The V Foundation Grants 2011-Present
Grants Awarded
2013 GRANTS
Lizi Wu, Ph.D.
Shands Cancer Center
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Funded by the Dick Vitale Gala
In memory of Caleb Gacobbe
Regulation of Oncogenic NOTCH Signaling in Childhood Leukemia
Daniel S. Wechsler, M.D., Ph.D.
Duke Cancer Institute
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, NC
Funded by the Apple Gold Group
Therapeutic Targeting of Calm-AF-10 Nuclear Export in Pediatric Leukemias
Stuart Goldberg, M.D.
John Theurer Cancer Center
Hackensack University Medical Center
Hackensack, NJ
Funded by Marketing Research Consultant
In memory of Mary Ann Ingoglia
The Use of Dynamic Single Cell network Profile to Predict Outcome in Newly Diagnosed Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML)
Victoria Belancio, Ph.D.
Tulane Cancer Center
Tulane University
New Orleans, LA
Funded by the Kay Yow Cancer Fund
Line-1 Contributing to Lung Cancer in Vivo
Shari Pilon-Thomas, Ph.D.
William E. Janssen, M.D.
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
Tampa, FL
Funded by the Dick Vitale Gala
In memory of Dave Heard
Adoptive Cell Therapy for Neuroblastoma
2012 GRANTS
Monte M. Winslow, Ph.D.
Stanford Cancer Institute
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Martin D. Abeoff, M.D. V Scholar Award*
Functional characterization of Nkx2-1 regulated genes that govern lung cancer metastasis
*The research project that receives the highest rating by the Scientific Advisory Board will annually be designated as the Martin D. Abeloff, M.D. V Scholar Award.
Justin D. Lathia, Ph.D.
Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
Cleveland, OH
Albert Wyrick V Scholar Award
Funded by the Michael and Carole Marks Family
Holding on to stemness: targeting mechanisms that maintain glioblastoma stem cells
Hiu Wing Cheung, Ph.D.
Hollings Cancer Center
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, SC
Role of ID4 in ovarian cancer development and metastasis
Christina Curtis, Ph.D.
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA
Interrogating patient-specific tumor dynamics through single cell profiles and computational modeling
Todd Fehniger, M.D., Ph.D.
Siteman Cancer Center
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, MO
Enhanced Innate Immunity to Cancer Utilizing Human Memory-like NK cells
Daniel A. Harki, Ph.D.
Masonic Cancer Center
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
Funded by Delta Chi Fraternity
Beyond Parthenolide: Next Generation Molecules Targeting AML Cancer Stem Cells
Qing Li, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
NRAS signaling in hematopoietic stem cells and leukemic stem cells
Unhee Lim, Ph.D.
University of Hawaii Cancer Center
University of Hawaii
Honolulu, HI
Investigating Global Leukocyte DNA Methylation for Predicting Colorectal Cancer Risk in a Multiethnic Population
Mohammad (Mo) Motamedi, Ph.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center
Charlestown, MA
The role of Sirtuins in epigenetics and genomic stability
Trudy G. Oliver, Ph.D.
Huntsman Cancer Institute
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
Funded by the Thomas Carroll Family
In memory of Christopher T. Carroll
Understanding Myc’s role in Small Cell Lung Cancer
Asha Bhaskaran Pillai, M.D.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Memphis, TN
Augmenting Cytotoxicity of Ex vivo Expanded Human iNKT cells for Cancer Immunotherapy
Jeffrey W. Tyner, Ph.D.
Knight Cancer Institute
Oregon Health and Science University
Portland, OR
Translation of Novel Mutations in CSF3R into Validated Therapeutic Modalities
Christopher R. Vakoc, M.D., Ph.D.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Cold Spring Harbory, NY
Therapeutic targeting of the Polycomb Complex PRC2 in acute myeloid leukemia
Jeffrey Venstrom, M.D.
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of California at San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Funded by The V Foundation Wine Celebration Volunteer Grant
In honor of Derek and Cathy Reisinger
Mechanisms and strategies for recruiting natural killer cells to cure acute myeloid leukemia
Jessie Villanueva, Ph.D.
