Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation awards $2.25M to 5 top young clinical inv...(ancer. He will soon be testing this pro...),Health

Dr. Clark is investigating the role of the immune system in controlling squamous cell carcinomas of the skin. She has identified new mechanisms by which these skin tumors evade the immune system: disruption of T cell homing and recruitment of regulatory T cells. Her studies focus on developing new therapies for effective treatment of these cancers. Dr. Clark works under the mentorship of Thomas S. Kupper, MD, at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

Autophagy is a process of "cellular self-digestion" that is used by both normal cells and tumor cells as a survival mechanism in times of metabolic stress, such as nutrient and oxygen deprivation. Dr. Karantza-Wadsworth is examining the role of autophagy in tumor cell survival and responsiveness to chemotherapy. She is performing preclinical and clinical studies modulating autophagy in breast cancer, which could lead to improved patient response to treatment. Dr. Karantza-Wadsworth works under the mentorship of Eric H. Rubin, MD, at UMDNJ/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Suppression of the hormone testosterone is currently the most effective treatment for advanced prostate cancer; however, tumors frequently develop resistance to this therapy. Dr. Mostaghel is defining key mechanisms underlying this resistance to hormone treatment. Her goal is to develop novel treatments for prostate cancer that can be rapidly moved into the c
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