What Happened Last Quarter?
This past quarter has been packed with moments that remind us why our training community at Fox Chase Cancer Center is so special. From friendly competitions and sunny picnics to inspiring research achievements and new initiatives, there’s been no shortage of excitement and collaboration. Let’s take a look back at the highlights that made this season one to remember.
28th Annual Trainee Research Day
On Friday, September 19, 2025, our community gathered for the 28th Annual Trainee Research Day— a vibrant celebration of science, collaboration, and hard work within Fox Chase Cancer Center. This year’s research day set a new record with more than 100 abstracts submitted, reflecting the remarkable depth and diversity of research across our institute. From this pool, ten outstanding projects were selected for oral presentations, giving trainees the chance to showcase their work to a packed and engaged audience. Meanwhile, the hallways came alive with two buzzing poster sessions, where presenters fielded thoughtful questions and proudly shared their hard-earned results. The day concluded with the Edward David Lustbader Reception, a perfect finale filled with great food, lively conversations, and a true sense of community.
A heartfelt thank you to our session chairs—Dr. Maria Cavallo, Dr. Ariane Rocha Bartolomeu, Dr. Cosimo Lobello and Jhon Pasamonte—for their expert guidance, thoughtful moderation, and help in making each presentation shine.
And of course, every successful conference depends on the many people working behind the scenes. A special thank-you to the Academic Affairs team, organizing committee, food services team, EVS, multimedia staff, and all others whose dedication made the day such a success. Their efforts reminded us why this annual event remains such a cherished tradition.
Congratulations to this year's winners!
Oral Presentation Awards:
1. Dr. Kelly Coutant
2. Abhinav Illendula
3. Dr. Monika Verma
Poster Presentation Awards:
1. Elizabeth Brown
2. Millie Coombes
3. Dr. Tamasa De
4. Dr. Emma Guilbaud
5. Paris Lamb
6. Dr. Nick Maskalenko
7. Grigory Matveev
8. Olivia Williams
Service Awards:
1. Dr. Kelly Coutant
2. Dr. Cosimo Lobello
2. Christopher Merlo
3. Aizhan Surumbayeva
Fel's Trainee Day
Co-organized by trainees from the NIGMS Predoctoral T32 Program, the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (CBGN and MCBS clusters), and Fels Postdoctoral Fellows, the gathering brought together nearly 80 participants and featured more than 30 abstract submissions. The day was filled with oral presentations, a poster session, and a career development discussion on Tech Commercialization and Leadership in the Biomedical Sciences Industry. The professional development session was led by leaders from Temple University’s Innovation NEST, joined by Fels Ph.D. alumni who have successfully built careers as a medical science liaison at a leading pharmaceutical company and as a partner at a law firm. The conversation fostered meaningful networking and encouraged trainees to consider career paths beyond academia. Festivities concluded with the presentation of awards recognizing outstanding oral and poster contributions — a fitting celebration of the excellence and dedication of trainees.
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Fox Chase Trainee Seminar Series (FTSS)
Celebrating Science, Building Community: One Seminar at a Time
Congratulations to this year's winners!
Oral Presentation Awards:
1. Dr. Tamasa De
2. Aidan Douglas
3. Xinpei Jiang
Poster Presentation Awards:
1. Ariana Bewighouse
2. Dr. Mohaddase Hamidi
3. Julia Hoopman
4. Kenneth Omolo
Sponsored by the Fels Cancer Institute for Personalized Medicine and a Predoctoral T32 award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), the 2025 Trainee Day brought together trainees and faculty from Fels institute, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, and Fox Chase Cancer Center.
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The Spring 2025 season of the Fox Chase Trainee Seminar Series (FTSS) wrapped up on a high note, with trainees delivering dynamic talks that spanned tumor biology, chromatin regulation, immuno-oncology, and therapeutic resistance. Each presentation sparked thoughtful discussion, showcasing both the scientific talent and collaborative spirit of our trainee community.
Congratulations to our incredible presenters—Dr. Stephen Willis, Dr. Maria Cavallo, Dr. Kelly Coutant, Delia Zumpano, Adam Chatoff, Rebecca Smith, and Kallie Dalton—for showcasing their exciting work! Kudos to our incredible faculty mentors, Dr. Khadijah Mitchell, Dr. Mitchell Fane, and Dr. Yu (Sunny) Liu- for their mentorship, and a special thanks to Dr. Amanda Purdy and Sarah Whealen in Academic Affairs for their behind-the-scenes support that keeps FTSS thriving.
With every presentation, FTSS strengthens both our science and our sense of community. Thank you for celebrating with us this spring—we look forward to continuing the journey together this fall.
Email Dr. Adria Hasan (adria.hasan@fccc.edu), Dr. Kelly Coutant (Kelly.Coutant@fccc.edu), or Dr. Tamasa De (Tamasa.de@fccc.edu) to grab your spot in an upcoming session!
Want to present at FTSS?
