Garvin Joins DCI as Director of Research Development-Clinical Research
Published
From the Duke Cancer Institute archives. Content may be out of date.
Shanta Laurie Garvin MHSA, MPA, CRA, joined Duke Cancer Institute as Director of Research Development-Clinical Research on June 1, 2021.
In this new role, Garvin will lead and manage activities to enhance processes, prepare for continued growth, assure staff development, expand communication with investigators, identify and assist in developing areas for growth in clinical research funding, ensure that the use of new tools and best practices are optimized, and contribute to advancing the recognition of the work of the DCI through targeted communications and outreach.
"Shanta is a persuasive communicator and team-oriented leader who focuses on the big picture not to exclude or minimize how systems work together to establish and measure goals to reach desired outcomes," said Karen Kharasch, senior director of Research Strategy and Operations at DCI.
Garvin has 20 years of experience in research administration — grants, contracts, research billing — in both academic and healthcare settings, including Savannah State University, Emory University, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She has a Bachelor of Science in Political Science, a Masters in Public Administration- Policy Management, and a Masters- Health Services Administration.
As a Certified Research Administrator, Garvin's expertise lies in her comprehensive knowledge of best practices in sponsored research administration; knowledge of and application of institutional policies and their impact on daily operations; and establishing and maintaining relationships with stakeholders.
"She is a leader who encourages and supports teamwork, high-level customer service, and individual professional growth and development. Her career has provided a wide array of opportunities with increased levels of duties, responsibilities, and authority," said Kharasch. "She brings to us a wealth of knowledge, skills, and abilities and an open mind to learn and enhance the operations of clinical research administration within DCI."
Alexandra Thomas, MD, Associate Director of Translational Research for the Duke Cancer Institute (DCI), and Andrew Armstrong MD, George Barth Geller Distinguished Professor for Research in Cancer, have received continued National Cancer Institute (NCI) funding to support DCI’s participation as a Lead Academic Participating Site (LAPS) in the National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN).The competitively renewed $4.58 million, 6-year award will help expand access to NCI-sponsored clinical trials, support Duke investigators’ leadership in the development and conduct of multicenter cancer studies and strengthen infrastructure that advances practice-changing cancer research. Dr. Thomas serves as contact PI and Dr. Armstrong serves as co-PI of this important award.The award supports Duke’s enrollment efforts across the NCTN trial portfolio which includes a broad range of cancer types and treatment approaches. It also provides resources to mentor future clinical trial leaders and fosters multidisciplinary collaboration across DCI.Thomas will work alongside Dr. Armstrong, who serves also as Director of Research for the DCI Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, to help guide Duke’s contributions to this national research network, advancing innovative clinical trials, and bringing new treatment opportunities to patients throughout the region.Duke has been a LAPS since the initiation of this program in 2014. From 2014-2025, the work at Duke was led by Jeffrey Crawford, MD, who has recently retired.Dr. Thomas shared what this award will mean for DCI and its clinical trials work: “This award places DCI in an elite group of cancer centers recognized by the NCI as vital to advancing the clinical trials that improve outcomes for our patients with cancer. It reflects the extraordinary dedication of our investigators, research teams, and, most importantly, the patients who partner with us in this research. We are excited to build on this momentum, expand access to innovative trials across our region, and mentor the next generation of clinical trial leaders.”
A new study led by Duke Cancer Institute (DCI) researchers offers important insights into that challenge in advanced prostate cancer and could help pave the way for more personalized treatment approaches in the future.The research, published recently in Cancer and led by Jennifer Freedman, translational scientist with the DCI Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, focused on molecules known as ceramides and how they may influence treatment outcomes in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, an advanced form of the disease that continues to grow despite hormone-suppressing therapies.The study grew out of two innovative Duke-led clinical trials, Abi Race and PANTHER, which enrolled approximately an equal numbers of Black and white patients with advanced prostate cancer. This approach allowed researchers to study treatment outcomes while also examining biological factors that may influence response to therapy.Studies show Black men are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer, experiencing higher rates of diagnosis, metastatic disease, and death from the disease than other populations. Understanding the factors that contribute to those disparities remains a major research priority."We're interested not only in understanding who responds to treatment and who doesn't, but also why," Freedman said. "By building science into clinical trials, we can begin to uncover the biology behind those differences."Patients enrolled in the studies received androgen receptor pathway inhibitors, a class of therapies that block the effects of hormones such as testosterone that help drive prostate cancer growth. Researchers collected blood samples before treatment and during treatment, allowing them to investigate biological changes associated with therapy response.In both clinical trials, investigators observed differences in therapy response among Black and white patients. Despite facing a disproportionate burden of prostate cancer overall, Black patients in the first study shifted toward delays in disease progression. And, in the second study, Black patients showed improvements in radiographic progression-free and overall survival.Previous analysis of samples from the first trial identified genetic variations linked to treatment response. A number of those variations were found in genes involved in ceramide metabolism, leading the team to investigate the ceramides themselves.Ceramides are lipid molecules that play important roles throughout the body. They are involved in cell growth, cell signaling, cell death, and other essential biological processes. Disruptions in ceramide metabolism have also been linked to the development and progression of cancer.When the team analyzed blood samples collected before treatment in both studies, they discovered differences in ceramide profiles between Black and white patients. Black patients had lower overall ceramide levels but higher levels of specific long-chain ceramides, which previous research has associated with worse cancer behavior.As Black patients received androgen receptor pathway inhibitor therapy, levels of potentially harmful long-chain ceramides decreased while levels of shorter-chain ceramides increased. White patients showed the opposite trend, with increases in long-chain ceramides and decreases in shorter-chain versions.Researchers also identified specific ceramide species that were associated with important clinical outcomes, including disease progression, radiographic progression-free survival, and overall survival. Notably, the ceramides linked to outcomes differed between Black and white patients.Together, these findings suggest that ceramide metabolism may contribute to how patients respond to hormone-based therapies.One of the most exciting potential implications of the research is the possibility that ceramides could serve as biomarkers—biological indicators that help predict how a patient is likely to respond to treatment.If validated in additional and larger patient populations, ceramide profiles could help physicians identify which patients are most likely to benefit from androgen receptor pathway inhibitors and potentially guide treatment decisions earlier during care."We can also start thinking about testing combinations of current hormone therapies with treatments that alter ceramide metabolism in models of prostate cancer in the research laboratory," Freedman said. "That approach could potentially improve outcomes even further."The work represents another example of how laboratory science and clinical research can work together to advance cancer care.Freedman credits the study's success to the close collaboration between translational scientists and clinical investigators, as well as the decision to integrate scientific research directly into the clinical trials.The next steps will include validating the findings in additional and larger patient groups and conducting additional studies to better understand how ceramides influence prostate cancer treatment response. Researchers also plan to explore in the laboratory whether targeting ceramide metabolism could enhance the effectiveness of existing therapies.Ultimately, the goal is to develop more precise treatment approaches and address longstanding disparities in prostate cancer outcomes."This is a great example of why it's important to build science into clinical trials," Freedman said. "Every time we learn more about the biology behind treatment response, we're creating opportunities to develop better tools, better therapies, and better outcomes for patients."
Alexandra Thomas, MD, Associate Director of Translational Research for the Duke Cancer Institute (DCI), and Andrew Armstrong MD, George Barth Geller Distinguished Professor for Research in Cancer, have received continued National Cancer Institute (NCI) funding to support DCI’s participation as a Lead Academic Participating Site (LAPS) in the National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN).The competitively renewed $4.58 million, 6-year award will help expand access to NCI-sponsored clinical trials, support Duke investigators’ leadership in the development and conduct of multicenter cancer studies and strengthen infrastructure that advances practice-changing cancer research. Dr. Thomas serves as contact PI and Dr. Armstrong serves as co-PI of this important award.The award supports Duke’s enrollment efforts across the NCTN trial portfolio which includes a broad range of cancer types and treatment approaches. It also provides resources to mentor future clinical trial leaders and fosters multidisciplinary collaboration across DCI.Thomas will work alongside Dr. Armstrong, who serves also as Director of Research for the DCI Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, to help guide Duke’s contributions to this national research network, advancing innovative clinical trials, and bringing new treatment opportunities to patients throughout the region.Duke has been a LAPS since the initiation of this program in 2014. From 2014-2025, the work at Duke was led by Jeffrey Crawford, MD, who has recently retired.Dr. Thomas shared what this award will mean for DCI and its clinical trials work: “This award places DCI in an elite group of cancer centers recognized by the NCI as vital to advancing the clinical trials that improve outcomes for our patients with cancer. It reflects the extraordinary dedication of our investigators, research teams, and, most importantly, the patients who partner with us in this research. We are excited to build on this momentum, expand access to innovative trials across our region, and mentor the next generation of clinical trial leaders.”
