In this issue
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VOICES photo and video contest!
Enter and win great prizes with your memorable Relay For Life photos and videos

Daffodil Days volunteer gives hope to the newly diagnosed
Cathy Kapala, a colon cancer survivor and longtime Daffodil Days volunteer from Saginaw Township, Michigan, finds that giving back to others is the key to a positive outlook on life.

The Colossal Colon® in Detroit
Detroit residents will have a unique opportunity to learn how to protect themselves from colon cancer thanks to CoCo.

Meet your ACS Research Grantee: Dr. Marie Swanson
Dr. Marie Swanson at Indiana University uses her research grant to provide for others.

NCAA president diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
Myles Brand, president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association was diagnosed with cancer on Christmas Eve, 2008.

Federal Advocacy in 2009: Potentially promising in future of cancer
Brad Burk, Great Lakes Division Director of Government Relations talks about how 2009 has the potential to be a historic year in the fight against cancer

Colorectal Cancer Quiz
Do you know what your colorectal cancer risks are, or what preventative measures to take?
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Our very own GLD YouTube channel!
Showcase the best of your GLD Relay events on YouTube!

Powerful Choices podcast
Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Len Lichtenfeld talks about the decrease in cancer incidence and mortality rates, and analyses the new research for us to understand its impact.

VOICES in the kitchen
On the menu: Zucchini bites

GLO Grads
Corinne Petras
ACS Communications Specialist
Detroit Metro Office

Meet your ACS Research Grantee: Dr. Marie Swanson
Dr. Marie Swanson always tells people that she’s not a successful cancer researcher…she’s a failed musician, who wanted to be an art teacher.

A warm and personable Ohio native, she also has a good sense of humor. “One of the Editor’s of the free press interviewed me years ago and he ended the interview saying, ‘she was born in Defiance and has been ever since’” she said jestingly. “I’ve been a bit of a rebel all my life.”

She is most certainly a rebel with a cause. Dr. Swanson has been heavily involved with the American Cancer Society for more than 20 years. She was President of the Society’s Michigan Division when it merged with the Indiana Division to form the Great Lakes Division, and has also served on the national board of the American Cancer Society.

Dr. Swanson is also a civil rights activist, and at one point was licensed as a racecar driver. When she’s not working or traveling, she loves to be outdoors canoeing or kayaking. “My favorite form of recreation when I lived in Arizona was hiking. Around here I’d call it walking,” she laughed. “There aren’t as many mountain ranges.”

She is currently the Professor and Departmental Chair of the Department of Public Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, and serves as Associate Director for Cancer Prevention and Control of the IU Simon Cancer Center.

She is now the fellow of an ACS grant that serves to assist other faculty members in their research efforts. “The ACS Institutional Research Grants have been around for quite some time…for decades. Its purpose is to help junior faculty get their research careers started.”

"So basically what [the grant] does is provides $20,000 to $25,000 for a pilot study. We just had our first review under my leadership, and we had 18 applications which was wonderful. And we funded three projects. Two in the basic sciences and one in cancer control.”

With the renewal of Dr. Swanson’s grant, Indiana University will celebrate 50 years of participation in this critical program that has launched outstanding cancer research careers for nearly 200 faculty on the IUPUI campus.

To learn more about the Society’s research program and funding, visit www.cancer.org/research.

Dr. Swanson

Dr. Swanson at a cooking class in Oaxaca, Mexico

Dr. Swanson in Alaska

Dr. Swanson with her Dogs in Tucson, Arizona