Key Publications this Past Quarter
Dr. Leire Arrizabalaga-Astigarraga
Postdoc
Buque Martinez Laboratory
Chloe Azadegan
Graduate Student
Whetstine Laboratory
Dr. Alexandr Dolskii
Postdoc
Cukierman Laboratory
Dr. Manuel Beltran-Visiedo
Postdoc
Galluzzi Laboratory
Tesla DuBois
Graduate Student
Lynch Laboratory
Dr. Tong Gao
Postdoc
Wu Laboratory
Dr. Emma Guilbaud
Postdoc
Galluzzi Laboratory
Dr. Silvia Valdes-Rives
Postdoc
Z. Yang Laboratory
Dr. Johannes Verduijn
Postdoc
Galluzzi Laboratory
Trainee Appreciation Week
Honoring our junior scientists and clinicians.
From September 16th to 19th, we celebrated Trainee Appreciation Week at Fox Chase Cancer Center — an inclusive event recognizing all of our trainees and coinciding with the National Postdoctoral Association’s Postdoc Appreciation Week.
This week was an opportunity to honor what makes our training community so special — not just the research, but the people who bring that research to life. Being a cancer researcher is about more than experiments and data, it is about connection, curiosity, and compassion. This week reminded us how powerful our training community can be when we come together.
Scavenger Hunt
We kicked off the celebration with a campus-wide scavenger hunt that encouraged participants to explore the Cancer Center, meet new colleagues, and learn in unexpected ways.
Special thanks to Bryan Auger, Dr. Theresa Austria, Kareemah Bush, Kathryn Dollard, Jordan Fredette, Joel Helmke, Dr. Glenn Rall, Dr. Amanda Purdy, and Sarah Whealen for creating and delivering the clues — and to Brianna Amato for organizing and leading the effort.
Happy Hour & Celebration at Iron Hill Brewery
Right in the middle of the week, we came together at Iron Hill Brewery for a night of cocktails, all-you-can-eat appetizers, and an open mic night. It was a lot of fun!
Mindfullness through Yoga
We also hosted a yoga session to quiet the mind, reconnect with our bodies, and reflect.
Thank you to Dr. Dusica Cvetkovic for leading such a relaxing and restorative class.
Highlights from the Week
Kickoff to Summer Picnic
Bingo Night
Bingo Night was on fire, and not just because the fire alarm decided to join the party for a solid ten minutes! The real heat came from the energy, laughter, and competitive spirit that filled the room as our trainees gathered for a night of fun on May 15th.
Armed with bingo cards and sandwiches, over 50 enthusiastic players dove into the game, eyes locked on those lucky numbers, hoping to shout the magic word: BINGO! And believe it or not, one lucky participant got to yell it twice! We’re still not sure if it was skill or sorcery.
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Even if the bingo gods didn’t smile on everyone, the night was still a win. Great food, plenty of laughs, and the chance to mingle with new faces made it a memorable evening for all.
Kick off to Summer Picnic
Summer finally made its grand entrance, and our trainees knew just how to welcome it with an epic picnic! On June 6th our trainees gathered to celebrate the season with homemade dishes, good vibes, and fun games. Between a Jenga tower falling down and nailing the right word at Scattergories, time flew by in the best way possible. The menu? A delicious lineup featuring pizza, pasta, tiramisu, cake, and more (everything prepared by our talented trainees). After all that food, let’s just say tossing a bean bag into the cornhole became a bit more of a challenge for some.
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We were also thrilled to be joined by the Empower Fellows, who had just begun their summer experience at Fox Chase. It was a great opportunity for them to meet the trainee-mentors who would guide them through the journey ahead.
We hope your summer has been as amazing as our kickoff, because with this picnic, ours definitely started off on the right foot!
Ice Cream Social
On Tuesday the 29th, our Fox Chase community gathered for a tasty afternoon at the Trainee Ice Cream Social. With over 100 attendees it was the largest event thrown by the Social Committee! Not just trainees but members of the staff, faculty, and different departments came together to enjoy a cool snack on a hot day. The event was highlighted by five great ice cream flavors, numerous toppings and a great round of ice breaker bingo. A big congratulations goes to Dr. Riley Williams for winning bingo.
Thanks to the hard work of the community at Fox Chase and the enthusiastic turnout, the Ice Cream Social was more than just dessert—it was a reminder of the joy of coming together as a community.
Halloween Movie Night
Our trainees embraced the Halloween spirit with a cozy movie night watching The Sixth Sense — a fitting choice, since it was filmed right here in Philadelphia.
They enjoyed pizza, Halloween-themed treats, and plenty of relaxation. The evening was a wonderful way to enjoy some scares together.
New Trainee-led Soccer Group
This past quarter, a soccer group was formed at Fox Chase by postdoc, Dr. Ayoub Jaa. The group meets each month at soccer fields in the area. It’s open to everyone and a great way to meet people in the community.
Interested in joining and finding out when and where the next game is?
Fill out this interest form.
Trainee Friendsgiving
It’s the holiday season! 🎄🍂✨
The holiday season is a time to slow down, reflect, and come together in celebration and love. For many of our junior scientists who are far from their families and home countries, this time of year can feel especially bittersweet. To foster connection and community, our trainees continued their annual Friendsgiving tradition with a festive potluck featuring favorite dishes and cultural specialties. There was also a “gratitude cup” table, where everyone could write messages of appreciation and drop them into each other’s cups. The night wrapped up with a fun trivia competition, where the winning team took home holiday mugs. It was a warm and meaningful night for our trainees—a reminder that they have a family here at Fox Chase Cancer Center.
Our trainee community has grown and become a tight-knit family.
More events to come in 2026.