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In 2022, in partnership with our generous donors and supporters, 25 research grants have been awarded – including 16 newly awarded grants and nine extensions to support next steps of promising projects – totaling a record $10.5 million. Overall, PanCAN invested nearly $25 million in research this year, which includes our grants program as well as our transformational scientific and clinical initiatives, including the PanCAN Precision PromiseSM adaptive clinical trial and PanCAN Early Detection Initiative.
Awarded through a rigorous peer-review process, the PanCAN 2022 Research Grants Program includes three categories: funding early-career investigators, supporting projects aiming to improve treatment options for patients and projects focused on devising effective early detection strategies.
Please join us in welcoming this year’s grantees:
Early Career Investigator Award Recipients
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award funded by The Rockhammer Charitable FundBrittany Allen-Petersen, PhD
Purdue University
The Role of PP2A in Regulating Pancreatic Cancer Macropinocytosis
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award, funded by an anonymous donorJashodeep Datta, MD
University of Miami
A Novel Mechanism of MDSC-mediated Stromal and T-cell Dysregulation in PDAC
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award in memory of Skip ViraghG. Aaron Hobbs, PhD
Medical University of South Carolina Hollings Cancer Center
KRAS G12R Metabolic Reprogramming Alters Therapeutic Sensitivity
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award funded by the Chrysalis Fund at the Ventura County Community FoundationJanielle Maynard, PhD
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Immunobiological Factors Associated with Pancreatic Cancer Disparities
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award in memory of Skip ViraghJami Saloman, PhD
University of Pittsburgh
Neuronal Checkpoint Signaling in Pancreas Cancer Pain
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award, funded by an anonymous donorRahul Shinde, PhD
The Wistar Institute
Exploiting the Gut Microbiome to Improve Therapy Response in PDAC
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award, funded by an anonymous donorKea Turner, PhD
Moffitt Cancer Center
Remote Nutrition Monitoring for Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Patients
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award Extension funded by the George & June Block Family FoundationGillian Gresham, PhD
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Evaluating Objective Measures of Physical Function in Pancreatic Cancer
Treatment-related Grant Recipients
Therapeutic Accelerator Award Recipient
2022 Therapeutic Accelerator Award supported by 1440 Foundation, the Gail V. Coleman-Kenneth M. Bruntel Research Fund, Lyda Hill Philanthropies, The Bern Schwartz Family Foundation, and in memory of Skip ViraghLouis Denis, MD
Verastem Oncology
Phase 1/2 Trial of VS-6766 + Defactinib and GEM + Nab-P in Metastatic PDAC
Therapeutic Accelerator Collaborative Award Recipients
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Therapeutic Accelerator Collaborative Award funded by the Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation honoring the memory of Shirley SadoffAndrew Aguirre, MD, PhD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Identify Genetic and Phenotypic Mechanisms of Response or Resistance to RAF/MEKi +/- FAKi in Pancreatic Cancer
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Therapeutic Accelerator Collaborative Award in memory of Llewellyn Bixby IV, through a gift made by his familyGregory L. Beatty, MD, PhD
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Preclinical and Translational Studies to Inform the Development of Strategies Targeting the KRAS Pathway
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Therapeutic Accelerator Collaborative AwardDavid DeNardo, PhD
Washington University in St. Louis
Determine How FAK/MEK Inhibition Alters Tumor-Microenvironment Interactions and the Immune Response
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Therapeutic Accelerator Collaborative AwardLouis Denis, MD
Verastem Oncology
Translational Studies for the Phase 1/2 Trial of VS-6766 + Defactinib and GEM + Nab-P in Metastatic PDAC
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Therapeutic Accelerator Collaborative Award in memory of Llewellyn Bixby IV, through a gift made by his family
Channing Der, PhD, and Kirsten Bryant, PhD
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Determination of Novel RAF/MEK and/or FAK Inhibitor Combinations in KRAS-mutant PDAC
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Therapeutic Accelerator Collaborative Award funded by the Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation honoring the memory of Shirley SadoffMarina Pasca di Magliano, PhD
University of Michigan
Tumor Microenvironment Determinants of Resistance to KRAS/FAK Inhibition
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Translational Research Grant Extension Recipients funded by Kenneth D. Custance and Gladys C. Custance, honoring the memory of Martha ‘Molly’ Reed Woodroofe
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Translational Research Grant Extension funded by Kenneth D. Custance and Gladys C. Custance, honoring the memory of Martha ‘Molly’ Reed WoodroofeSusan Bates, MD
Columbia University
Using an eIF4A Inhibitor to Exploit a Metabolic Vulnerability Created by Epigenetic Therapy of Pancreatic Cancer
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Translational Research Grant Extension funded by Kenneth D. Custance and Gladys C. Custance, honoring the memory of Martha ‘Molly’ Reed WoodroofeFengzhi Li, PhD
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Validation of Targets as Biomarkers for Targeted Pancreatic Cancer Therapy
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Translational Research Grant Extension funded by Kenneth D. Custance and Gladys C. Custance, honoring the memory of Martha ‘Molly’ Reed WoodroofeKenneth Olive, PhD
Columbia University
Therapeutic Induction of Tumor Selective Ferroptosis in Pancreatic Cancer
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Translational Research Grant Extension funded by Kenneth D. Custance and Gladys C. Custance, honoring the memory of Martha ‘Molly’ Reed WoodroofeXiaoyang Qi, PhD
University of Cincinnati
Immunotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer by Saposin C-based Nanovesicles
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Translational Research Grant Extension funded by Kenneth D. Custance and Gladys C. Custance, honoring the memory of Martha ‘Molly’ Reed WoodroofeJill Smith, MD
Georgetown University
Proglumide and the Pancreatic Cancer Microenvironment
Precision Medicine Targeted Grant Extension Recipients
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Precision Medicine Targeted Grant Extension funded by Leslie Gaynor in memory of Phyllis BolotinGregory L. Beatty, MD, PhD
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Multiplex Tissue-based Assays and Analytical Tools for Pancreatic Cancer
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Precision Medicine Targeted Grant ExtensionSunil R. Hingorani, MD, PhD
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Murine Clinical Trials for the Evaluation of High Priority Therapeutic Targets for Precision Promise
Early Detection-related Grant Recipients
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Catalyst Award funded by Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation honoring the memory of Shirley SadoffSuresh Chari, MD
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Retrospective Cohort (REGARD) and Case-Control (PANDORA) Studies for Individuals with New-onset Diabetes (NOD) and New-onset Prediabetes (NOPD) in a Large Integrated Healthcare System
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Catalyst Award funded by a generous foundationNicolette Juliana Rodriguez, MD, MPH
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Racial/ethnic Equity in GENetic Education, Risk Assessment and TEsting (REGENERATE) Study
2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Catalyst Award Extension funded by Janssen Research & Development, LLCSapna Syngal, MD, MPH
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Racial/ethnic Equity in GENetic Education, Risk Assessment and TEsting (REGENERATE) Study
