukemic transformation; but most often, the only luck in these situations is bad.

Our children are fantastic human beings who have created their own great families. After David and his family came down from New York to see my dad this morning, Elana and her family drove up from Baltimore so he could meet her new baby. Our kids decided to not go together because of COVID-19. Ken and his family are going up in the next day or two; they only live about 45 minutes away. Harriet and I are driving up tomorrow so my dad and I can watch the Eagles game. Every moment together is precious and bittersweet — and creates a memory that I can carry with me in years to come.

Stay safe and be well.

Lou

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.

What an exciting “Five Days with Lombardi,” our first-ever big, virtual fundraiser. Thank you to all who have participated.

We have one more event, and we’d appreciate your attendance so we can finish strong.

In just a few hours, at 1 p.m., join Vincent T. Lombardi II, the grandson of our cancer center’s namesake, as he moderates a special panel: “Ask a Doctor.” He’ll be joined by Dr. Michael Atkins, Dr. Claudine Isaacs and Dr. Ruth He, who will share their knowledge and insights on the latest in cancer care and care treatments and answer attendees’ questions.

I encourage you to join this virtual event, which you can access via Zoom here.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Lou

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.

I know, it’s not Monday or an occasional Friday. However, I would be remiss were I not to call attention to our first-ever big, virtual fundraiser, “Five Days with Lombardi,” occurring every day this week. You can find more about the event schedule here. There is a variety of special events, along with educational panels featuring Lombardi scientists and physicians. It is very well done, and I recommend you check it out. The educational panels and presentations have been remarkable. You will be proud of what we do.

In my opinion, this is an approach that can and should enrich our fundraising efforts moving forward. People who care about our mission get more than a party, they get to peek under our hood, understand what we do and why we do it, and derive inspiration from our dedication and passion. What better way to create durable partnerships to put an end to cancer?

There is no charge for you to attend, and no obligation to do anything but marvel at the excellence of your colleagues.

Stay safe and be well.

Lou

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.

There was a debate last week. The topic was coronavirus. The venue was one person’s body. The facts and spin clashed. The facts won, as they always do. Now the president is in the fight of his life, for his life. I hope very much that he wins that fight, just as I hope that everyone afflicted with this terrible disease fully recovers.

We live in an era dominated by “spin.” Facts are either twisted or manufactured to support pre-existing positions. “Spin Rooms” are ubiquitous following debates. Virtually all cable TV news channels impart their particular spins to please, motivate or incite their target audiences. We all consider facts and spin as we seek truth. Sometimes that is easy, other times we get a bit confused. My only confusion about coronavirus precautions is that there remains any confusion at all.

Coronavirus undoubtedly spins through the air as it seeks its victims, and as it wends its merry, remorseless way through our upper aerodigestive tracts. However, no amount of human-derived spin changes its properties or its lethality. It does what it does, and it is what it is. It is no less infectious than it was in February. It is still a dangerous airborne pathogen. It is way better to not get infected because you follow social distancing guidelines, wear masks and wash your hands frequently. It may be a bit less lethal than it was, only because we have gotten better at treating it using weapons such as dexamethasone, remdesivir, convalescent plasma and proning. These are facts, and those who choose to ignore them do so at their peril.

We are all tired of this pandemic and of its debilitating impact on so many aspects of our lives. So, our society is beginning to ignore the facts as we struggle to emerge from the shell of isolation. Not surprisingly, cases are spiking, impacting ordinary folks, college students, NFL players and even national leaders. The virus simply does not care who it infects.

It’s not too late for a change — to respect the facts and use them so we can protect each other. Remember, if the president of the United States, the most heavily protected person on Earth, can get infected, anybody can if they don’t make use of the available facts and take the necessary precautions.

In the meantime, we are finding ways to get our work done despite the pandemic-imposed restrictions on what we can do. Congratulations to Subha Madhavan for the very successful ICBI Health Informatics and Data Science Symposium, held virtually this year to its largest ever number of participants.

Please remember that this is not the time to let down your guard. Our patients and future generations are counting on you to get your job done, and you can’t do that while prone, attached to a ventilator.

Stay safe and be well.

Lou

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.