Young Investigators Receive Research Support

Young investigators throughout Georgetown University receive research support through an Institutional Research Grant (IRG), awarded by the American Cancer Society to the Lombardi Cancer Center. Junior faculty members apply for "seed" money to support research projects. The results obtained from these projects enable the researchers to compete successfully for national research grants, facilitating the transition from postdoctoral trainee to independent scientist. Awards are for one year and are not renewable.

Recognizing the importance of attracting students into research careers, the grant also provides a stipend directed to an outstanding medical student or graduate student in the professional health sciences. The stipend provides an opportunity for a future clinical health professional to pursue cancer-related research while still enrolled in a formal degree program.

Recently, the program has emphasized the ACS priority areas of psychosocial and behavioral aspects of cancer; health policies or services research; cancer in the poor or underserved; and childhood cancer. Lombardi selects at least one Special Interest Award project per funding period.

2008 Young Investigators

Tushar Deb, PhD - Mechanism of Pnck-Induced Tumorigenesis in HER-2 Amplified Human Breast Cancer

Suzanne O'Neill, PhD - Breast Cancer Patients' Experience with Risk for Recurrence Testing

Rebecca Riggins, PhD - Exposure to the Endocrine Disruptor Bisphenol A Induces Tamoxifen Resistance in ER+ Breast Cancer Through Transcriptional Activation of Estrogen Related Receptor Gamma

Tapas Saha, PhD - Role of Chaperone-Mediated Autophagy in Breast Cancer

For more information, contact Brad Morse.