We are pleased to announce the awardees of the Walther Cancer Foundation grants as followed: ENSCCII Training Project; Seeding Research in Cancer (SRC), Advancing Basic Cancer research (ABC) and Simon Harper Inter Institution Research Team (SHIIRT).

Walther Cancer Foundation Engineering Novel Solutions to Cancer’s Challenges at the Interdisciplinary Interface Training Project or ENSCCII Awardees:

Charissa Cuinlan and her mentors, Dr. Basar Bilgicer and Dr. Rafat Abonour-  Project titled, "Engineering dual drug loaded liposomal nanoparticles for the treatment of multiple myleoma."

Kevin Rodriguez and his mentors, Dr. Brandon Ashfeld and Jeremy Zartman- Project titled, "Phosphorus mediated cyloadditions towards the synthesis of spirooxindole alkoids for the treatment of breast cancer with brain metastasis."

Sindhu Burugupally and mentors Dr. David Hoelzle and Dr. Siyuan Zhang- Project titled, "Development of a novel microdevice to understand the link between tumor cell mechanical heterogeneity and cancer invasiveness."

Zhicong Zeng and mentors Dr. Zac Schultz and Dr. Sharon Stack- Project titled, "Correlating extra-cellular matrix mechanics in the peritoneum with age-associated onset of ovarian cancer metastasis." 

SHIIRT awardees: 

Dr. Laurie Littlepage and Dr. Sunil Badve- Project titled, "A Novel Bone Bioreactor Used to Model Bone Metastasis Ex Vivo."

Dr. Laurie Littlepage and Dr. Sunil Badve- Project titled, "Mechanisms of Therapy Resistance in Estrogen Receptor Positive Breast Cancer."

Dr. Jeni Prosperi and Dr. Jian-Ting- Project titled, "STAT3 regulated APC-mediated chemotherapeutic resistance in breast cancer."

Dr. Siyuan Zhang and Dr. Sunil Badve- Project titled, "Unravel the Role of Metastasis Associated Neural Stem Cells in Brain Metastasis."

SRC awardees:

Dr. Brandon Ashfeld- Project titled, "Synthesis and Evaluation of Spirooxindole Alkoids as Brain Penetrant Chemotherapeutics."

Dr. David Boone- Project titled, "ATG16L1 and Colon Cancer."

Dr. Steven Ruggiero- Project titled, "Methodology for Distinguishing Cancer Cells Using Light Transmission Spectroscopy."

Dr. Margaret Schwarz- Project titled, "Ceramide-1-Phosphate, Targeting Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells."

Dr. Jeremy Zartman- Project titled, "Engineering Approaches to Study Epithelial cell-cell interactions in cancer progress." 

ABC awardees: 

Dr. Amanda Hummon and Dr. Pinar Zorlutuna- Project titled, "Disabling the Permissive Stromal Microenvironment: Can We Alter Soil to Reject the Seed?"

Dr. Ryan Roeder and Dr. Karen Cowden Dahl- In Vivo Imaging of Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells Using Targeting Imaging Probes for Spectral CT."