CCR Grand Rounds June 13: No lecture. General Motors Cancer Research Foundation Conference - Genomics and Cancer, June 12-13. June 20: Dr. Ron McKay, Senior Investigator, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. "Notch Signaling Regulates Stem Cell Numbers in Vitro and in Vivo." CCR Grand Rounds are held 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md., in the Clinical Center's Lipsett Amphitheater. Featured Meetings and Events A calendar of scientific meetings and events sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is available at http://calendar.nih.gov.

NCAB Meeting Slated for June 14
The National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB) will meet on June 14 in Room 6C10 of Building 31 on the NIH campus in Bethesda. Overflow rooms, available for closed circuit viewing, include 6C7 and 11A10 in Building 31. The meeting will be videocast at http://videocast.nih.gov.

Gail Receives Marvin Zelen Leadership Award
On June 2, Dr. Mitchell H. Gail, chief of the Biostatistics Branch in the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG), received the 2006 Marvin Zelen Leadership Award in Statistical Science from the Department of Biostatistics at the Harvard School of Public Health. His award lecture, "Absolute Risk: Clinical Applications and Controversies," illustrated the clinical applications of a model for absolute breast cancer risk, often referred to as the Gail Model. The Zelen Award recognizes an individual in government, industry, or academia who has significantly affected the theory and practice of statistical science.

President's Cancer Panel Releases Annual Report
On June 3, the President's Cancer Panel released its latest report, Assessing Progress, Advancing Change. The report revisits selected recommendations from the 2003 report on cancer survivorship and the 2004-2005 report on translating research into improved care for people with cancer. The Panel reports on the progress that has occurred for the selected recommendations, the near-term priorities for continuing progress, and commitments that organizations have made to further recommendations.

The Panel recognized at least four overarching issues that continue to undermine the progress of the National Cancer Program. They include fiscal constraints that have led to decreased funds for cancer research; lack of comprehensive health care reform needed to ensure universal access to cancer care for all Americans; the need for improvements in education and communication to inform the general public about cancer and cancer research and to more effectively disseminate research findings to health care providers; and lack of coordination across the National Cancer Program, which slows progress and prevents optimal use of resources.

For additional information on the Panel, or to download a copy of the report, go to http://pcp.cancer.gov.

NIH Examines State-of-the-Science in Tobacco Control
The NIH State-of-the-Science Conference on Tobacco Use will take place at the Natcher Conference Center on the NIH campus on June 12-14.

The first day and a half of the meeting will consist of presentations by expert researchers and practitioners, and open public discussions. On June 14, an independent panel will present a statement of its collective assessment of the evidence. The panel will also hold a press conference to address questions from the media. The conference is free, but registration is required. For more details, visit http://consensus.nih.gov/2006/2006TobaccoSOS029html.htm.