The Wistar Institute
Philadelphia, PA
Establishing molecular targets for NRAS driven melanomas: an unmet medical need
Sarah (Sadie) Wignall, Ph.D.
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
Northwestern University
Chicago, IL
Targeting centrosome-clustering mechanisms to selectively kill cancer cells
Xiaoyang Wu, Ph.D.
University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Institute
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Spectraplakin and coordinated cytoskeletal dynamics in colorectal cancer
Ramaswamy Govindan, M.D.
Siteman Cancer Center
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, MO
Funded by UNICO
In memory of Dorothy Jean Varsalona
Molecular Assay to Predict Outcomes in Resected NSCLC using Nanostring Technology
Steven Zeitels, M.D., FACS
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center
Boston, MA
Funded by the Dick Vitale Gala
Voice Preservation in the Treatment of Early Glottic (Laryngeal) Cancer
Hai Yan, M.D., Ph.D.
Duke Cancer Institute
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, NC
Supplemental SPORE
Funded by The V Foundation Wine Celebration and Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure
Developing Novel Approaches to Target Gliomas
Susan Goodin, PharmD.
Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
New Brunswick, NJ
Funded by Marketing Research Consultants
Prevention of Prostate Cancer progression by atorvastatin and celecoxib
Peter Forsyth, M.D.
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL
Funded by the Dick Vitale Gala
Developing Myxoma Virus as an Experimental Treatment for Brain Cancer Stem Cells in Children and Adults with Malignant Gliomas
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
University of Texas
Houston, TX
SPORE in Ovarian Cancer
Funded by the Kay Yow Cancer Fund
Corrine Linardic, M.D., Ph.D.
Duke Cancer Institute
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, NC
Funded by Apple Gold Group
Understanding SFRP’s contribution to alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma tumorigenesis
Daniel S. Wechsler, M.D., Ph.D.
Duke Cancer Institute
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, NC
Funded by Apple Gold Group
Strike While the Iron is Not: Targeting CALM-Rearranged Leukemias by Iron Deprivation
St. Helena Hospital Foundation
St. Helena, CA
Funded by The V Foundation Wine Celebration
Caring for the Future
Victoria F. Borges, M.D., MMSc
University of Colorado Cancer Center
University of Colorado
Denver, CO
Funded by the Kay Yow Cancer Fund
Pilot Study the Prevention of Postpartum Pregnancy Associated Breast Cancer
Nehal Parikh, M.D.
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center
Hartford, CT
Funded by ESPN, Inc.
Isolation and Characterization of Cancer Stem Cells in Neuroblastoma Tumor Model
All Children’s Hospital
Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship
St. Petersburg, FL
Funded by the Dick Vitale Gala
James M. Ford, M.D.
Stanford Cancer Institute
Stanford University
Palo Alto, CA
Funded by the Gastric Cancer Foundation
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Pediatric Cancer
Funded by LG Electronics Home Court Advantage
Angela M. Hartley Brodie, Ph.D.
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Funded by Friends of V Baltimore Golf Classic
Targeting Mechanisms of Resistance to Hormone Therapy in Breast Cancer
Ian Davis, M.D., Ph.D.
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC
Funded by the Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic
Targeting Deregulated Transcription in Pediatric Cancers
Steven P. Balk, M.D., Ph.D.
Huihui Ye, MMSc.
Glenn Bubley, M.D.
Martin Sanda, M.D.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, MA
Molecular characterization of Gleason 3 tumors that progress to Gleason 4
Nora Heisterkamp, Ph.D.
Steven Mittelman, M.D., Ph.D.
Yong-mi Kim, M.D., Ph.D.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
Improving treatment outcome in leukemia by disruption of bone-marrow leukemia interactions relevant to minimal residual disease
Kimberly Stegmaier, M.D.
James E. Bradner, M.D.
