Two outstanding breast cancer researchers, Hamid Band, M.D., Ph.D. and Vimla, Ph.D., have joined the University of Nebraska Medical Center from Northwestern University. The husband/wife team, who prior to going to Northwestern worked at Harvard Medical School, bring with them $8 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health and 14 research team members.
“We feel our Cancer Center should maintain a primary research focus in breast cancer,” said Ken Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UNMC Eppley Cancer. “We currently have faculty members who have earned national reputations in breast cancer research. The recruitment of the Bands is significant, because it will further enhance a multi-disciplinary approach to breast cancer that will continue to take therapies from bench to bedside, benefiting more patients and saving lives.”
“The Bands bring a whole new array of expertise to our cancer research enterprise,” Dr. Rosenquist said. “The great and growing status of the UNMC research community is reflected in our ability to reach out across the country and recruit world-class scientists from among the most prestigious medical centers.”
Dr. Hamid Band is a professor in the UNMC Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and associate director for education and training, UNMC Eppley Cancer Center. He also is a co-program leader of the molecular and biochemical etiology program with James Shull, Ph.D., in the UNMC Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy. Dr. Vimla Band, is a professor in the UNMC Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, and is vice chair for research.
Key factors that led to the Bands joining UNMC included UNMC’s tradition of excellence in cancer-focused investigative work, its inter-disciplinary collaboration and its desire to establish a center of excellence in breast cancer.
“Our mission at UNMC/Eppley is to develop a collaborative program in breast and other cancers by joining hands with existing faculty and utilizing new expertise and tools that we bring to develop a multi-faceted cancer program,” Dr. Hamid Band said. “We also will help in training graduate students, undergraduate students, residents and fellows in the area of cancer biology with the ultimate goal of developing a strong cancer program at the national level.”
The focus of Dr. Hamid Band’s research is to understand how biological mechanisms that propel cells to divide, move and interact with each other, are controlled.
“Such ‘regulatory’ controls ensure that normal cells divide only when additional cells are needed for remodeling or regeneration of organs and tissues and that cells remain confined to their physiological domains without crossing into each other’s territories,” Dr. Band said. “Loss of these basic controls allows cancer cells to multiply uncontrollably.”
Though his studies are mostly focused on breast and certain types of lung cancer, they have general relevance to all cancers, he said. The long-term goal of the studies is to identify newer targets for development of cancer drugs and to develop strategies to enhance the effectiveness of existing treatments while reducing side effects of treatment.
Dr. Vimla Band’s research is focused primarily on understanding how normal breast cells become transformed into cancer cells and what pathways control the conversion. The goal is to use the knowledge to define new proteins and pathways that could be used for early diagnosis and better prognosis of breast cancer.
“We want to examine several novel proteins that we have identified for validity as potential early markers for breast and other cancers,” she said.
The Bands met as collaborators in graduate school and have been together since. They married and have two boys, Sheehan, 18 and Neil, 9.
“As a medical resident I absolutely loved taking care of patients each day,” Dr. Hamid Band said. “I also realized that lack of knowledge of complex diseases such as cancer, heart failure or autoimmune disease, prevented me from being an effective physician. I chose to go to the laboratory to help myself and others learn more about our bodies and about diseases.
“What motivates me is to know that we as scientists are solving a big puzzle called ‘cancer’ and my colleagues and I are contributing a piece in this puzzle. As I told my son, the best part of being a researcher is that you are never bored, as each day starts with a new idea and purpose.”
Dr. Hamid Band earned his medical degree in 1977 from the Medical College Srinagar, in Kashmir, India, and in 1986, he earned his Ph.D. from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (Immunology) in New Delhi.
After completing his internship and residency in India, he did a research fellowship at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. He served on the faculty at Harvard Medical School for 18 years (1985 to 2003), serving as associate professor of medicine his last six years. In 2003, he was named professor of medicine at Northwestern University.
At Northwestern, he was director of the division of molecular oncology at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Research Institute and also served as co-director of the National Cancer Institute Specialized Programs of Research Excellence in Breast Cancer at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Dr. Vimla Band earned her Ph.D. in 1985 in reproductive biology at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences. She served as an instructor in cancer biology at Harvard Medical School from 1986 to 1987. She also did research fellowships in cancer biology and cancer genetics at Harvard. From 1991 to 2003, she served on the faculty of Tufts University-New England Medical Center, serving as professor of radiation oncology and biochemistry her last three years. In 2003, she was named professor of medicine at Northwestern University.
Dr. Hamid Band’s lab is on the ninth floor of the Eppley Science Hall, and Dr. Vimla Band’s lab is on the sixth floor of the Durham Research Center.
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources now exceeds $80 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,400 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes more than 460 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.