Fundación Prevenir el Cáncer^® awards nine new research grants

PARA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATA
Contacto: Lisa Berry Edwards
703-519-2107
Lisa.Edwards@preventcancer.org

Alexandria, VA—The Prevent Cancer Foundation is pleased to announce funding for nine scientists who are researching cancer prevention and early detection. Each scientist is being awarded $100,000 for two years. Areas of focus include the pancreas, esophagus, liver, lungs, skin, prostate, colon-rectum, and blood/bone marrow.

Here are the 2021 research grantees. Click here for more detailed information on their projects.

Beneficiario:  Limor Appelbaum, M.D.
Premio nombrado: Juegos increíbles hechos rápidamente
Posición: Staff Scientist
Institución: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA
Título del Proyecto: Use of medical records and microbiome for predicting pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is usually diagnosed in advanced stages when cure is no longer possible. Early detection of this cancer can lead to cure. Dr. Appelbaum proposes a model that can identify people at high risk of pancreatic cancer to be recommended for screening, which can potentially save lives.

Beneficiario: Julie A. Barta, M.D., A.T.S.F.
Premio nombrado: Premio Richard C. Devereaux al joven investigador destacado
Posición: Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institución: Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA
Application Title: Improving lung cancer screening barriers for vulnerable populations

Despite the advent of lung screening to identify cancers at early, curable stages, major disparities exist in screening uptake and adherence. This project will examine and alleviate financial and technological barriers for vulnerable populations to increase lung cancer early detection and survival rates.

Beneficiario: Neil Box, Ph.D.
Posición: Associate Professor
Institución: University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus and Denver Campus, Denver, CO
Título del Proyecto: Integrating sun damage indicators in melanoma risk modeling

Dr. Box and his team will study how skin damaged by ultraviolet radiation can predict melanoma risk in children of certain genetic makeup. Their work will identify high-risk groups and prove the value of our tools in personalized melanoma prediction and prevention.

Beneficiario: Sigrid Carlsson, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H.
Premio nombrado: Juegos increíbles hechos rápidamente
Posición: Asistente de epidemiólogo asistente
Institución: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Application Title: Improving prostate cancer screening using innovative technology

Dr. Carlsson and her team developed an innovative computer technology to help primary care physicians use “smarter” screening for prostate cancer for men who are most likely to benefit. The aim of this study is to test the usefulness of this computerized decision support tool in a large primary care network.

Beneficiario: Margie Clapper, Ph.D.
Posición: Deputy Scientific Director/Professor/Co-Leader, Cancer Prevention and Control Program
Institución: The Research Institute of Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA
Título del Proyecto: Impact of atorvastatin with or without aspirin on colorectal biomarkers in patients with Lynch Syndrome: a pilot study

Lynch Syndrome (LS) is the most common genetic cause of colon cancer in people under age 50. Atorvastatin reduces colon microadenomas dramatically in mice. Understanding the effect of atorvastatin with or without aspirin on colon biomarkers is critical to developing a preventive therapy for LS patients.

Beneficiario: William Grady, M.D.
Premio nombrado: La Fundación Caritativa de la Familia Shure
Posición: Professor
Institución: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
Título del Proyecto: Dysbiotic esophageal microbiomes and esophageal cancer risk

These studies have the potential to identify cancer-causing esophageal bacteria, which could lead to novel and improved ways to prevent cancer through more accurate cancer risk prediction. The studies could also lead to novel antibiotic or probiotic cancer prevention treatments for esophageal cancer.

Fellow: Natalia Heredia, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Posición: Profesor asistente
Institución: The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 
Premio nombrado: Marcia and Frank Carlucci Charitable Foundation
Título del Proyecto: Culturally tailored lifestyle intervention for Hispanic non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

The rate of new cases of liver cancer continues to increase in Hispanics, partially due to a condition called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Treatment for NAFLD includes weight loss, so by helping Hispanic NAFLD patients lose weight, we can prevent future cases of NAFLD-related liver cancer.

Beneficiario: Maro Ohanian, D.O.
Premio nombrado: Triad Foundation, LLC
Posición: Profesor asistente
Institución: University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Título del Proyecto: Detoxification of environmental metals to prevent acute myeloid leukemia

Toxic metals are a modifiable risk factor associated with increased cancer risk. Dr. Ohanian aims to reverse carcinogenic effects of environmental/occupational metal exposures that can lead to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) by detoxifying metals in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (pre-leukemia) as a novel cancer prevention method.

Fellow: Aayushi Uberoi, Ph.D.
Premio nombrado: Juegos increíbles hechos rápidamente
Posición: Postdoctoral Scholar
Institución: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Título del Proyecto: Modulating skin microbiota-host interactions to prevent UV-induced skin cancer

While the skin microbiome encounters the same ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure as the skin, the effects of UVB on the skin microbiome is unexplored. By exploring host-microbiome interactions during UVB-associated skin cancers, we can uncover a novel class of biomarkers and therapeutics for prevention of skin cancer.

Acerca de la Fundación Prevent Cancer^®

La Fundación para Prevenir el Cáncer^® is celebrating 35 years as the only U.S. nonprofit organization focused solely on saving lives across all populations through cancer prevention and early detection.  Through research, education, outreach and advocacy, we have helped countless people avoid a cancer diagnosis or detect their cancer early enough to be successfully treated.

La Fundación está avanzando para afrontar el desafío de reducir las muertes por cáncer en 40% para 2035. Para lograrlo, nos comprometemos a invertir $20 millones en tecnologías innovadoras para detectar el cáncer tempranamente y avanzar en la detección de múltiples cánceres, $10 millones para ampliar la detección del cáncer y la vacunación. acceso a comunidades médicamente desatendidas, y $10 millones para educar al público sobre las opciones de detección y vacunación.

Para mayor información por favor visite www.preventcancer.org.