Lisa R. Diller, M.D.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, MA
Therapeutic targeting of N-Myc with BET Bromodomain Inhibition in Neuroblastoma
Mark C. Lanasa, M.D., Ph.D.
Sandeep Dave, M.D., M.S.
Duke Cancer Institute
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, NC
Genetic determinants of progression in chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Martine F. Roussel, Ph.D.
Amar Gajjar, M.D.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Memphis, TN
Identification and pre-clinical testing of compounds to treat Group 3 medulloblastoma
Anthony E. Oro, M.D., Ph.D.
Jean Y. Tang, M.D., Ph.D.
Stanford Cancer Institute
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Novel Therapies for Hedgehog-dependent cancers
Miaofen G. Hu, M.D., Ph.D.
Richard Van Eten, M.D., Ph.D.
Tufts Medical Center
Medford, MA
CDK6 as a novel therapeutic target in T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Michele Carbone, M.D., Ph.D.
Haining Yang, Ph.D.
Ian Pagano, Ph.D.
University of Hawaii Cancer Center
University of Hawaii
Honolulu, HI
HMGB1: A Biomarker for Mineral Fiber Exposure and Detection of Malignant Mesothelioma
Reuben S. Harris, Ph.D.
Douglas Yee, M.D.
Masonic Cancer Center
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
Funded by The V Foundation Wine Celebration Vintner Grant
In honor of Suzanne Pride-Bryan
Role of DNA Deamination in Breast Cancer
W. Kimryn Rathmell, M.D., Ph.D.
Jason Lieb, Ph.D.
Ian Davis, M.D., Ph.D.
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC
Funded by the Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic
In memory of Girard Tillery
Reprogramming the Histone Methylation Code of Renal Cell Carcinoma
2011 GRANTS
Gang (Greg) Wang, Ph.D.
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC
Martin D. Abeloff, M.D. V Scholar Award*
Cancer Epigenetics: Understanding Histone Methylation in Hematopoietic Malignancies
Hongwu Zheng, Ph.D.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Cold Spring Harbor, NY
Martin D. Abeloff, M.D. V Scholar Award*
Genetic and functional characterization of EGFR-targeted therapy resistance in malignant gliomas
*The research project that receives the highest rating by the Scientific Advisory Board will annually be designated as the Martin D. Abeloff, M.D. V Scholar Award. This year we had two projects tied with the highest rating.
David Barbie, M.D.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, MA
Albert Wyrick V Scholar Award
Funded by Michael and Carole Marks
Targeted Therapy Development for KRAS-Driven Lung Cancers
Denise A. Chan, Ph.D.
UCSF Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of California at San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Defining the molecular mechanisms of metastasis and tumor recurrence following radiation therapy
Keith Syson Chan, Ph.D.
Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX
Funded by the Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic Volunteer Award
In honor of Dave Gibson and Felicia Davis
Investigate the interplay between cellular differentiation status and oncogene-induced cancer phenotype
John T. Chang, M.D.
UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
University of California San Diego
La Jolla, CA
Modulating Polarity to Enhance CD8+ T Cell Immune Responses against Cancer
David Glenn DeNardo, Ph.D.
Siteman Cancer Center
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, MO
Immune Regulation of the Cancer Stem Cell Niche
Geraldine J. Guasch, Ph.D.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, OH
Using a novel mouse model of transitional epithelial tumor to investigate cancer initiation and progression
Nada Y. Kalaany, Ph.D.
Children’s Hospital Boston
Boston, MA
Funded by The V Foundation Wine Celebration Vintner Grant
In honor of Robin Baggett and Michelle Fields
Role of PTEN/P13K pathway in obesity-associated cancer incidence and progression
Joseph W. Landry, Ph.D.
VCU Massey Cancer Center
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA
Chromatin Remodeling Complex NURF as Regulator of Cyclin D1 Transcription in Breast Cancer Cells
Tanja Mittag, Ph.D.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Memphis, TN
Multi-site Recognition of Ubiquitin Ligase Substrates in Signaling and Cancer
Trista E. North, Ph.D.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, MA
Characterization of Vitamin D3 as a novel regulator of hematopoietic stem cell homeostasis with therapeutic potential for leukemia treatment
Miles A. Pufall, Ph.D.
Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Studying the mechanisms behind Dexamethasone and Prednisone sensitivity in high-risk patients
William L. Redmond, Ph.D.
Providence Portland Medical Center
Earle A. Chiles Research Institute
Portland, OR
Elucidate the mechanisms regulating prostate cancer immunotherapy
Zachary T. Schafer, Ph.D.
Harper Cancer Research Institute
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN
Funded by Hooters of America
In honor of Milly Longmire
The Regulation of Tumor Cell Survival by Carcinoma-Associated Fibroblasts
Qianben Wang, Ph.D.
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
James Cancer Hospital & Solove Research Institute
Ohio State University
Columbus, OH
Targeting aberrant FoxA1-CREB1 signaling in castration-resistant prostate cancer
Bin Zheng, Ph.D.
Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center
Columbia University Medical Center
New York, NY
Targeting Metabolism in Melanoma
Gary Hammer, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
Funded by Hart’s Desire Fundraising Event
Genomic Analyses of Adrenocortical Cancer
Chunyan He, ScD
IU Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center
Indiana University
Indianapolis, IN
Funded by the Kay Yow Cancer Fund
Genetic Variants, microRNA Expression and Breast Cancer
Hanlee Ji, M.D.
James M. Ford, M.D.
Stanford Genome Technology Center
Stanford University
Palo Alto, CA
Funded by the Gastric Cancer Fund
Computational Analysis of Gastric Cancer Genomes and Inherited Gastric Cancer
Mark Kester, Ph.D.
Kevin Stavely-O’Carroll, M.D., Ph.D.
Penn State University Cancer Center
Hershey, PA
Funded by UNICO Foundation
In memory of Salvatore Bernardi
Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Gastrointestinal Malignanciesn
St. Helena Hospital
St. Helena, CA
Funded by Caring for the Future
Suzanne J. Baker, Ph.D.
Cynthia Wetmore, M.D., Ph.D.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Memphis, TN
Targeting PDGFR in Pediatric High-Grade Gliomas
Andrei Thomas-Tikhonenko, Ph.D.
Stephan Grupp, M.D., Ph.D.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute
Philadelphia, PA
Novel therapeutic targets in acute B-lymphoblastic leukemia
Richard Roden, Ph.D.
Sara Pai, M.D., Ph.D.
TC Wu, M.D., Ph.D.
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
Treatment of Head and Neck cancer with an HPV vaccine
Iannis Aifantis, Ph.D.
Elizabeth A. Raetz, M.D.
New York University Cancer Institute
New York University
New York, NY
Clinical Implications of TET Regulated DNA Methylation in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Leonard I. Zon, Ph.D.
Richard M. White, M.D.
Children’s Hospital of Boston
Boston, MA
Cell Fate as a Target in Melanoma
Janice M. Mehnert, M.D.
Eileen P. White, Ph.D.
Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
New Brunswick, NJ
Examining the Role of Autophagy in Melanoma Tumorigenesis
Faith M. Uckun, M.D., Ph.D.
Paul S. Gaynon, M.D.
Amanda M. Termuhlen, M.D.
Childrens Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
Funded by The V Foundation Wine Celebration
Directing Leukemia Cells to Self-Destruct Using Recombinant Human CD19-Ligand:sTrial Fusion Protein
Carlos A. Ramos, M.D.
Ann M. Leen, Ph.D.
Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX
Most Closely HLA-Matched Allogeneic LMP1/2 – Specified Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes for Treatment of Patients with Relapsed Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Lymphomas
Hua Eleanor Yu, Ph.D.
Stephen J. Forman, M.D.
Marcin Kortylewski, Ph.D.
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
Beckman Research Institute
Duarte, CA
Funded by The V Foundation Wine Celebration
In honor of Neil Aldoroty
Targeting STAT3 in tumor and the tumor microenvironment by a novel siRNA technology to treat lymphoma