John Krais, PhD, a researcher at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, has received a $75,000 grant from the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance.
Dr. John Krais
Dr. Krais received the 2-year grant to fund his investigation into DNA repair processes in BRCA1-mutant cancers, which will focus on the RNF168 protein.
Seven other early career researchers have joined the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy as part of the Parker Scholars, Parker Bridge Scholars, and Parker Fellows programs.
Dr. Cecile Alanio
These researchers will receive a total of up to $3.1 million in funding to further their research on immunotherapies for cancers. Cécile Alanio, MD, PhD, a Parker Bridge Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, is researching the impact of infections on T cells in healthy patients with the goal of revealing new approaches to immunotherapy for cancer patients.
Dr. Kenneth Hu
Kenneth Hu, PhD, a Parker Scholar at the University of California, San Francisco, plans to use single-cell profiling and microscopy to gain a better understanding of immune cells’ interactions in the tumor microenvironment.
Xihao (Sherlock) Hu, PhD, a Parker Scholar at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, plans to study the interactions between tumor antigens and tumor-infiltrating B cells.
Dr. Justin Eyquem
Justin Eyquem, PhD, a Parker Fellow at the University of California, San Francisco, plans to use a genome-editing platform he developed to improve the function of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in solid tumors.
Tijana Martinov, PhD, a Parker Scholar at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, is seeking to produce T cells that can target multiple myeloma cells.
Dr. Sierra McDonald
Sierra McDonald, a PhD candidate and Parker Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, is investigating ways to improve responses to CAR T-cell therapy by studying the HMG-box family of proteins.
Dr. Roberta Zappasodi
Roberta Zappasodi, PhD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, is transitioning from a Parker Scholar to a Parker Bridge Scholar. She previously characterized a population of immune-suppressive T cells. Now, she is working to determine how these cells can be used to improve the efficacy of checkpoint inhibition.
Movers in Medicine highlights career moves and personal achievements by hematologists and oncologists. Did you switch jobs, take on a new role, climb a mountain? Tell us all about it at hematologynews@mdedge.com, and you could be featured in Movers in Medicine.