This message will appear in the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association Bulletin.
For more than a year, we’ve watched as the new Animal Cancer Care Clinic grew from the ground up at the south end of our Small Animal Clinic.
The new wing will open in 2026.
Just as exciting and impactful, the clinical trials team within our oncology service has also been growing rapidly. Currently, over a dozen active trials seek patients with osteosarcoma, oral melanoma, oral squamous cell carcinoma, and more, with many additional trials in the works. Trials are partially to fully funded, providing access to cutting-edge treatments that are hoped to improve upon standard cancer care.
Dr. Tim Fan, the Khan Family Chair in Veterinary Oncology Research, has forged a strong foundation for this team over the past 20 years. As an oncology faculty member with a research-focused appointment, Dr. Fan has built collaborations with basic science researchers and industry partners across the country. With his guidance, novel therapies such as PAC-1 and anchored immunotherapy have shown promise in pets with cancer and have advanced to human clinical trials.
Meet the Team
Today the oncology service boasts a large clinical trials team that also includes:
- Dr. Matthew Berry, whose research focuses on developing a cancer vaccine platform using tumor-specific immune response from the patient and on developing diagnostic and therapeutic applications leveraging red blood cells.
- Dr. Kim Selting, the Dr. John A. Coyne Professor in Small Animal Clinical Practice and head of our radiation oncology service. Many clinical trials incorporate radiation to supercharge the body’s immune response to other therapies.
- Dr. Joanna Schmit, who oversees patient care for all trial participants. She works with oncology residents and two clinical trial interns to ensure the highest quality care and communication for clients as well.
- Rebecca Kamerer, a certified veterinary technician who has been part of the oncology service for more than 20 years and who currently serves as clinical trials manager.
“Everyone on our clinical trials team has a passion for what they do,” says Dr. Fan. “We all have the ‘discovery bug,’ the drive to advance science.
“We’re equally passionate about our patients and their families. Providing outstanding communication, a range of treatment options, and support for our clients’ decisions adds up to a positive experience for pet owners facing a difficult time.”
The Illinois Connection
The effective teamwork within the clinical trials group is just part of what sets cancer care at our Veterinary Teaching Hospital apart. The innovative treatments available here tap into a vast network of basic science researchers across the University of Illinois and beyond.
“Our campus has built a powerhouse in cancer discovery,” notes Dr. Berry. “The Cancer Center at Illinois unites more than 150 faculty, postdoctoral, and student researchers in the effort to end cancer. It allows veterinary and medical doctors to join forces with the top minds in chemistry, engineering, imaging, informatics, and other fields.”
Dr. Berry collaborates with an expert in materials science to re-engineer cancer vaccine strategies. Current projects explore the use of extracellular vesicles and dendritic cell-homing material.
Dr. Selting, also a member of the Cancer Center at Illinois, leverages her expertise in radiation oncology for a variety of translational research projects with colleagues in human medicine and basic sciences.
Dr. Fan holds the position of associate director for translational research and development at the Cancer Center at Illinois and was one of its founding members.
Nowhere Else
“What we offer through our clinical trials group is unique,” says Dr. Fan. “You can look at the top cancer research centers at institutions from Northwestern University to Yale, and you will not find the breadth of fields working together, uniting biotech industries, basic scientists, and human medical centers. This synergy allows us to bring the most promising discoveries, first to pets with naturally occurring cancers, and then, as appropriate, to human cancer patients.”
The clinical trials team hopes Chicago-area veterinarians will check its website whenever a patient with cancer could be eligible for a trial. The website can be found at go.vetmed.illinois.edu/OncoTrials. You can also request a magnet with a QR code linking to the page from Rebecca Kamerer. Her email is rmoss81@illinois.edu or call her at 217-300-6453.
