Prevent Cancer is proud to announce our six newly funded researchers in cancer prevention and early detection!
- Maarten Bosland, D.V.Sc., Ph.D., Awesome Games Done Quick Research Grant in Prostate Cancer
- Sonia de Assis, Ph.D., Holden Family Research Grant in Breast Cancer Prevention
- Ying Fu, Ph.D., Marcia and Frank Carlucci Charitable Foundation Award in Cancer Prevention and Early Detection
- Ronan Kelly, M.D., M.B.A., Lilly USA Research Award in Cancer Prevention and Early detection
- Ronac Mamtani, M.D., M.S.C.E., Figdor Family Research Award in Cancer Prevention
- Kathryn Taylor, Ph.D., Richard C. Devereaux Outstanding Investigator Award in Lung Cancer Prevention
Each will receive two years of funding at $40,000 per year to put their plans into action. Recently, I asked three of our new awardees to share a little about their interest in cancer and the impact of this funding on their future research.
Maarten Bosland, D.V.Sc., Ph.D., University of Illinois – Chicago
Named Award: Awesome Games Done Quick Research Grant in Prostate Cancer
What he will study: Prevention of hormone-induced prostate cancer
This is Dr. Bosland’s third grant from Prevent Cancer. Dr. Bosland was funded in 2005 and 2008 to support phase-II clinical trials examining the impact of soy protein prior to radical prostatectomy. This time, Dr. Bosland is focusing on hormone interactions and prostate cancer development.
What led to your interest in prostate cancer research?
“My initial reason for becoming interested in prostate cancer research was the challenge posed by the need to develop a good animal model, which did not exist when I began my research. I developed such a model, and it turned out that hormones appear to play a critical role in this model. Studying how hormones cause prostate cancer may lead to identification of ways to prevent this major malignancy.”
How will funding from the Prevent Cancer Foundation further your research?
“The funding from the Prevent Cancer Foundation will allow me to conduct critical experiments aimed at identifying the mechanisms by which estrogens in conjunction with androgenic hormones can cause prostate cancer in rats. This will help me achieve my ultimate goal to find a safe and effective way to interfere with the development of prostate cancer in men.”
Sonia de Assis, Ph.D., Georgetown University
Named Award: Holden Family Research Grant in Breast Cancer Prevention
What she will study: Paternal obesity and reprogramming of breast cancer risk in their offspring
What led to your interest in breast cancer research?
“I come from a family of strong women, and I’ve learned that even they are not immune to breast cancer. I’ve witnessed the devastation of breast cancer in their lives. Their struggles have brought the lack of clear-cut prevention strategies to my attention. As I researcher, I believe more can be done to help fight this disease. My hope is that I can make a meaningful difference in in the development of prevention strategies for breast cancer and help generations of women to come.”
How will funding from the Prevent Cancer Foundation further your research?
“This award will help me as I embark on an area of research that has not been previously explored and allow me to take scientifically sound risks. As a junior faculty member, this award will assist me in collecting the necessary data to build a competitive R01 grant application that, if funded, will secure my scientific independence.”
Ronac Mamtani, M.D., M.S.C.E., University of Pennsylvania
Named Award: Figdor Family Research Award in Cancer Prevention
What he will study: The impact of metformin on the risk of prostate cancer
What led to your interest in prostate cancer research?
“As an Oncology Fellow, I was struck that much of the published literature focused on treatment of prostate cancer rather than its prevention. This became my research focus – identifying non-toxic therapies to prevent or delay the development of prostate cancer.”
How will funding from the Prevent Cancer Foundation further your research?
“Receipt of the Prevent Cancer Foundation Figdor Family Research Award in Cancer Prevention will provide me with the time and mentorship to move chemoprevention of prostate cancer forward. Most importantly, this award will provide impetus early in my career to become a leader in the field of prostate cancer chemoprevention.”
I’ll introduce Drs. Fu, Kelly and Taylor in a future blog post. Learn more about our new researchers. Take a look at researchers funded in earlier years in the Prevent Cancer family of researchers.
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