New Brunswick, N.J. – Grants totaling $450,000, have been awarded to a number of investigators at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. The Pre- and Post-Doctoral Fellowship Awards from the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research (NJCCR) will help support various research projects relating to cancer biology and population studies.
“These areas of study are critical to the research mission of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, as findings from these projects will further elucidate the mechanisms that drive cancer and the impact of the disease on varied populations. This funding will help advance our understanding in these areas so that novel therapeutic and prevention strategies can be identified,” notes Rutgers Cancer Institute Deputy Director and Associate Director for Basic Science Eileen White, PhD, who is also a distinguished professor of molecular biology and biochemistry in the School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University.
“Pre- and post-doctoral fellowship awards help foster the work of scientists who are at an early stage in their careers. While the grants support individual investigator work, they truly are an investment in the future of cancer research as a whole – and for that, we are grateful to the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research for its continued commitment in providing funding to help further unlock the mysteries behind this disease,” adds Rutgers Cancer Institute Associate Director for Education and Training Edmund Lattime, PhD, who is also a professor of surgery at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
The following investigators received a Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award in the amount of $100,000 each:
- Ashley Day, PhD – Mentor: Elliot Coups, PhD – Project: Health Beliefs and Behaviors Among Individuals Diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma
- Laura Perez, PhD – Mentor: Eileen White, PhD – Project: The Role of Host Autophagy in Lung Tumor Growth
- Bo “Bonnie” Qin, PhD – Mentor: Elisa Bandera, MD, PhD – Project: Vitamin D and Epidemiology of Cancer in African American Women
- Xuetian Yue, PhD – Mentor: Wenwei Hu, PhD – Project: The Role and Mechanism of Glutaminase 2 in Liver Cancer Metastasis
The following investigator received a Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Award in the amount of $50,000:
- Jeremy Tang, BA – Mentor: Shridar Ganesan, MD, PhD – Project: TRIM33’s Role in DNA Repair and Retrotransposon Suppression
The award period runs through 2017.
About Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey (www.cinj.org) is the state’s first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. As part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, the Cancer Institute of New Jersey is dedicated to improving the detection, treatment and care of patients with cancer, and to serving as an education resource for cancer prevention. Physician-scientists at the Cancer Institute engage in translational research, transforming their laboratory discoveries into clinical practice. To make a tax-deductible gift to support the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, call 848-932-8013 or visit www.cinj.org/giving. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheCINJ.
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey Network is comprised of hospitals throughout the state and provides the highest quality cancer care and rapid dissemination of important discoveries into the community. Flagship Hospital: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. System Partner: Meridian Health (Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center, Southern Ocean Medical Center, and Bayshore Community Hospital). Affiliate Hospitals: JFK Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (CINJ Hamilton), and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset.