December 7, 2009 (BRONX, NY) Matthew Levy, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, has been awarded more than $700,000 by Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) for his high-risk/high-reward cancer research. Dr. Levy's work will focus on creating self-guiding drugs that target only cancer cells, thus eliminating or significantly reducing serious or unpleasant side effects of current therapies. Dr. Levy is one of 13 young scientists nationwide selected to receive a total of $9.68 million through SU2C's Innovative Research Grant program, which supports the next generation of cancer research leaders.
"The Stand Up To Cancer Innovative Research Grant program is giving us the chance to test out our ideas on how to make current drugs better," said Dr. Levy. "In the end, our hope is that this will translate to more effective treatments and an increased quality of life for patients."
SU2C's funding model for the Innovative Research Grants was designed specifically to support work that utilizes new ideas and new approaches to solve critical problems in cancer research. These innovative projects are characterized as "high-risk" because they challenge existing paradigms and because, in order to receive a grant, the applicants were not required to have already conducted a portion of the research resulting in an established base of evidence. Most conventional funding mechanisms require such evidence upfront. If successful, these projects have the potential for "high-reward" in terms of saving lives.
Dr. Levy's research will focus on creating a new type of targeted therapeutic agent to treat cancers. Current chemotherapies capable of killing rapidly dividing cancer cells also kill normal, healthy cells, leading to undesirable side effects. Thirty-seven-year-old Dr. Levy proposes to tackle this challenge by developing a new type of compound that can selectively identify, bind to, and destroy
'/>"/>
| Contact: Deirdre Branley sciencenews@einstein.yu.edu 718-430-3101 Albert Einstein College of Medicine Source:Eurekalert |
Related biology news :
1. Einstein to develop anti-HIV drug delivery system
2. Einstein scientists move closer to a safer anthrax vaccine
3. Einstein researchers devise a fast and sensitive way to detect ricin
4. NIH funds research center for womens reproductive health at Einstein
5. Einstein and Pitt researchers develop new TB test that will dramatically cut diagnosis time
6. Empire State Stem Cell Board awards $12.7 million to Albert Einstein College of Medicine
7. Einstein scientists receive $10 million NIH grant
8. Einstein researchers develop technique to count messages made by single genes
9. Einstein researchers develop a new way to study how breast cancer spreads
10. In scientific first, Einstein researchers correct decline in organ function associated with old age
11. Feinstein researchers develop new genetic method and identify novel genes for schizophrenia
| Copyright © 2003-2012 Bio-Medicine. All rights reserved. ABOUT | CONTACT US | DISCLAIMER | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS AND CONDITIONS |  |