Sarcoma Foundation of America Announces 2015 Research Grant Awards

SARCOMA FOUNDATION OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES 2015 RESEARCH GRANT AWARDS

DAMASCUS, Md. – May 28, 2015 – The Sarcoma Foundation of America (SFA), an organization dedicated to increased awareness and research for sarcoma, today announced that it has awarded $500,000 in research funds to deserving scientists at institutions across the United States as part of its 2015 SFA Research Grant program.  Ten 2015 SFA research grants, each worth $50,000, have been awarded to researchers who have made it their mission to study sarcoma, a rare cancer that arises in the body’s connective tissue. All proposals are peer reviewed by the SFA Medical Advisory Board who award the grants to the best, most promising research toward the cure for sarcoma.

“The SFA congratulates our 2015 research grant recipients.  We applaud the important work that they are doing and thank them for their dedication to find new and innovative therapies for sarcoma patients,” said SFA Chief Executive Officer Bert E. Thomas IV, PhD.  “The research that they are conducting is laying the foundation to cure this insidious cancer in our lifetime.”

The Sarcoma Foundation of America began its research grant program in 2003.  Since that time, the Foundation has invested nearly $6 million in research. More information on SFA’s research program can be found at https://www.curesarcoma.org/research/.

Sarcoma Foundation of America 2015 Research Grants

 

Dr. Richard and Valerie Aronsohn Memorial Research Award

Alex Kentsis, MD, PhD

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

“Epigenetic control of stem cell identity in rhabdoid sarcomas”

 

Dr. Richard and Valerie Aronsohn Memorial Research Award

Khandan Keyomarsi, PhD

MD Anderson Cancer Center

“Targeting the RB-pathway in sarcoma: Utility of CDK4/6 inhibitors”

 

Alexander Burdo Research Award

Neil Ganem, PhD

Boston University School of Medicine

“Therapeutically Targeting the Hippo Pathway in Osteosarcoma”

 

John Chomiak Memorial Research Award

Brad Bryan, PhD

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

“Targeting Angiosarcoma Vascular and Metabolic Signaling by Blocking Beta Adrenergic Receptor Signaling”

 

John Chomiak Memorial Research Award

Luisa Iruela-Arispe, PhD

University of California, Los Angeles

“Identification of Causative Genetic Networks in Angiosarcoma”

 

John Green/FTDWS Research Award

Margaret Chou, PhD

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

“Epigenetic Mechanisms underlying Ewing Sarcoma Pathogenesis”

 

John Green/FTDWS Research Award

Christopher DeRenzo, MD

Baylor College of Medicine

“Improving T-cell Therapy for Osteosarcoma”

 

Pittsburgh Cure Sarcoma Co-Founder Carl Firetto Memorial Research Award

Meenakshi Hegde, MD

Baylor College of Medicine

“Adoptive cellular therapy for Ewing’s sarcoma”

 

Pittsburgh Cure Sarcoma Co-Founder Bill Suit Memorial Research Award

Steven Katz, MD

Roger Williams Hospital

“Pre-clinical development of anti-KIT CAR-Ts for metastatic GIST”

 

Sarcoma Foundation of America Research Award

Seth Pollack, MD

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

“The Next Generation of Antigen-Specific T cells for Sarcoma Therapies for Sarcoma”

 

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About the Sarcoma Foundation of America

The Sarcoma Foundation of America (SFA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization, is an advocate for increased research to find new and better therapies with which to treat patients with sarcoma. Sarcoma is a rare cancer in adults (1 percent of all adult cancers) but rather prevalent in children (about 15 percent of all childhood cancers). For more information, please visit www.curesarcoma.org.

 

Contact Information
Lori Hoffman
(301) 253-8687