Henry M. Lemon Short Course in Cancer Biology
About the Course
Since 1991, the Henry M. Lemon Short Course in Cancer Biology has brought together leading scientists to explore important topics in cancer research at the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases.
The is a required course for graduate students at the Eppley Institute. It is open to all members of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) community and to external attendees from institutes around the world.
Interested individuals can attend this event in person or online via Zoom. Learn more about the 2026 Henry M. Lemon Short Course in Cancer Biology.
Course Format
The program includes a series of journal clubs held several weeks in advance, focused on research related to the featured speakers.
These sessions lead up to two days of in-depth discussion each June, held at the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center.
About Henry M. Lemon
After graduating cum laude from Harvard Medical School in 1940, Dr. Henry Lemon worked at the University of Chicago Clinics and the Boston University School of Medicine. He later became the first director of the Eugene C. Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), serving from 1961 to 1968. During that time, he was also a professor of Internal Medicine and Assistant Dean for Research Affairs.
Dr. Lemon played an important role in building UNMC into a leading center for cancer research and treatment. In the mid-1960s, he warned about the cancer risks of cigarette smoking. He helped improve how chemotherapy is given and supported better cancer education in medical schools. His research focused on how estrogen is processed in the body and its link to breast cancer.
Dr. Lemon trained students and researchers in Boston and Omaha and authored and co-authored more than 170 scientific papers. He passed away in 1997.
Past Courses
| Year | Faculty Host | Title | Speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Angie Rizzino and Sandipan Brahma | Chromatin Remodeling Complexes in Cancer | Blaine Bartholomew, PhD Anthony Imbalzano, PhD Charles W. M. Roberts, MD, PhD Diana Hargreaves, PhD |
| 2024 | Prakash Radhakrishnan | Cancer Glycoimmunology | Hans Wandall, MD, PhD Richard Cummings, PhD Yvette van Kyook, PhD Susan Bellis, PhD |
| 2023 | Nick Woods | Cancer Protein Systems | Matthias Mann, PhD Pedro Beltrao, PhD Tamar Geiger, PhD Nikolai Slavov, PhD |
| 2022 | Rob Lewis | The Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition | Angela Nieto, PhD Robert Mayor, PhD Thomas Brabletz, MD |
| 2021 | Amar Natarajan | Unfolded Protein Response | Amy Lee,PhD Scott Oakes, MD Luke Wiseman, PhD Darci Trader, PhD |
| 2020 | Jixin Dong | Cellular Signaling in Cancer | Duojia Pan, PhD Mark Sliwkowski, PhD Xuejun Jiang, PhD Gordon Freeman, PhD |
| 2019 | Angie Rizzino | Tumor Metastasis & Dormancy | Cyrus Ghajar, PhD Christoph Klein, MD Mikala Egeblad, PhD Russell Taichman, DMD, DMSc |
| 2018 | Xu Luo | Drug Resistance in Cancer | Bill Hahn, MD, PhD Roger Lo, MD, PhD Trever Bivona, MD, PhD Channing Der, PhD |
| 2017 | Michael Green | Precision Medicine | Michael Snyder, PhD Kapil Bhalla, MD, FASCP Wafik El-Deiry, MD, PhD, FACP Olivier Elemento, PhD |
| 2016 | Joyce Solheim | Immunology & Cancer: From Inflammation to Immunotherapy | Michael Lotze, MD Shannon Turley, PhD Beatriz M. Carreno, PhD Keith Knutson, PhD |
| 2015 | Pankaj Singh | Metabolomics and Systems Biology | Matthew Vander Heiden, MD, PhD Oliver Fein, PhD Gary Siuzdak, PhD Jason Locasale, PhD |
