More than $1.3 million in UNC Lineberger developmental research grants were awarded to 13 faculty members and one postdoctoral trainee this spring.
Five of the proposals were chosen for Tier 2 Stimulus Awards, which provide up to two years and $200,000 in total support, and nine were selected for one-year, Tier 1 Pilot Awards, which provide a one-year grant up to $50,000.
The development award program is funded by the University Cancer Research Fund, the National Cancer Institute cancer center support grant and other sources.
The recipients were drawn from a pool of 47 applicants.
The deadline to submit proposals for the upcoming fall award cycle is Oct. 14. To expedite the review process, principal investigators are encouraged to email a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) listing investigators’ name and project title by Sept. 16. to lccc-dev-awards@office.unc.edu. Proposals will be accepted without a LOI.
Learn more about the fall awards cycle
Spring 2024 award recipients
Basic Science
Dominique Higgins, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Neurosurgery
Project title: Biomarkers of Ferroptosis in Glioblastoma (Tier 1)
Heather McCauley, PhD, assistant professor, Cell Biology and Physiology
Project title: Enteroendocrine Cells as Tumor Suppressors (Tier 1)
Sharon Campbell, PhD, MS, Gary F. Liebscher Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics Project title: Targeting an NRAS Melanomagenic mutant-Specific Druggable Pocket (Tier 2)
Jean Cook, PhD, chair & professor, Biochemistry and Biophysics, professor, Pharmacology
Project title: Molecular Mechanisms of Escape from Drug-Induced Arrest (Tier 2)
Clinical/Translational
Christopher Jensen, MD MSCR, assistant professor, Medicine
Project title: LCCC2406: Pilot study of a biometrics-driven patient-reported symptom monitoring program among adults with cancer (Tier 1)
Shivani Sud, MD, assistant professor, Radiation Oncology
Project title: Circulating Cell-Free DNA for Early Detection of Cancer Therapy-Related Normal Tissue Injury (Tier1)
Alexander Villalobos, MD, assistant professor, Radiology
Project title: Characterization of the Hypoxic Tumor Microenvironment with Blood Oxygen Level-Dependent Magnetic Resonance Imaging for the Prediction of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Response to Yttrium-90 Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (Tier 1)
Jen Jen Yeh, MD, professor of Surgery and Pharmacology
Project title: Pilot Evaluation of the Utilization of Multimedia for Enhanced Surgical Consent (SURGIMEDIA) (Tier 1)
Carla Chibwesha, MD, MSc, associate professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology
Project title: Correlative Studies for the Phase 2b Trial Acceptability and Feasibility of Combination Treatment for Cervical Precancer Among South African Women Living with HIV (ACT 2) (Tier 2)
Hyman Muss, MD, Mary Jones Hudson Distinguished Professor of Geriatric Oncology
Project title: Investigating Cellular Senescence And Organ Aging In Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Adjuvant Chemotherapy: A Novel Approach Utilizing Organ Specific Age Proteomics (Tier 2)
Population science
Natasha Burse, DrPH, MS, postdoctoral research fellow, UNC School of Nursing
Project title: Exploring Health Promoting Behaviors and Cultural Identities Influencing Black Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer (Tier 1)
Andrew Moon, MD, MPH, assistant professor, Medicine
Project title: Risk Evaluation and Cancer Detection in Younger Adult Liver Disease Patients (READY) (Tier 1)
Andrew Smitherman, MD, MSc, associate professor, Pediatrics, Predictive Model for Acute Care Encounters Among Adolescents and Young Adults (AYAs) in the Early Survivorship (Tier 1)
Sarah Nyante, PhD, associate professor, Radiology
Project title: Characterizing the Breast Microbiota in Women with Benign Breast Disease: Implications for Breast Cancer Risk? (Tier 2)