The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute has announced the winners of its 2022 Strategic Research Initiative Grants (SRIG). SRIGs are awarded to projects and initial research that exhibits great potential of leading to multi-investigator grants. This year’s awards will fund 11 innovative, high-impact proposals that show great potential in leading to peer-reviewed extramural funding and addressing the needs of Karmanos patients in Michigan and Ohio.
A total of $546,923 goes to the following projects, conducted by researchers in Karmanos research programs and professors at Wayne State University:
Molecular Imaging Research Program
- “Ultrasound tomography (UST) guided mild hyperthermia (MHth) for enhanced chemo- and radiation therapy of cancer” — Nerissa Viola, Ph.D., program co-leader, associate professor, Department of Oncology
- "Employing Hypoxia MRI to Improve Immunotherapy Outcomes" — Matt Allen, Ph.D., chair and professor, Department of Chemistry
- “Molecular Imaging of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV)” — Sheryl Roberts, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Oncology
Molecular Therapeutics Research Program
- “Impact of BRCA mutation on ovarian tumor microenvironment” — Ayesha Alvero, M.D., M.Sc., professor, Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology
- “The Metabolic Modulation and Therapeutic Potential of EGFL9 in TNBC” — Guojun Wu, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Oncology
- “Functional roles and molecular mechanisms of RNA methyltransferase SPOUT1 in tumorigenesis” — Zeng-Quan Yang, Ph.D., professor, Department of Oncology
Population Studies and Disparities Research Program
- “DISCO Provider: A multi-level intervention to reduce financial toxicity in patients with cancer through improved treatment cost discussions” — Lauren Hamel, Ph.D., co-program leader, associate professor, Department of Oncology
- “Adaptation and Pilot of a Health Insurance Education Intervention in a Population of Racially Diverse Young Adult Cancer Survivors” — Theresa Hastert, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Oncology
- “Clinically relevant racial differences in tumor biology among women with hormone receptor positive, HER2-negative breast cancer” — Kristen Purrington, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Oncology
Tumor Biology and Microenvironment Research Program
- “ABHD5: a new druggable target for treatment-resistant cancer” — James Granneman, Ph.D., professor, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics and the Department of Internal Medicine, and Jian Wang, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Pathology
- “Mechanisms of Stearoyl-CoA desaturase involvement in metastatic progression in bone” — Izabela Podgorski, Ph.D., professor, Department of Pharmacology
"These studies are just a few examples of the inventive work and dynamic exploration that takes place every day between Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University School of Medicine," said Ann Schwartz, Ph.D, MPH, Deputy Center Director at Karmanos, professor and associate chair of WSU School of Medicine . "These collaborative projects not only make Karmanos, in partnership with WSU School of Medicine, one of the international leaders in cancer research but also paves the way for new cancer therapies that will bring hope to patients in the future.”
The SRIG funding is made available to the awarded projects for a 12-month period so investigators can continue their research. Investigators are required to submit for extramural funding during the 12 month timeframe.
Karmanos has had a 75-year education and research-based partnership with Wayne State University School of Medicine. The two organizations recently announced plans for an academic and research complex after the State of Michigan dedicated $100 million toward the project from the FY23 state budget.