Meet OCRF’s 2016 Grantees

(Nov. 17, 2015) Ovarian Cancer Research Fund has announced that $5.2 million has been awarded in scientific research grants for ovarian cancer. This brings OCRF’s total investment in research to nearly $70 million.

OCRF’s 2016 grants have been awarded to eighteen top scientists at thirteen 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; six Liz Tilberis Early Career Awards for scientists establishing their own independent research in ovarian cancer; and two Program Project Development Grants, which fund large ovarian cancer research projects that involve several investigators.

“This is an outstanding group of scientists, conducting the most exciting research in the field,” says Jeff Boyd, PhD, OCRF’s Scientific Advisory Committee Chair and Board Member, and Chair of Human and Molecular Genetics at Florida International University. “From cancer biology to immunotherapy, these research projects touch on all the important areas of ovarian cancer research being conducted today.”

OCRF’s 2016 grantees are:

Program Project Development Grants

• Beth Karlan, MD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
• David Spriggs, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Liz Tilberis Early Career Award

• Alberto Ciccia, PhD, Columbia University
• Pradeep Chaluvally-Raghavan , PhD, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Alexandra Snyder Charen, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Zihua Gong, MD, PhD, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Hui Shen, PhD, Van Andel Research Institute
• Sherry Wu, PhD, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Ann Schreiber Mentored Investigator Award

• Jessica Chacon, PhD, University of Pennsylvania
• Song Yi Ko, PhD, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Jill Madden, PhD, University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute, Inc.
• Abir Mukherjee, PhD, University of Chicago
• Debarshi Roy, PhD, Mayo Clinic
• Qian Tan, MD, PhD Stanford University
• Ryan Williams, PhD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Nur Yucer, PhD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
• Fan Zhao, PhD, Stanford University
• Hengrui Zhu, PhD, The Wistar Institute