Anthem Live is December 6;
Semmes named Anthem Professor
August 24, 2007
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John Semmes, Ph.D., addresses the
audience after it was announced that
he has been appointed to the Anthem
Professorship. At left is a photo of
the participants in last year’s
Anthem Live event. |
NORFOLK—EVMS cancer research once again will get a boost from
Anthem Live, when tennis stars James Blake and Serena Williams compete
December 6 in an exhibition match at the Old Dominion University
Constant Center.
The announcement of this year's lineup comes shortly after another
announcement. EVMS recently established a professorship in honor of
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia. Cancer researcher John
Semmes, Ph.D., has been named to the new post.
At a reception announcing the new professorship, EVMS President Harry T.
Lester lauded Anthem for its partnership with Blake to create the
fund-raising entertainment event known as Anthem Live.
A unique combination of tennis and music, Anthem Live and related
auctions have raised community awareness of cancer research as well as
more than $400,000. Those funds have been invested in the Anthem cancer
research endowment to support the ongoing work of Semmes, who is
internationally known for his expertise in cancer proteomics. Semmes is
director of the George Wright Center for Biomedical Proteomics at EVMS
and director of the Virginia Prostate Center. He is a professor of
microbiology and molecular cell biology.
“Anthem recognized the significance of the exciting work Dr. Semmes and
his colleagues are undertaking and they approached us about being a
beneficiary of the Anthem Live event,” Lester recalled at the ceremony.
“My answer was a resounding ‘yes’, and that was the beginning of a very
enjoyable, very meaningful partnership between EVMS and Anthem on behalf
of cancer research.”
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Semmes, left, and Raymond Lance,
M.D., an associate professor of
urology and researcher
in the Virginia Prostate Center,
pose with
Dr. and Mrs. Henry Rogers. |
Tom Byrd, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia,
praised the achievements of Semmes and his research team as evidence of
the timeless qualities of discovery, change and hope.
“At Anthem we salute EVMS for your groundbreaking research,” Byrd said.
“We join with you in your belief that we can make a positive change for
mankind by stopping this devastating disease. And, like you, we have a
hope to live in a world without cancer.”
Byrd said it takes a team to successfully fight the war on cancer.
“It takes Anthem associates and EVMS employees working together to
produce a fund-raising event called Anthem Live,” he said. “It takes
tennis pro James Blake with his friends volunteering to play at
Anthem Live. It takes thousands of spectators to buy the tickets to help
raise the money for cancer research right here in Hampton Roads.
“And thanks to all of you who have helped raise money for the Anthem
cancer research endowment fund,” he told those attending the reception.
“We could not have done it without you.”
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Edward Johnson, Ph.D., professor and
chairman of microbiology and
molecular cell biology at EVMS,
speaks with Nita Reed, a member of
the EVMS Development Committee. |
Lester also expressed his appreciation to Blake, who recruited fellow
tennis stars and well-known musicians to appear at Anthem Live and then
took time to visit with Semmes to learn more about EVMS expertise in
cancer proteomics.
“His personal commitment to the fight against cancer is an inspiration,”
Lester said of Blake.
Lester introduced Semmes as a star in the area of cancer research.
Semmes is sought after around the world for his expertise in cancer
proteomics, the study of biomarkers in blood and tissue samples that can
identify cancer at its earliest and most treatable stages.
Semmes expressed his appreciation for his appointment to the Anthem
professorship and shared the accolades with his staff and many
collaborators.
“It’s correct to say this is a team sport, and this is a phenomenal
team, the best team I’ve ever had the opportunity to be a part of,”
Semmes said, listing the many people who work behind the scenes as part
of the research enterprise.
Semmes gave the crowd a hint of the work he and his team are
undertaking. He promised more accurate tests for cancer. He also
described a joint venture to conduct the largest ever genomic analysis
of prostate cancer, a process that should yield more evidence about how
best to detect and treat the cancer.
Semmes is senior editor of several major scientific journals, and his
EVMS research team is one the leading centers in the National Cancer
Institute’s Early Detection Research Network. The EVMS group is working
on several types of cancer, including prostate, breast, kidney, lung and
leukemia.
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