July 10, 2019:

Nasser Hanna, MD, a thoracic oncology specialist at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, has been appointed to the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium (Big Ten CRC) Steering Committee.

As the representative for Indiana University, Dr. Hanna will work with the Steering Committee to shape research priorities for the Big Ten CRC.

“I’m honored and excited and looking forward to getting started,” Dr. Hanna said. “I’ve enjoyed my work with the Big Ten CRC and our member institutions. I’d like to continue to build on the efforts to reduce timelines for opening studies, increase accruals, increase engagement, and enhance opportunities for mentorship of junior faculty.”

Dr. Hanna previously served as chairman of Hoosier Cancer Research Network (HCRN), the administrative headquarters of the Big Ten CRC. He has been a member of the Big Ten CRC since it was founded in 2013. He is a member of the HCRN and Big Ten CRC Thoracic Clinical Trial Working Groups.

Through his experience with HCRN and the Big Ten CRC, Dr. Hanna understands the value of collaboration among universities and said that the leverage the group brings helps get many of their studies funded and completed more quickly.

“It provides an opportunity to say, I have major academic centers with lung cancer experts or colon cancer experts who are going to participate in writing this clinical trial, implementing the trial, and putting patients on the trial,” Dr. Hanna said. “Your trial is going to have integrity. We are going to be able to do good science and we are going to be able to get this study done. And I think that has amazing value.”

Dr. Hanna earned his medical degree from the University of Missouri School of Medicine in Columbia, Mo. He completed his residency at the University of Iowa, in Iowa City, Iowa, and completed his fellowship at the IU School of Medicine in Indianapolis, Ind. He serves as the Tom and Julie Wood Family Foundation Professor of Lung Cancer Clinical Research at the IU School of Medicine.

His research interests are in thoracic oncology, and more specifically in the study and management of all forms of lung cancer. Through his collaboration with the Big Ten CRC and the thoracic oncology program at IU, Dr. Hanna and his colleagues study many aspects of lung cancer, including epidermal growth factor receptor inhibition, cell-cycle inhibitors, anti-angiogenesis, and novel chemotherapeutic agents.

“The explosion in the number of funded Big Ten CRC studies speaks to the fact that companies know where to put their resources,” Dr. Hanna said. “I’ve developed excellent working relationships with investigators at these sites. I also enjoy working with the excellent administrative staff.”

He said to continue to grow, the Big Ten CRC must continue to harness the resources of its academic partners to achieve the most scientifically relevant research.

“The Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium is an invaluable and amazing resource for the IU Simon Cancer Research Center. It is a resource for our junior investigators and of course the senior mentors,” Dr. Hanna said. “It is an opportunity for junior investigators to write investigator-initiated trials and to do it in major academic centers and in a collaborative way. Hopefully they can take some satisfaction knowing that they have been a part of something bigger than themselves.”

About the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium: The Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium was created in 2013 to transform the conduct of cancer research through collaborative, hypothesis-driven, highly translational oncology trials that leverage the scientific and clinical expertise of Big Ten universities. The goal of the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium is to create a unique team-research culture to drive science rapidly from ideas to new approaches to cancer treatment. Within this innovative environment, today’s research leaders collaborate with and mentor the research leaders of tomorrow with the unified goal of improving the lives of all patients with cancer.

About the Big Ten Conference: The Big Ten Conference is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. The broad-based programs of the 14 Big Ten institutions will provide over $200 million in direct financial support to almost 9,500 students for more than 11,000 participation opportunities on 350 teams in 42 different sports. The Big Ten sponsors 28 official conference sports, 14 for men and 14 for women, including the addition of men’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s lacrosse since 2013. For more information, visit www.bigten.org.