Researchers at the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine have received over $15 million in grants from the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to support cancer research, treatment, and prevention. CPRIT distributed nearly $154 million in grants to various institutions across Texas, with nine awards going to Baylor.
Dr. Bingning Dong, assistant professor of medicine and molecular and cellular biology, was awarded $900,000 for a study on the role of liver receptor homolog-1 in MASH-associated liver cancer.
Dr. Margaret Goodell, professor and chair of molecular and cellular biology and Vivian L. Smith Chair in Regenerative Medicine, also received $900,000 for her research on cooperation between NPM1c and TET2 loss in acute myeloid leukemia.
Dr. Trey Westbrook, professor of molecular and human genetics as well as biochemistry and molecular biology and Robert C. Welch Chair in Chemistry, secured $900,000 for his work on targeting the HuSH complex in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
Dr. Chonghui Cheng, professor of molecular and human genetics and molecular and cellular biology at the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, was given $900,000 for research focused on enhancing tumor immunogenicity of TNBC through cryptic splicing-derived neopeptides.
Dr. Lisa Kahalley, professor of pediatrics – psychology, obtained an award of $1.2 million for studying radiation dose-volume associations with neurocognitive change in pediatric brain tumor patients treated with proton versus photon radiotherapy.
Dr. Jeffrey Rosen, Distinguished Service Professor of molecular and cellular biology at the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, received $1.6 million for clinical trials aiming to enhance therapeutic efficacy in TNBC through targeted modulation of RNA helicase eIF4A.
Dr. Aaron Thrift, professor of medicine and section chief of epidemiology and population sciences, was granted nearly $1.2 million for family-based Helicobacter pylori screening aimed at preventing gastric cancer.
Dr. Roger Zoorob, Richard M. Kleberg Sr., Professor and Chair in Family and Community Medicine received over $2.4 million to expand lung cancer screening and tobacco control efforts among rural and medically underserved populations.
Additionally, Baylor secured a Recruitment of Established Investigator Award valued at $5 million.
Since its founding, CPRIT has provided more than $4 billion in grants to Texas organizations supporting academic research as well as prevention programs throughout the state via its funding initiatives.
