Embedded Files
Dr Arwa Fallatah, Shafi Lab Postdoctoral Fellow and Dr. Gregory Chesnut, CPDR Director: AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Baltimore, MD
Orly Richter, Shafi Lab Postbaccalaureate Researcher: AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Baltimore, MD
Dr. Arwa Fallatah, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Shafi Lab, was recently awarded a prestigious Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award. Her project focuses on the role of a circadian rhythm protein, cryptochrome 1 (CRY1), in driving prostate cancer. Circadian rhythm—the body’s “internal clock” that responds to light and dark cycles—helps maintain balance in many biological processes. When disrupted (for example, through shift work or jet lag), it has been linked to higher cancer risk. Dr. Fallatah’s work will investigate how CRY1 influences metabolic rewiring (how cancer cells change the way they use energy and nutrients) and how these changes affect tumor growth and treatment response. The goal is to discover new strategies to improve outcomes for men with prostate cancer, especially in racially diverse populations.
Dr. Arwa Fallatah, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Shafi Lab, was recently awarded a prestigious Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator Award. Her project focuses on the role of a circadian rhythm protein, cryptochrome 1 (CRY1), in driving prostate cancer. Circadian rhythm—the body’s “internal clock” that responds to light and dark cycles—helps maintain balance in many biological processes. When disrupted (for example, through shift work or jet lag), it has been linked to higher cancer risk. Dr. Fallatah’s work will investigate how CRY1 influences metabolic rewiring (how cancer cells change the way they use energy and nutrients) and how these changes affect tumor growth and treatment response. The goal is to discover new strategies to improve outcomes for men with prostate cancer, especially in racially diverse populations.
Orly Richter Takes Second Place in Poster Competition at the AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities, Baltimore, MD
Orly Richter Takes Second Place in Poster Competition at the AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities, Baltimore, MD
Shafi Lab trainees, Dr. Arwa Fallatah and Orly Richter Post-Baccalaureate Researcher, recently presented their work at the AACR Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Baltimore, MD, where Orly won second place in the poster competition. Her poster, titled “Spatial transcriptomic analyses of patient-derived explants identifies biomarkers of aggressive disease,” focused on mapping gene activity within prostate tumors. In simpler terms, she used advanced imaging and sequencing to show how cancer cells behave differently depending on their location within the tumor, helping to identify markers that could predict which cancers are likely to become more aggressive.
CPDR Research Spotlight: Understanding Racial Disparities in Prostate Cancer: A Multifaceted Approach
CPDR Research Spotlight: Understanding Racial Disparities in Prostate Cancer: A Multifaceted Approach
This recently published review, published in Cancer Medicine, June 2025, authored by team members from the Center for Prostate Disease Research (CPDR) - Dr. Ayesha Shafi, Dr. Gregory Chesnut, and George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences medical student Charles Cobbs IV (from the Shafi Lab) - delves into the pressing issue of racial disparities in prostate cancer outcomes. African American men face higher rates of diagnosis and mortality compared to other racial groups, a disparity driven by complex and intersecting factors.
Key Takeaways:
Unequal Outcomes: These disparities stem from a combination of biological, socioeconomic, and systemic issues, including healthcare access and implicit biases.
Broader Influences: Socioeconomic challenges and environmental exposures exacerbate these inequities.
Solutions-Oriented Approach: The review outlines critical steps to address these gaps:
Expanding equitable access to screening and care.
Conducting research inclusive of diverse populations.
Engaging with communities to build trust and awareness.
Training healthcare providers to recognize and mitigate bias.
This review exemplifies CPDR’s commitment to advancing prostate cancer research and addressing inequities in care. It serves as a call to action for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to collaboratively work toward eliminating these disparities.
For further details, read the full review here.
Dr. Gregory Chesnut Appointed Urology Consultant to Navy Surgeon General
Dr. Gregory Chesnut Appointed Urology Consultant to Navy Surgeon General
CPDR Director CAPT Gregory Chesnut, MD, FACS, MC, USN, was recently appointed Urology Consultant to the US Navy Surgeon General. Commander Chestnut will serve as the principal SG advisor on all matters concerning urology medicine. He is also a previous JOES "Best of the Best" honoree. Dr. Chesnut's Bio
Dr. Gregory Chesnut, Director, CPDR
Dr. Leigh Ellis, Scientific Director, CPDR
Dr. Xiaofeng (Allen) Su, Principal Investigator, CPDR
Two Prostate Cancer Research Awards Given to HJF Principal Investigators
Two Prostate Cancer Research Awards Given to HJF Principal Investigators
CPDR principal investigators and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) faculty, Dr. Leigh Ellis and Dr. Xiaofeng Su, received separate awards for $1.2 million each by the DoD Office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) FY24 Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) Idea Development Award program.
Dr. Leigh Ellis, CPDR Scientific Director and Research Professor, USU Department of Surgery, was selected for the Established Investigator Award for “Development and Validation of an Epigenomic Landscape and Novel Immunotherapy in Prostate Cancer Disparities.”
“This grant will fund crucial research from CPDR and our collaborators to better understand the impact of biological variability in prostate cancer based on race and provide a molecular understanding of increased aggressive disease in African American men,” said Dr. Ellis.
Dr. Xiaofeng Su, CPDR Principal Investigator and Assistant Research Professor, USU Dept. of Surgery, was selected for the New Investigator Award for “Investigating the Mechanistic Role and Therapeutic Targeting Cohesin RAD21 in Metastatic Prostate Cancer.”
“Our goal is to uncover how RAD21 drives metastatic prostate cancer progression through its role in DNA damage repair, chromatin dynamics and genomic instability,” said Dr. Su. “At the same time, we aim to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools to improve patient outcomes.”
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States. It has a notably high incidence among military veterans and active-duty personnel.
Report abuse