UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

We are proud to announce the official opening of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Croatia. This milestone marks a significant step in expanding access to world-class oncology care, bringing advanced cancer treatments and cutting-edge diagnostics to patients in Croatia and surrounding countries. Through a collaboration between UPMC and Croatian health leaders and Zabok General Hospital and Croatian Veterans Hospital, the center offers comprehensive cancer services, including radiation oncology, medical oncology, and PET-CT diagnostics — enhancing the quality and accessibility of cancer care. With nearly 80 UPMC Hillman Cancer Center locations across the international UPMC Hillman network, UPMC is committed to delivering highly specialized oncology care globally. We are honored to have welcomed Croatian government officials, representatives from the Ministry of Health, Zabok General Hospital, Krapina-Zagorje county, Croatian Medical Chamber and the U.S. Embassy to our ribbon-cutting ceremony, underscoring the impact of international collaboration in advancing cancer treatment. We look forward to making a difference in the lives of patients and families around the world. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3RksLaH #UPMCHillman #CancerCare #UPMCInternational #Oncology #HealthcareInnovation #GlobalHealthcare #Croatia

Congratulations, Benjamin Nacev, for your American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI) 2025 Young Physician-Scientist Award! Dr. Nacev cares for sarcoma patients, which motivates and inspires his laboratory research focused on understanding chromatin dysregulation in cancer. https://lnkd.in/eEpSQB82

A team of researchers led by Greg Delgoffe of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and University of Pittsburgh have discovered a new way to grow T cells that significantly improves their longevity and cancer-fighting ability. Traditionally, lab-grown T cells rely heavily on glucose, making it difficult for them to survive once reinfused into the body. By supplementing the growth environment with a compound called dichloroacetate (DCA), researchers trained T cells to use a wider range of energy sources—leading to better tumor control, longer survival, and even long-term protection against melanoma in a preclinical model.  “By properly nourishing our T cell soldiers in the lab, we can prepare them to thrive in the body and fight cancer more effectively,” said Delgoffe.   This innovation could make cell-based immunotherapies more durable and effective for cancer patients in the future. Read more at https://lnkd.in/e5RYMva9.

Today is #WorldCancerDay- a day to unite in the fight against cancer. Today, we honor our patients who have entrusted us with their care, as well as everyone affected by cancer. Today, we thank our researchers, clinicians, and staff who are pushing the boundaries of cancer research, developing life-saving treatments, and working toward a future where cancer is preventable, treatable, and curable. Together, we can make a difference.

The Washington Post recently shared Katie Doble’s story, who at 32, was diagnosed with Stage 4 uveal melanoma and told she had 16 months to live. Read this excerpt to learn how Katie received life-saving treatment at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. "In July 2020, Katie turned to her fourth clinical trial, entering a Phase 2 study at UPMC that accepted her despite previous treatments. Udai Kammula, MD, the doctor leading the trial and director of the Solid Tumor Cell Therapy Program at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, had been studying uveal melanoma for almost a decade. He chose the cancer because it is so devilishly difficult to fight. ... His team turned to a technique called adoptive cell therapy, developed in the 1980s at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Kammula extracted T cells from Doble’s body. For a month, he grew them in a lab dish to create enough tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, or TILs, to fight her cancer effectively. Doble spent a week receiving chemotherapy to wipe out her immune system so that it couldn’t attack the lab-grown cells. Then Dr. Kammula injected her with 111 billion new T cells. ... Today, Doble works full time as a job recruiter and gives frequent talks to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and nonprofit cancer organizations. She has written a memoir, too." Katie, thank you for sharing your story! And, Dr. Kammula, thank you for your life-saving research and treatment! We are proud to have you at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center! Read the full story at: wapo.st/3E67wX3

Join us in congratulating Roddy O'Sullivan who will work with @PattyOpresko to lead our Genome Stability Program to continue to gain new insights into the molecular pathways that maintain genome integrity and how these processes are altered in cancer cells. Dr. O’Sullivan holds a position as Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology at University of Pittsburgh. His lab conducts research into proteins that alter the structural and epigenetic functions of human telomeres.

In addition to being announced as UPMC Hillman Cancer Center’s new interim director yesterday, Kathryn Schmitz had her Moving Through Cancer program and efforts included in the progress the White House reported on the Cancer Moonshot.

Please join us in congratulating Kathryn Schmitz and Jose P. Zevallos MD MPH, MD, MPH, on their respective roles as interim director and interim deputy director of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center! Also, join us in thanking Jeremy Rich for his contributions to UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and for his leadership while he served in the interim director role. As the search continues for our next director, we are grateful for the talented and hardworking individuals at our cancer center who work every day to provide exceptional patient care as a world leader in understanding, preventing, and treating cancer through the integration of scientific discovery, clinical excellence, and community partnerships, while training the next generation of cancer experts.

Please join us in welcoming Orlando D. Schärer, PhD, to UPMC Hillman Cancer Center!  Dr. Schärer brings a wealth of expertise and a global perspective to his new roles at UPMC Hillman and as a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology at the University of Pittsburgh.  Dr. Schärer will lead a cutting-edge research program in genome stability, focusing on innovative approaches to cancer-related DNA damage pathways, treatment biomarkers, and therapeutic targeting. Collaborating with our basic research and clinical faculty, his work aims to advance the translational applications of chemo- and radiotherapy-induced DNA damage response and repair.  We are excited to welcome Dr. Schärer to UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and look forward to his impact!  

Please join us in welcoming Logan Myler to UPMC Hillman Cancer Center! Dr. Myler brings extensive expertise to his new roles as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology at the University of Pittsburgh and a researcher at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. He will establish a nationally recognized research program centered on genome stability, delving into the mechanisms of DNA repair, telomere maintenance, and their implications in cancer development and therapy resistance. A University of Texas at Austin graduate, Dr. Myler holds a BS in Biochemistry and a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology.  As a dedicated mentor and educator, he has inspired the next generation of scientists through his expertise in research methodologies, grant writing, and professional development. We are excited to welcome Dr. Myler to UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and look forward to his impact in helping us with our vision to achieve the extraordinary: life without cancer.