A new study led by Duke Cancer Institute (DCI) researchers offers important insights into that challenge in advanced prostate cancer and could help pave the way for more personalized treatment approaches in the future.The research, published recently in Cancer and led by Jennifer Freedman, translational scientist with the DCI Center for Prostate and Urologic Cancers, focused on molecules known as ceramides and how they may influence treatment outcomes in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, an advanced form of the disease that continues to grow despite hormone-suppressing therapies.The study grew out of two innovative Duke-led clinical trials, Abi Race and PANTHER, which enrolled approximately an equal numbers of Black and white patients with advanced prostate cancer. This approach allowed researchers to study treatment outcomes while also examining biological factors that may influence response to therapy.Studies show Black men are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer, experiencing higher rates of diagnosis, metastatic disease, and death from the disease than other populations. Understanding the factors that contribute to those disparities remains a major research priority."We're interested not only in understanding who responds to treatment and who doesn't, but also why," Freedman said. "By building science into clinical trials, we can begin to uncover the biology behind those differences."Patients enrolled in the studies received androgen receptor pathway inhibitors, a class of therapies that block the effects of hormones such as testosterone that help drive prostate cancer growth. Researchers collected blood samples before treatment and during treatment, allowing them to investigate biological changes associated with therapy response.In both clinical trials, investigators observed differences in therapy response among Black and white patients. Despite facing a disproportionate burden of prostate cancer overall, Black patients in the first study shifted toward delays in disease progression. And, in the second study, Black patients showed improvements in radiographic progression-free and overall survival.Previous analysis of samples from the first trial identified genetic variations linked to treatment response. A number of those variations were found in genes involved in ceramide metabolism, leading the team to investigate the ceramides themselves.Ceramides are lipid molecules that play important roles throughout the body. They are involved in cell growth, cell signaling, cell death, and other essential biological processes. Disruptions in ceramide metabolism have also been linked to the development and progression of cancer.When the team analyzed blood samples collected before treatment in both studies, they discovered differences in ceramide profiles between Black and white patients. Black patients had lower overall ceramide levels but higher levels of specific long-chain ceramides, which previous research has associated with worse cancer behavior.As Black patients received androgen receptor pathway inhibitor therapy, levels of potentially harmful long-chain ceramides decreased while levels of shorter-chain ceramides increased. White patients showed the opposite trend, with increases in long-chain ceramides and decreases in shorter-chain versions.Researchers also identified specific ceramide species that were associated with important clinical outcomes, including disease progression, radiographic progression-free survival, and overall survival. Notably, the ceramides linked to outcomes differed between Black and white patients.Together, these findings suggest that ceramide metabolism may contribute to how patients respond to hormone-based therapies.One of the most exciting potential implications of the research is the possibility that ceramides could serve as biomarkers—biological indicators that help predict how a patient is likely to respond to treatment.If validated in additional and larger patient populations, ceramide profiles could help physicians identify which patients are most likely to benefit from androgen receptor pathway inhibitors and potentially guide treatment decisions earlier during care."We can also start thinking about testing combinations of current hormone therapies with treatments that alter ceramide metabolism in models of prostate cancer in the research laboratory," Freedman said. "That approach could potentially improve outcomes even further."The work represents another example of how laboratory science and clinical research can work together to advance cancer care.Freedman credits the study's success to the close collaboration between translational scientists and clinical investigators, as well as the decision to integrate scientific research directly into the clinical trials.The next steps will include validating the findings in additional and larger patient groups and conducting additional studies to better understand how ceramides influence prostate cancer treatment response. Researchers also plan to explore in the laboratory whether targeting ceramide metabolism could enhance the effectiveness of existing therapies.Ultimately, the goal is to develop more precise treatment approaches and address longstanding disparities in prostate cancer outcomes."This is a great example of why it's important to build science into clinical trials," Freedman said. "Every time we learn more about the biology behind treatment response, we're creating opportunities to develop better tools, better therapies, and better outcomes for patients."
