On this page we highlight information and/or events that just don’t need much space to be interesting or effective. Reading this page will keep you “in the know”.

A is for our AMAZING KTB Virtual Tissue Bank (VTB), which is an important but underused feature easily found on our website. Heads up, researchers! Did you know that through the VTB anyone at all is able to conduct research? By making a few clicks, researchers are able to search for sample availability, create cohorts of tissue donors possessing similar characteristics, look at H&E images, and see what kind of data has already been generated by other researchers.

B is for Bulking Up Medical Follow-up. The KTB is strongly focused on receiving medical follow up information each year from all tissue donors. When a researcher requests and receives your tissue, it is extremely important that we are also able to give them updates about any changes to your medical history. Each tissue donor receives a Happy Birthday email from us during the month of your birth, asking you to please click a link and take three minutes to update us on any health changes you have experienced since your last follow-up. If we don’t hear back from you after that email, we will call you. Please help us keep your medical information up to date by responding to that email every year. If we have old contact information for you, and/or you have not received that email from us, or if you forgot to respond to it, please contact Alison Hughes at alisnide@iu.edu. Thank you so much!

C is all about Cures . . . ShareForCures, that is. Maybe you have already heard (if not – listen up!) about the Susan G. Komen (national organization) new initiative to involve breast cancer survivors in the fight against the disease. ShareForCures is a breast cancer registry that connects researchers with important information gathered from patients and survivors. You can learn more about participating in this new national study here. Please help us spread the word!

ONE: We are extremely excited to announce the very first KTB Latino Mixer, to take place on Thursday, September 14, 2023, at Ralph’s Great Divide, 743 E. New York St in Indianapolis. This is a social networking event targeted to younger Latino individuals 40 and under, and will feature great food, tunes, drinks (ID required for cash bar), and Lotería in a great location with space to spill outside if the weather is good. If you are a member of the target audience and would like to attend, please RSVP by clicking here.

TWO: The KTB is happy to welcome two new employees! Vidya Patil, who has come to us directly from having attained her bright, shiny, new Masters of Public Health from Drexel, is the research assistant to KTB Exec. Director Michele Côté. Caitlin Sorgenfrei has recently received her BS in Biology from Purdue and is responsible for the supervision and organization of the ShareForCures program kits, which the KTB is managing for Komen (national).

THREE: Previously, the KTB only allowed researchers to submit proposal at four times (every three months) during the year, but that policy has changed. We have removed all deadlines for research project proposal submissions, and they may now be submitted anytime during the calendar year.

EXTRA! We have two Tasty Talks coming up soon. Tasty Talks are casual dinners where potential donors of color can learn more about the KTB in a relaxed, no-stress environment. The Tasty Talk for Asian women is on Tuesday, August 29, and the Tasty Talk for men of all races/ethnicities is on Thursday, October 5; both events begin at 6:00 pm. Please help us get the word out about these fun, casual gatherings over food by sending a friend or coming yourself and bringing someone with you who may want to learn more. Contact Kathi Ridley-Merriweather, keridley@iupui.edu, for more information, or to make a reservation.

EXTRA! EXTRA! The Breast Cancer Science Social - Research, Results, & Rosé event on July 21 provided a behind-the-scenes look at the latest advancements in breast cancer research at the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer Research at IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Guests learned more about the Komen Tissue Bank, interacted with researchers, including 100 Voices of Hope hunch winners, and explored state-of-the-art breast cancer laboratories firsthand through guided tours. 

Dr. Michele Cote, Director of the Komen Tissue Bank, served as a panelist during the event to highlight its important work and discuss the pivotal role tissue donors play in breast cancer research here and around the world.

The afternoon was full of curiosity, support, and hope thanks to our dedicated supporters and our talented and passionate researchers.