Associate Board Awards $150,000 in Research and Clinical Grants to Lurie Cancer Center Scientists
On August 8th, the Associate Board of Lurie Cancer Center held its third-annual summer cocktail reception, where it awarded $150,000 in grants to two scientists conducting novel cancer research at Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.
Adam Lin, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, won the $100,000 Innovative Research Award to investigate the use of nanotechnology and laser ablation techniques to treat cancerous tumors. Shira Dinner, MD, associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, was the inaugural winner of the Innovative Clinical Trial Award. She was awarded $50,000 for her Phase 1 trial of tomivosertib, a drug that could treat relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia.
The awards cap another successful year for the Associate Board of Lurie Cancer Center, which formed in 2021 to give young professionals a platform for advancing cancer care through fundraising and advocacy. The annual Innovative Research Award is intended to boost high-risk, high-reward oncology research at Northwestern, while the new Innovative Clinical Trial Award provides funding for novel and patient-centric supplements to existing clinical trials.
“We've expanded this year to not only to support innovative research, but also clinical trials. This is really exciting because we're supporting both treatment and the patient care aspect,” board co-chair Louise Arnott Cardillo said in opening remarks.
Past awardees include Marcelo Bonini, PhD, a professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, who investigates how changes in the electrochemical balance of the nucleus alter gene expression patterns and affect cancer growth. Dr. Bonini leveraged his 2022 Innovative Research Award to conduct early-stage experiments that have since led to a new patent for a novel anti-metastatic medication that his laboratory is developing for breast, lung, and pancreatic cancer. This work has also led directly to $5 million in federal grants, part of which will be used to fund translation of his laboratory findings into clinical trials to assess safety and efficacy of his newly-patented medication.
In 2023, the Associate Board of Lurie Cancer Center awarded a $150,000 research grant to Kehinde U.A. Adekola, MD, MS, associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology. Dr. Adekola's research aims to improve outcomes and eliminate health disparities in patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and multiple myeloma.
The Associate Board continues to support high-risk, high-reward projects from researchers and clinical scientists, and is integral in furthering the mission and goals of the Lurie Cancer Center.
Watch A Thank You to the Associate Board of Lurie Cancer Center
For more information about supporting the Associate Board of Lurie Cancer Center, please contact Nicole Langert at nicole.langert@northwestern.edu or 312-503-1656.