Meet OCRF’s 2015 Grantees

(February 11, 2015) Ovarian Cancer Research Fund has announced that $6.1 million has been awarded in scientific research grants for ovarian cancer. This brings OCRF’s total investment in research and related educational and support initiatives to nearly $70 million.

The twenty new OCRF research grants have been awarded to top scientists at fourteen leading medical centers across the country. These include: ten Ann Schreiber Mentored Investigator Awards that provide funding for promising young investigators working under the supervision of a mentor who is a recognized leader in the field of ovarian cancer research; seven Liz Tilberis Early Career Awards for scientists establishing their own independent research in ovarian cancer; and three Program Project Development Grants, which fund large ovarian cancer research projects that involve several investigators.

“The quality of the proposals and funded grants continues to increase every year,” says Jeff Boyd, Ph.D., OCRF’s Scientific Advisory Committee Chair and Board Member, and Senior Vice President, Molecular Medicine at Fox Chase Cancer Center. “OCRF has experienced tremendous growth and has made significant progress in the field over the past two decades, and these new grants are a fitting way to commemorate twenty years of outstanding research.”

For OCRF’s full 2015 grant announcement, including our new gynecologic cancer patient support program grants, please click here to view the press release.

OCRF’s 2015 grantees are:

Program Project Development Grants

• Anna Lokshin, PhD, University of Pittsburgh
• Alexander Nikitin, MD, PhD, Cornell University
• Michael Yaffe, MD, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Liz Tilberis Early Career Award

• Sarah Adams, MD, University of New Mexico (Renewal)
• Cesar Castro, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital
• Daniela Dinulescu, PhD, Brigham and Women’s Hospital(Renewal)
• Yutaka Shoji, PhD, Michigan State University
• Takemasa Tsuji, PhD, Roswell Park Cancer Institute
• Sarah Walker, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• Kris Wood, PhD, Duke University

Ann Schreiber Mentored Investigator Award

• Juan Cubillos-Ruiz, PhD. Cornell University
• Justyna Filant, PhD, MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Xiaowen Hu, PhD, University of Pennsylvania
• Petar Jelinic, PhD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Zeina Kais, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• Bob McGray, PhD, Roswell Park Cancer Institute
• Alfredo Perales-Puchalt, MD, The Wistar Institute
• Nicole Spardy, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• Wei Wei, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital
• Oladapo Yeku, MD, PhD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center