| 2014 | Adam Karpf | Cancer Epigenetics | Jean-Pierre Issa, MD Peter W. Laird, PhD Anjana Rao, PhD Michael McCabe, PhD |
| 2013 | Tony Hollingsworth | O-linked Glycosylation in Normal and Disease Conditions | Robert Haltiwanger, PhD Gerald Hart, PhD Henrik Clausen, DSc, DDS Lance Wells, PhD |
| 2012 | Angie Rizzino Michel Ouellette | Cancer Stem Cell Hypothesis | Sean Morrison, PhD Luis Parada, PhD Ravindra Majeti, MD, PhD |
| 2011 | Amar Natarajan | Chemical Genetic Approaches to Targeting Cancer | Kevan Shokat, PhD Tom Wandless, PhD Paramjit Arora, PhD |
| 2010 | Michael Brattain | Metastasis and the Tumor Microenvironment | Joan Massague, PhD Lisa Coussens, PhD Raghu Kalluri, MD, PhD |
| 2009 | Tony Hollingsworth | MicroRNA and Cancer | Scott Hammond, PhD Chang-Zheng Chen, MD, PhD George Calin, MD, PhD Judy Lieberman, MD, PhD |
| 2008 | Rob Lewis | Metabolic Regulation of Human Malignancies | Craig Thompson, MD John Cleveland, PhD Chi Dang, MD, PhD M Celeste Simon, PhD |
| 2007 | Bob Lahue | Ubiquitin and Cancer | Alan D'Andrea, MD Peter Jackson, PhD William Kaelin, MD Zhijian (James) Chen, PhD |
| 2006 | Angie Rizzino | Stem Cells in Cancer and Development | Michael McBurney, PhD Gilbert Smith, PhD Jan A Nolta, PhD Darryl Shibata, MD |
| 2005 | Barry Gold | Cellular Reponses to DNA Damage and Cancer | Thomas Kunkel, PhD Jean Wang, PhD Wei Yang, PhD Jan Hoeijmakers, PhD |
| 2004 | Tony Hollingsworth | Metastasis: Biology and Therapeutic Strategies | Danny Welch, PhD Ruth Muschell, MD, PhD Patricia Steeg, PhD Lynn Matrisian, PhD |
| 2003 | Peggy Wheelock | Cell Biology of Breast Cancer | Jeffrey T Holt, MD Nita Maihle, PhD William Muller, PhD Nora Disis, MD |
| 2002 | Jim Shull | Cancer Genetics | Gerard Evan, PhD Donna G Albertson, PhD William G. Kaelin, MD William P Bennett, MD |
| 2001 | Joyce Solheim | Tumor Immunology | Matthew F mescher, PhD James J Mule, PhD Jeffrey S Weber, MD, PhD Ellen S Vitetta, PhD |
| 2000 | Rob Lewis | Angiogenesis | Robert Kerbel, PhD Rakesh Jain, PhD Renata Pasqualini, PhD David Shalinsky, PhD |
| 1999 | Bob Lahue | Telomeres | Jerry W Shay, PhD Lea Harrington, PhD Peter Lansdorp, MD, PhD Julia Promisel Cooper, PhD |
| 1998 | Angie Rizzino | Chromatin Structure and Gene Transcription | C David Allis, PhD Craig Peterson, PhD Marc Montminy, MD, PhD Michelle Barton, PhD |
| 1997 | Jim Shull | Apoptosis: Molecular Mechanisms and Clinical Implications | Stan Korsmeyer, MD Michael Hengartner, PhD Junying Yuan, PhD David Fisher, MD |
| 1996 | Tony Hollingsworth | Characterization and Therapy of Genetic Disorders | James Sikela, PhD Webster Cavenee, PhD John Engelhardt, PhD Stephen Eck, MD, PhD |
| 1995 | Tom Smithgall | Genetics of Development | Paul W Sternberg, PhD Utpal Banerjee, PhD Michael S Levine, PhD Mario R Capecchi, PhD |
| 1994 | Jill Pelling | Transcription Factors as Effectors of Signal Transduction | Nancy H Colburn, PhD Gail Sonenshein, PhD Lorraine Gudas, PhD Frank J Rauscher III, PhD |
| 1993 | Rob Lewis | Cell Cycle Regulation | Leland H Hartwell, PhD Andrew Murray, PhD Patrick O'Farrell, PhD Thea Tltsy, PhD |
| 1992 | Solon Rhode | DNA Replication, DNA Repair and Mutagenesis | Lawrence Loeb, MD, PhD Thomas Kunkel, PhD Michael Cox, PhD Philip Hanawalt, PhD |
| 1991 | Angie Rizzino | Tumor Suppressor Genes and Trancription Regulatory Factors | Edward Harlow, PhD W Edward Mercer, PhD Edward Ziff, PhD Stephen Friend, MD, PhD |