Funded Research

Emerson Collective Cancer Research Fund 2020 Awardees

• Alan Ashworth, PhD, FRS
  Unlocking Histone Demethylases as Therapeutic Targets in Cancer
• Trever Bivona, MD, PhD
  A metabolic synthetic lethal approach for the molecular treatment of PTEN-deficient cancers
• Hani Goodarzi, PhD
  Leveraging circulating cancer-specific orphan RNAs for early detection of cancer

About The Emerson Collective Cancer Research Fund

The Emerson Collective Cancer Research Fund sought individual or team proposals for research projects related, but not limited to, immunotherapy, metabolic therapies, early detection advancements, 'high risk/high reward' initiatives and/or -omic approaches to cancer and drug development. Positive criteria included the potential of a project to significantly impact our understanding of and/or approaches to the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of cancer.

Pancreatic Cancer 2020 Awardees

• Wendell Lim, PhD
  Exploiting the Tumor Stroma to Enhance CAR T cell Efficacy and Decrease Toxicity for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
• Rushika Perera, PhD
  Targeting the lysosome during adaptation to Kras pathway inhibition

About the Pancreatic Cancer RFA

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma is a deadly disease with few therapeutic options. There is an unmet need to obtain and interrogate high quality tissue from cancer patients, both to understand the disease and predict adaptive responses to therapeutic intervention. Thanks to a generous donation from the Shorenstein Foundation, the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center was able to fund translational research projects addressing pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center Awardees

• Hala Borno, MD
  [Cancer Research Award] Examining the relationship between governmental assistance in nutrition, food insecurity, and cancer outcomes in a time of crisis
• Ana Velazquez Manana, MD
  [Cancer Research Award] Quality Initiative for Diverse Lung Cancer Patients in the Safety-Net Setting
• Niharika Dixit, MD
  [Cancer Genetics Award] Increasing Access to Genetic Services at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Oncology Clinics: A Genetic Testing Station Model)

About the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center Awards

With this RFA, the HDFCCC sought innovative cancer research projects and cancer genetics projects that improve outcomes and benefit the patient population at ZSFG.

For the Benefit of Patients at PCMB Awardees

• Pelin Cinar, MD, MS
  Reducing preventable ED visits and hospitalizations in patients with cancer
• Natalie Young, MD
  Improving the Care of Older Adults with Cancer at PCMB

About the PCMB Awards

Through a generous philanthropic gift, the Cancer Center sought applications for funding for projects that directly benefit the patients of the Bakar Precision Cancer Medicine Building. Funds were to support: 1) creation of new models of patient-centered care at PCMB, including process improvement projects; or 2) strategic research for improved clinical outcomes for patients at PCMB.

The Cancer League 2020 Awardees

• Paola Betancur, PhD
  Cracking the Code Linking Inflammation and the Cancer Immune Escape Program in Gynecologic Cancers
• Michael Evans, PhD
  Precision Targeting of Iron for Pancreatic Cancer Imaging and Treatment
• Deanna Kroetz, PhD
  Targeting MRP4-Mediated PGE2 Efflux to Improve Sensitivity to Immunotherapy
• Melissa Reeves, PhD
  Spatial Dynamics of the Immune Response in Heterogeneous Tumors

About The Cancer League

The Cancer League's primary interest is in funding research projects that need seed money to gain traction or to get closer to a clinical trial. In addition, projects that take an existing form of treatment, but make it better or more palatable for the patient population are equally as welcomed.

American Cancer Society Awardees - 2020

• Julian Hong, MD, MS
  Enhanced prostate cancer diagnostics: Intelligent algorithms to improve patient care
• Amar Nijagal, MD
  Single cell characterization and organoid development of pediatric choledochal cysts and hepatoblastoma to understand the link between liver development and hepatobiliary malignancy
• Melissa Reeves, PhD
  Overcoming Heterogeneity-Driven Defects of the Anti-Tumor Immune Response
• Matthew Stachler, MD, PhD
  Characterizing how the inflammatory microenvironment influences preneoplastic progression of Barrett’s esophagus into invasive adenocarcinoma
• Lena Winestone, MD, MSHP
  Determinants of Access to 131l- Metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) Therapy for High Risk Neuroblastoma Patients

About the ACS Individual Research Awards

This program is to make seed funding available to encourage junior investigators to initiate promising new projects in cancer-related research that may enable them to compete successfully for national research grants. Targeted are projects in basic, clinical, health policy, health services, psychosocial and behavioral, epidemiologic, and control research that seek to answer fundamental questions about the development and nature of cancer; have direct application to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer; relate to health policy or delivery of cancer care; investigate the psychosocial and behavioral impact of cancer; or study the circumstances under which cancer occurs in populations. Learn more.

Cancer Early Detection/Interception/Prevention RFA

• Maria Wei, MD, PhD
  Non-invasive screening for skin cancer in hereditary cancer syndromes

About this Award:

Through a generous philanthropic gift, we sought applications for funding for research into Early Detection, Interception, or Prevention of cancer in people genetically predisposed to cancer. Applications focused on at least one of these areas and described innovative approaches that have the potential to have clinical impact.

RAP Awardees

Spring 2020 awardees will be announced in late May.

About the RAP Awards

The Resource Allocation Program (RAP) is a campus-wide program whose aim is to coordinate intramural research funding opportunities for the UCSF community. Through RAP, the Cancer Center and other UCSF agencies provide seed funding to encourage clinical investigators, especially those at the beginning of their career, to initiate promising projects that may enable them to compete successfully for national research grants. Targeted areas are innovative pilot and phase I/II studies and other projects in clinical, health policy, health services, and psychosocial and behavioral research.