Research Newsletter - February 2024

NCI Cancer Center Support Grant site visit complete

The cancer center hosted a review committee on Feb. 6 for the NCI site visit. This was the next step for the renewal of the Cancer Center Support Grant, or CCSG.

What does the grant provide? It benefits the center’s researchers because it’s an important source of funding for the shared facilities that are available to investigators. These facilities provide the center’s nearly 300 members with access to the highest quality of equipment and technology. The grant also supports center leadership and research-related administrative functions.

What's next?

• April-May 2024: NCI review committee produces final summary statement for the National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB).
• June 2024: NCAB issues final summary statement.
• September 2024: New NCI funding cycle begins.

New website launches for the Brown Center for Immunotherapy

A new website has launched for the Brown Center for Immunotherapy. The expanded content includes information for researchers, patients and the community. The internationally renowned members of the center have expertise in fields such as triple negative breast cancer, multiple myeloma, Alzheimer’s disease, and more.

CPAC names new manager

Zack Gunter is the new Clinical Pharmacology Analytical Core (CPAC) manager. In this role, Gunter assists in developing and implementing preclinical and clinical pharmacology analytical research projects, including formulation development, stability testing, protein binding, metabolic stability and quantification of drugs and metabolites in plasma and other biological matrices.

As CPAC manager, Gunter is responsible for meeting with investigators to determine research needs, assisting in study design, developing work agreements, writing reports, and communicating with investigators. Any requests regarding CPAC can be directed to Gunter at tzgunter@iu.edu or 278-5266.

2023 ACS-IRG pilot grants

IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center has pilot project funding available to assist new investigators who hold the rank of assistant professor, research assistant professor, or assistant scientist, but are without an active national competitive research grant, regardless of the topic.These funds are from the American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant (ACS-IRG). This grant supports beginning investigators to enable them to initiate their independent research programs.

The ACS review committee chose three projects by cancer center members to fund at $50,000 each. The 2023 ACS-IRG awardees were:

• Joshua Huot, PhD; Project: Identifying FKBP5 as a mediator of cancer cachexia
• Kirk Staschke, PhD; Project: Targeting metabolic vulnerabilities in prostate cancer
• Angela Richardson, MD, PhD; Project: Development of Novel Models of Leptomeningeal Metastases under Normoxia and Physioxia

100 Voices of Hope funds 2 hunches

Every year, the 100 Voices of Hope organization invites the experts at IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center to explore their “hunches” on new ways to treat, diagnose, and prevent breast cancer. Two projects were chosen to be funded in 2024:

• Vaccination is the best shot: Combination vaccine therapy for aggressive breast cancer; PI: Pravin Kaumaya, PhD
• Designer Genes: Targeting gamma delta T-cell receptors using CRISPR nanoformulations; PI: Reza Shahbazi, PhD

Read more about the projects

ACS hosts seminar on grantsmanship, funding opportunities

The American Cancer Society's extramural team is hosting a 90-minute virtual seminar on grantsmanship and ACS funding opportunities from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, Feb. 28. A Q&A will follow a presentation by Doug Hurst, PhD, scientific director, biochemistry & immunology of cancer. Register in advance for this meeting and feel free to share with colleagues and mentees.

Workshop objectives: 

• Provide an overview of ACS-funded grants and research
• Provide “Insider Tips” for a successful application process
• Understand how grants will be evaluated
• Understand success rates in future funding
• Understand online resources

Find ACS grant opportunities online

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