Immune Memory for Abnormal Self and Immunosurveillance (NIH-Only)
 


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Air date: Tuesday, March 03, 2009, 8:00:00 AM
Category: NCI CCR Grand Rounds (NIH Only)
Description: Dr. Finn is Professor and Chair of the Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Immunology Program Leader. Dr. Finn received her PhD from Stanford University and has been working in the area of tumor immunology for over 20 years. Her laboratory was one of the first to study human T cell responses against tumors, and one of the first to identify a human tumor antigen, MUC1, capable of stimulating cytotoxic T cells. Her work led to the identification of a unique peptide epitope on that molecule culminating in 1993 in the approval of the synthetic version of this epitope as an investigational new drug by the FDA, which is now in Phase II clinical trials as a vaccine for pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer. Dr. Finn has recently undertaken a similar research strategy in lung cancer, and her laboratory has identified a cyclin B1 antigen in lung tumor cells. In addition to her interest in MUC1 and cyclin B1 as vaccine candidates and targets for immunotherapy, Dr. Finn is now directing her research towards the use of these and other molecules for early detection and prevention of cancer.

Dr. Finn has published over 160 papers and reviews and has served on editorial boards of many journals, including serving as Senior Editor for Cancer Research and Advisory Editor for the Journal of Experimental Medicine. She is a member of scientific advisory boards of several cancer centers and member of the NCI Board of Scientific Counselors. She is an active member of the American Association for Cancer Research where she serves on the Steering Committee of the Tumor Immunology Working Group. She is also active in the American Association of Immunologists where she served as President in 2007-2008. She is elected Counselor of the International Union of Immunology Societies.

Dr. Finn has trained 20 PhD and MD/PhD students and received the University of Pittsburgh Mentor of the Year Award. Her other honors include University of Pittsburgh Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Scientific Leadership Award. In 2009 she was named University of Pittsburgh Distinguished Professor. She holds Honorary Professorships at the University of Florence, Italy and the Fourth Military Medical University in Xhian, PRC and has been named Honorary Member of the Immunology Society of Serbia.

SELECTED REFERENCES:
1. Cramer DW, Titus-Ernstoff L, McKolanis JR, Welch WR, Vitonis AF, Berkowitz RS, Finn OJ. Conditions associated with antibodies against the tumor-associated antigen MUC1 and their relationship to risk for ovarian cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2005; 14:1125-31.
2. Egloff AM, Vella LA, Finn OJ. Cyclin B1 and other cyclins as tumor antigens in immunosurveillance and immunotherapy of cancer. Cancer Res 2006; 66:6-9.
3. Finn OJ. Cancer immunology. N Engl J Med 2008; 358:2704-15.

NCI’s Center for Cancer Research (CCR) Grand Rounds is a weekly lecture series addressing current research in clinical and molecular oncology. Speakers are leading national and international researchers and clinicians proposed by members of the CCR Grand Rounds Planning Committee and others within the CCR community and approved by the CCR Office of the Director. Lectures occur every Tuesday from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. in Lipsett Amphitheater in the Clinical Center building on the NIH campus September through July with exceptions around holidays and major cancer meetings. The lecture schedule is posted on various calendars of events, including at the following link:
http://www.bethesdatrials.cancer.gov/health-care-professionals/grand-rounds.aspx
Author: Olivera J. Finn, Ph.D.
Runtime: 60 minutes
CIT File ID: 15012
CIT Live ID: 7520
Permanent link: http://videocast.nih.gov/launch.asp?15012