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Nearly 120 people attended our “Mindfulness & Meditation” event on July 26 at our Sullivan Conference Center — the latest quarterly gathering of our new Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community. UH Cancer Center Associate Researcher Dr. Erin O'Carroll Bantum, and retired radiation oncologist Thanh Huynh, MD, led our in-person and online attendees through presentations and guided group practice sessions. The goal was to demonstrate how mindfulness can bring awareness to the present moment without judgement, and provide significant benefits to those who are living with cancer or caring for those who have cancer. The next event, on diet and nutrition, and themed “ ‘Ohana Pink,” will be on Oct. 4. For more information, click here.

Our University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center was in the spotlight as UH Administration and state and federal leaders announced on Wednesday that the UH system as a whole has again set a record for extramural funding: $734 million in fiscal year 2025, from external sources such as the federal government, private industry and nonprofit organizations.

But during the press conference in our Sullivan Conference Center, the need to fight for continued research funding was emphasized by the speakers: Gov. Josh Green, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, UH President Wendy Hensel, Interim UH Mānoa Provost Vassilis Syrmos, JABSOM Dean Dr. Sam Shomaker, and our UH Cancer Center Director Dr. Naoto T. Ueno. At least 66 grants across the UH system, totaling more than $89 million, have been terminated due to shifting federal priorities, and more cuts are proposed in the next federal budget. Dr. Ueno shared that the UH Cancer Center drew $35.1 million in grants in FY 2025, and said the increase over the prior year “is evidence of the strength of the UH Cancer Center’s scientific work. And it is a sign of our importance in the fight against cancer.” Media and dignitaries also toured our Ho‘ōla Early Phase Clinical Research Center. Click here for full UH News story. Click here and here to read coverage in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Clockwise, from top left: Franchesca Tibayan, Anuhea Nakano; Lauren Trader (on hill, in white), Reyson Ramos (in black); and Emma Luna.

Congratulations to the 26 college students from across the state and Guam who spent the past two months interning here at the University of Hawai‘i Cancer Center! The Cancer Research Education, Advancement, Training and Empowerment (CREATE) program is an intensive, hands-on summer research experience, with a multidisciplinary curriculum, workshops, symposiums and career development sessions for undergraduate students from the islands of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. Students received one-on-one training and mentorship, and hands-on experience conducting real-world research in our labs and in our communities. Mahalo to our organizing faculty and staff, mentors and supporters! Click here to view an in-progress version of a video about the CREATE program, and click here to learn more.

About 50 members of the various community advisory boards for the UH Cancer Center held a retreat on July 18 at our Sullivan Conference Center, marking the first time that the various boards all conferred jointly. They included members of our center’s overall Community Advisory Board, as well as the boards for the Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and Filipino communities; Citizen Scientists; and the Patient Advisory Council. Attendees took in updates about the UH Cancer Center, shared experiences, and provided feedback on how the center can better connect with the community. Mahalo to all who attended!

Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and Filipino students from the Academy of Health & Sciences at Waipahu High School visited the UH Cancer Center on July 10. They got a firsthand look at cutting-edge cancer research conducted at our center, and learned how important such research can be for communities with greater ethnic diversity, including those here in Hawai‘i and across the Pacific. The visit was part of a program that encourages students of their backgrounds to pursue higher education and careers in health, by exposing them to different facets of science and health care.

West Hawai‘i Cancer Symposium
September 5-6
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Kailua-Kona
Only waiting list available
Follow this link, and fill out the form at bottom of page.

' ‘Ohana Pink' event on diet and nutrition, presented by the Susan C. Hirano Cancer CARE Community
Saturday, October 4 | 8-11 a.m.
Sullivan Conference Center, UH Cancer Center

Details to come

JOB BOARD

Professor - Ho‘ōla Early Phase Clinical Research Center Director

For all University of Hawaiʻi Internal Civil Service Recruitments, please see the bulletin by the Human Resources Office for the most current vacancies

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