Download 01 28 2016 Ramos Item VIB1 Status of Cancer Center

1/28/2016
University of Hawaii Mail ­ Written Testimony for BOR Jan 28, 2016 meeting
Board of Regents <[email protected]>
Written Testimony for BOR Jan 28, 2016 meeting
Joe William Ramos Jr. <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Wed, Jan 27, 2016 at 8:59 PM
Please find attached.
Mahalo,
Joe
RAMOS+BOR+Testimony+Jan282016.pdf
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TestimonytotheBOR-JoeW.Ramos
January28,2016
MynameisJoeW.RamosandIamaUHProfessor(Researcher)andDirectoroftheCancerBiologyProgramattheUH
CancerCenter.IamprovidingtestimonyonbehalfofmyselfasafacultymemberoftheCenter.
IurgeyoutofindwaystoimprovethefundingforUHacrosstheboard.ItisabeaconofallthebestHawaiihastooffer
theworld.Aspartofthat,Iurgeyoutosupportthe$5MillionaskonbehalfofitsUHCancerCenter-whichourrecent
NationalCancerInstituteExternalAdvisoryCommitteecalleda“crownjewelforUH.”TheseG-fundsareneededtoput
ouroutstandingfacultyonstablefundingstreams.ThesefundsareneededtoallowtheUHCancerCenterthechanceto
restructureitsbudgetandbusinessmodel.ThesefundsareneededtorecruitatopnotchDirectorwiththetalentand
integritytoleadustofulfillourmission,inalliancewithUH,toreducetheburdenofcancerforthepeopleofHawaii.
NIHwillgetanextra$2Billiondollarsthisfiscalyear.Thefirstincreaseinfundinginovertenyears.PresidentObama
andVicePresidentBidenhavemadecancerresearchaspecialfocuswiththeirCancerMoonshotInitiative.Importantly,
sinceourlastNCIrenewalourfundinghasincreasedatatimewhenfundingatthenationallevelhadfallen.Sowe
anticipatethatwewillbringinevenmorefundsinthecomingyears.Nowisnotthetimetopullourpunches.
Ourworkoncancerinvolvesourgraduate,undergraduateandhighschoolstudents.WehostUHundergraduatesand
localhighschoolstudentsinourlabstoletthemgetatasteofdoingresearchinanationallyfundedteam.Ihavehosted
over25undergradsand8highschoolstudentsinmyelevenyearsattheCancerCenter-mostaspartoftheCancer
CenterCUREprogram(asupplementtoourNCIdesignationgrant).IhopethatImightinthiswaypromoteourlocal
studentstoconsideraSTEMcareer.ThisispartoftheeducationmissionoftheCancerCenter.
Iimaginewehaveallbeendirectlyorindirectlyaffectedbycancer.Ilostabrotherinlawwhowasonly32toarareform
ofmelanoma.Heleftbehindtwoyoungchildren.IlostaclosecolleaguehereattheCentertobreastcancerwholeft
behindthreeveryyoungchildren.Thesearecatastrophes.Thankfully,mymother-in-lawisa10yearbreastcancer
survivor.
Thisispersonal.EveryDayIrememberthemandothersaffectedbycancer.IknowwhyIcometowork.WhyIputup
withthedifficulties.Likemycolleagueshere-Iintendtomakeadifference.SoIamveryproudofourUniversityof
HawaiiCancerCenteranditsirreplaceableroleintheislands.
Yes,therearemorefamousCancerCentersontheMainland,buttheydon’tlivehere,andtheydon’taddressthe
specificneedswehaveintheislands-wherewehaveoneofthemostdiversepopulationsethnicallyintheworld.
Thatisourjob.
WedoRESEARCHinourcommunitiescenteredonourlifestyle,ourethnicities,capitalizingonourspecialresourcesand
localtalenttoreducetheburdenofcancerhereandeverywhere.
WebringinandorganizeCLINICALTRIALShereintheislandssoyoucangetthebesttreatmentwithoutleavingthe
supportoffriendsandfamilyandtherevitalizingcomfortsofhome.
WeEDUCATEourlocalphysicians,nurses,students,friendsandfamilyabouttheverylatestresearchinbasiccancer
research,cancerpreventionandtreatmentbreakthroughs.
ThatiswhatwedoforHawaii…Thatisourmission...Thatisourvalue.
IurgeyoutosupportUHbygoingforwardwiththeUHaskatthelegislatureandputtinginplaceaworkablebusiness
plantohelpitsCancerCentercontinueitsservicetotheislands.
Mahalo