Prevent Cancer Foundation awards nearly $1 million in new research grants
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kyra Meister
kyra.meister@preventcancer.org
703-836-1746
Alexandria, Va. – The Prevent Cancer Foundation® is pleased to announce new funding for nine scientists who are exploring education campaigns, discovering innovative approaches, addressing health disparities and more. Each scientist has been awarded $100,000 for a two-year period. Areas of focus include blood, breast, cervical, buccal cavity, lung, skin (including melanoma), uterine and ovarian cancers.
Read on for more on the 2026 research grantees or access more detailed information on their projects.
Grantee: Joselle Cook, MBBS
Project Title: MGUS/MM Awareness & Genetic Insights Campaign II (MAGIC 2) Screening Study
Named Award: Awesome Games Done Quick
Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
The MAGIC study is a unique, ancestry-informed screening and education initiative. While the first phase demonstrated the feasibility of this approach, MAGIC 2 aims to expand its outreach to include under-accessed populations statewide, continuing to help people understand their risk for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), a condition that can lead to multiple myeloma. By combining genetic insights with ancestry‑aware screening, the project aims to improve early detection for communities in need.
Grantee: Alejandra de Mendoza, Ph.D.
Project Title: SOLAR: Promoting Skin Cancer Prevention Among Hispanic Outdoor Workers
Named Award: Vic Fazio Memorial Fund
Position: Associate Professor
Institution: Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
This project will evaluate a new telenovela‑style video created specifically for Hispanic outdoor workers to boost use of sunscreen and protective clothing and increase sun‑safety knowledge. Research will measure if people who watch the video learn more about skin cancer and feel more confident about protecting themselves from the sun compared to those who read the same information from a fact sheet. Findings could guide better prevention tools and pave the way for larger studies to reduce skin cancer risk in this underserved workforce.
Grantee: Stacey Griner, Ph.D., MPH, CPH, RDH
Project Title: Implementing HPV-Related Cancer Guidelines in Dental Settings
Named Award: Awesome Games Done Quick
Position: Associate Professor
Institution: University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas
Dentists and dental hygienists now play a key role in preventing human papillomavirus (HPV)‑related cancers. This study will work directly with oral health providers to understand what makes HPV vaccine conversations challenging and to develop solutions that fit everyday practice. The results could enable researchers to build effective tools to increase HPV vaccination rates and reduce HPV‑related cancers nationwide.
Grantee: Artit Jirapatnakul, Ph.D.
Project Title: CT-derived Adipose Biomarkers for Lung Cancer Detection and Prognosis
Named Award: Marcia and Frank Carlucci Charitable Foundation
Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, N.Y.
Fat around the heart—which may negatively affect the risk and prognosis of lung cancer—can be automatically measured from CT scans of the chest. This study will use CT imaging to examine how changes in the fat around the lungs and heart may signal higher risk for lung cancer or poorer health outcomes in people with a history of smoking. The findings could lead to a novel, noninvasive way to identify those at increased risk and ensure they undergo lung cancer screening.
Grantee: Susana Lozano Esparza, Ph.D., M.D.
Project Title: Ovarian Cancer Prevention with Statins and Bisphosphonates: A Target Trial
Named Award: Gary Lytle Memorial Fund
Position: Post Doc Research Associate
Institution: The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Using one of the world’s most comprehensive health databases to track outcomes over time, this study will explore whether common medications for cholesterol and bone health might also prevent ovarian cancer. Findings from this study could pave the way for fast, practical prevention options for women, especially those who are at higher risk of ovarian cancer.
Grantee: Julia McGuinness, M.D.
Project Title: Change in Breast Radiomics Tools with Weight Loss Interventions
Named Award: Congressional Families Program
Position: Assistant Professor of Medicine
Institution: Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, N.Y.
This study will examine whether weight loss treatments—like bariatric surgery or GLP-1 medications—produce detectable changes on routine mammograms that signal lower breast cancer risk, offering a potential new way to show patients how their weight loss efforts support cancer prevention.
Grantee: Michelle B. Shin, Ph.D., MPH, MSN, RN
Project Title: Team-based Care Models for Cervical Cancer Screening in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
Institution: University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.
This study will partner with federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) within the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho Practice Research Network (WPRN) to co-design a team-based care model for cervical cancer screening by engaging doctors, nurses and medical assistants to better reach underserved patients. By strengthening collaboration and addressing real‑world barriers, this study aims to increase cervical cancer screening rates and reduce persistent disparities.
Grantee: Echo Warner, Ph.D.
Project Title: Micro videos for Improving HPV Vaccination Among Childhood Cancer Survivors
Named Award: Awesome Games Done Quick
Position: Assistant Professor
Institution: The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
This project will create brief, engaging videos to help childhood cancer survivors learn why the HPV vaccine is important for long-term health. By testing the videos with young adult survivors, researchers aim to boost vaccination rates among survivors—reducing their long-term cancer risk—and build a model that could be shared with cancer programs across the country.
Grantee: Sarah Yeo, Ph.D.
Project Title: Promoting Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Among Underserved Women
Named Award: Richard C. Devereaux Outstanding Young Investigator Award
Position: Postdoctoral Fellow
Institution: University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz.
Research on this project will address refugee women from Muslim-majority countries and the health care barriers they face by partnering with community health workers to deliver culturally tailored education and hands‑on support that could help them get lifesaving breast and cervical cancer screenings. The community-based program could be expanded nationwide and in other countries with refugees and immigrants to reduce disparities and save lives.
To view all current research grant and fellowship projects driving these key advancements in cancer prevention and early detection, explore the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s Award Database.
Are you interested in receiving a Prevent Cancer Foundation research grant? Applications for 2027 grants will open in the spring of 2026. Sign up to receive an email notification when applications open.
Are you interested in funding a Prevent Cancer Foundation research grant? Contact Jennifer Niyangoda, Vice President of Development and Marketing, at Jennifer.Niyangoda@preventcancer.org.
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About the Prevent Cancer Foundation®
The Prevent Cancer Foundation® is the only U.S.-based nonprofit organization solely dedicated to 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. We are driven by a vision of a world where cancer is preventable, detectable and beatable for all.
The Foundation is rising to meet the challenge of reducing cancer deaths by 40% by 2035. To achieve this, we are committed to investing $20 million for innovative technologies to detect cancer early and advance multi-cancer screening, $10 million to expand cancer screening and vaccination access to medically underserved communities, and $10 million to educate the public about screening and vaccination options.
For more information, please visit preventcancer.org.