Three researchers from UTHealth Houston have been awarded over $5 million by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to advance cancer prevention and treatment through innovative science. The awards were given after a rigorous review process conducted by independent experts.
Kevin Morano, PhD, senior vice president of Academic and Faculty Affairs at UTHealth Houston, stated, "These awards highlight the high-impact research and state-of-the-art infrastructure that UTHealth Houston is building to transform cancer prevention and treatment for Texas and beyond, spearheaded by our outstanding investigators."
Cici Bauer, PhD, received nearly $3 million to establish the Texas Spatial-Temporal Data Science, Informatics, and Modeling Core (TEX-SIM). This core will integrate data on environmental exposures and health care access to identify drivers of cancer prevalence. Bauer said, "The Texas Spatial-Temporal Data Science, Informatics, and Modeling Core Facility (TEX-SIM) aims to transform cancer prevention... We are deeply grateful for the strong support from the UTHealth Houston president..."
Zhiqiang An, PhD, was awarded nearly $2 million for his work at the Advanced Cancer Antibody Drug Modalities Core Facility. He expressed gratitude for CPRIT's renewal of their project which started in 2015 with significant funding. An acknowledged his team including Dr. Ningyan Zhang and Dr. Kyoji Tsuchikama.
Tae Jin Lee, PhD, received nearly $250,000 for exploring a new therapeutic strategy against glioblastoma multiforme using miRNA-433-3p to enhance oncolytic herpes simplex virus-1 therapy effectiveness. Lee shared his excitement about the award with the community.
These awards are part of CPRIT’s latest round of grants approving 61 projects totaling more than $93 million statewide. Since 2007, CPRIT has awarded over $3.38 billion in grants across Texas.
Kristen Pauling Doyle, CPRIT CEO stated that Texas is a national leader in cancer research due to these grants' economic benefits and lifesaving outcomes: "We can measure the return on investment...not only in economic benefits...but more importantly in cancers avoided..."
