Developmental Funds

University Of Chicago, Chicago IL

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT Over the past five years, Developmental Funds have been used to support Pilot Projects, recruitment of new investigators, and development of new Shared Resources and services to further UCCCC strategic goals, including a) Precision Medicine and the UCCCC Personalized Cancer Care Consortium (PCCC); b) Cancer Prevention and Population Medicine; and c) Cancer Survivorship, Outcomes, and Economics as well as interdisciplinary and interprogrammatic collaborations. From 2013-2016, a CCSG investment of $939,622 has yielded a remarkable return of $12,456,464 in peer-reviewed support, as well as publications and programmatic development. Support for four new investigators has contributed to enhancements of the Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer, Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics, and Cancer Prevention and Control Programs. Recruitments include: Megan McNerney, MD, PhD, a physician scientist who focuses on the genomics of therapy-related and de novo acute myeloid leukemias (AML), and molecular diagnostics; David VanderWeele, MD, PhD, who studies tumor heterogeneity, with a focus on genitourinary malignancies; Akash Patnaik, MD, PhD, who is a translational physician scientist working at the interface between laboratory-based investigations and early-phase clinical trials in prostate cancer; and Jane Churpek, MD, who is a clinician/ researcher who focuses on hereditary cancer susceptibility syndromes with an emphasis on hematological malignancies. Four new developing Shared Resources or new services were supported with CCSG Developmental Funds: the Human Imaging Research Office (HIRO), Imaging Chemistry Subcore within the Integrated Small Animal Imaging Research Resource, the development of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in the Transgenic Mouse and ES Cell Facility, and the Bioinformatics Core Facility, the latter is now proposed as a full Core. The developing Cores continue to grow and contribute to interdisciplinary research. Over the next grant period, we are requesting $300,000/year for: 1) recruitment of new investigators ($100,000); 2) Program development/Program Pilot Projects ($100,000); and 3) development of new Shared Resources and the development of new services and integration of new technologies ($100,000). These funds will be used to further the three components of our Strategic Plan: 1) developing new biomarkers, novel treatments, and new interventions to prevent cancer; 2) efficiently integrating effective treatments and interventions into medical practice; and 3) assessing the impact of these new approaches on health outcomes, and addressing cancers relevant to our catchment area. Underpinning each of these initiatives is computation- based models for cancer research and care.