The Associate Director for Translational Research is appointed by and reports to the Director of the Cancer Center. The primary responsibility of this position is to build intersections with laboratory and clinical research programs to facilitate the translation of basic research discoveries with the intent of advancing therapies to the clinic. To that end, the Associate Director works closely with the entire Senior Leadership team and Program Leaders to (1) promote new translational research funding initiatives, (2) develop research working groups in targeted areas to promote new grant initiatives in translational research, (3) organize an annual Center-wide translational research retreat to stimulate new collaborations and interactions, (4) organize two translational cancer research mini-symposia per year, and (5) identify investigator needs for shared facility or other infrastructure needs to support translational research. The Associate Director also oversees the competitive award process for intramural funds to promote translational research. As a member of the Executive Committee and Leadership Group, the Associate Director for Translational Research also plays a key role in setting strategic direction, policy and priorities for the Lurie Cancer Center.

Jill C. Pelling, PhD was recruited to Northwestern to fill the position of Associate Director for Translational Research in August, 2004 from the University of Kansas Medical Center where she held the post of Associate Director for Basic Research. Dr. Pelling is a Professor in the Department of Pathology and is a translational cancer biologist working in the field of signal transduction and development of natural products for cancer chemoprevention. Dr. Pelling has been continuously funded by NCI for 21 years, and is presently the PI of two NCI RO1 grants: RO1 (CA 104768): Inhibition of UBV-Induced COX-2 Expression by Apigenin (2004-2009), and RO1 (CA 072987): Molecular Mechanism of Chemoprevention by Apigenin (1996-2007). She is also the Principal Investigator of the NCI T32 (CA 070085): Institutional NRSA in Support of a Training Program in Signal Transduction and Cancer (2002-2007). Dr. Pelling is also Associate Director of the NU U54 funded Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (CCNE), an NIH Roadmap Initiative grant from the National Cancer Institute that was funded in 2005. As Associate Director of the NU-CCNE, Dr. Pelling is responsible for overseeing the project development process and coordinating meetings and interactions of clinical and basic cancer researchers with nanotechnology investigators, the long-term result of which was the formation of the six interdisciplinary research teams that serve as the foundation for the six projects in this CCNE grant. She serves on the editorial board of Molecular Carcinogenesis and Nutrition and Cancer, is a former regular member of the NIH Chemical Pathology Study Section and numerous other Special Emphasis Panel reviews. Dr. Pelling has previously served a three year term on the Board of Scientific Counselors, National Institute of Environmental Health Safety, National Toxicology Program, and she has just completed a four year term as a member of the Parent Committee A for the NCI Internal Review Group of NCI-designated Cancer Centers.

Since assuming her position in August, 2004, Dr. Pelling has worked aggressively in fostering translational research activity at the Cancer Center. As referenced above she played a major leadership role in the successfully funded NCI U54 CCNE grant application in 2005. Using mini-symposia as a vehicle, she has also stimulated three new research working groups around the themes of Multi-Functional Therapeutics, Imaging and Cancer, and Molecular Diagnostics. Dr. Pelling has also re-organized the Lurie Cancer Center's annual translational research retreat, establishing a more effective forum for new collaborations and interactions. She teamed with Dr. Susan Crawford and Deputy Director Leonidas Platanias to identify the need for the Mouse Phenotyping Facility which was developed as a new shared resource, and is working on the development of a Mouse Models of Cancer Website to further support investigator needs. As Associate Director for Translational Research she oversees the peer-reviewed competitive process for awarding pilot projects funded by the CCSG Developmental Funds. Similarly she oversees the process for awarding the U54 CCNE pilot project funds, and oversaw the intramural awarding of $500,000 of Mazza Foundation funds, philanthropic funding in the areas of hematologic malignancies and melanoma.

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