Congratulations to the
2024-2026 Conquer Cancer Now
Grant Recipients

Lucia Borriello, Ph.D. (Breast Cancer) Temple University
Role of Chemotherapy in Promoting Awakening of Dormant Tumor Cells and Metastatic Relapse

Katelyn Byrne, Ph.D. (Pancreatic Cancer) Oregon Health and Science University
Reprogramming suppressive regulatory T cells in the tumor microenvironment 

Joseph Chan, M.D., Ph.D. (Lung Cancer) Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Early transcriptional, epigenetic, and environmental factors of squamous transformation in lung cancer

Yang Chen, Ph.D. (Pancreatic Cancer) University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Targeting collagen I homotrimer induced IL-18 as a novel therapeutic strategy in pancreatic cancer

Yejing Ge, Ph.D. (Squamous Skin Cancer) University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Elucidating the molecular and cellular pathogenesis of endogenous retroviruses in skin cancer

Hugo Gonzalez, Ph.D. (Breast Cancer) Fundacion Ciencia y Vida
Reprogramming of the Metastatic Niche by Tumor Cell-Derived Factors

Miller Huang, Ph.D. (Pediatric Cancer - Neuroblastoma) Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Elucidating the mechanism of chromosome 17q gain-mediated neuroblastoma tumorigenesis

Stephanie Markovina, M.D., Ph.D. (Cervical Cancer) Washington University St. Louis
Targeting mechanisms of tumor immune evasion in cervical cancer

Beatrice Rondinelli, Ph.D. (Breast Cancer) Gustave Roussy Hospital
How chromatin dysfunction drives defective repair in BRCA mutant cancers      

Megan Ruhland, Ph.D. (Melanoma Skin Cancer)Oregon Health and Science University
Antigen sorting by dendritic cells impacts anti-tumor immunity

Nan Zhang, Ph.D. (Ovarian Cancer) The Winstar Institute
Myeloid cell-derived interleukin 1b promotes chemoresistance in metastatic ovarian cancer

Linghua Zheng, Ph.D. (Brain Cancer - GBM) Ohio State University
Targeting a New Immune Checkpoint Axis (PILRα–CD8α) to Treat Glioblastoma

Congratulations to the
2022-2024 Conquer Cancer Now
Grant Recipients

Brittany Allen-Petersen, Ph.D. (Pancreatic Cancer) Purdue University
The role of PP2A in regulating PDAC methuosis

Adam Courtney, Ph.D. (Pancreatic Cancer) University of Michigan
Regulating JAK-STAT signaling pathways to enhance T cell immunotherapy 

Begoña DÍaz, Ph.D. (Immunotherapy - Lung and Colon focus) The Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
Investigating novel signaling circuits controlling PDL1 surface localization in cancer cells

Ylli Doksani, Ph.D. (General Cancer Mechanisms) IFOM - The FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology
Investigating a mechanism of eccDNA accumulation in tumor cells as a consequence of DNA damage

Ekrem Emrah Er, Ph.D. (Breast Cancer) The University of Illinois at Chicago
Regulation of mechanosurveillance by K+ handling during breast cancer metastasis

Jennifer Guerriero, Ph.D. (Breast Cancer Immunotherapy) Brigham and Women’s Hospital / Harvard Medical School
Overcoming PARP inhibitor resistance by modulating tumor associated macrophages to enhance T cell activation

Aaron Hobbs, Ph.D. (Pancreatic Cancer) Medical University of South Carolina
KRASG12R Allele-specific Metabolic Reprogramming Alters Therapeutic Sensitivity

Michelle Mendoza, Ph.D. (Lung Cancer) University of Utah
Tenascin-C in Early Lung Cancer Invasion

Michael Pacold, M.D., Ph.D. (Pancreatic Cancer) NYU Grossman School of Medicine
Discovering and Targeting CoQ10 Synthesis in Pancreatic Cancer      

JinSeok Park, Ph.D. (Pediatric Cancer - Rhabdomyosarcoma) Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Flip-flopping of Fusion-positive Rhabdomyosarcoma Leading to Metastatic Invasion

George Souroullas, Ph.D. (Melanoma) Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Investigate the tumor suppressive role of ARID homologs in melanoma

Srividya Swaminathan, Ph.D. (B-cell Lymphoma & Leukemia) Beckman Research Institute City of Hope
Targeting the long isoform of the prolactin receptor in B cell malignancies 

Ongoing Research

Dr. Evanthia Roussos Torres (Breast Cancer and Immunology) University of Southern California 2020-2024

• Research into ethnic differences among breast cancer patient immune responses

• Optimizing immunotherapy by reprogramming the suppressive tumor microenvironment of breast cancer

  *Co-funded by The Marni Fund, Kaufman & Levine Families 2020-2023 and The Minnie Riperton Fund 2022-2023

Head and Neck Center (Head and Neck Cancer) University of Southern California 2024

• A novel head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) immunotherapy study using both animal models and patient-derived tumor organoids

Dr. Aaron Goldberg (Car T-Cells) Children’s Hospital Los Angeles 2024

• Evaluation of a Novel Cellular Therapy for Children and Young Adolescents with High-Grade Glioma Brain Tumors

Dr. Anat Erdreich-Epstein (Pediatric Brain Tumors)
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles 1996, 1998-2000, 2004-2006, 2010-2024

• Research to study receptor avB3 antibody and if it can disrupt angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels) and inhibit growth of pediatric neural tumors, as has already been done in breast cancer.

  Results from this study, funded by Concern Foundation, will lead to phase-1 clinical trials using a humanized function-blocking anti-avB3 antibody in the treatment of resistant malignant pediatric brain tumors and neuroblastoma. ~Dr. Anat Erdreich-Epstein

• Antiangiogenic manipulation of pediatric neural tumors with monoclonal antibody to integrin

• Ceramide in Integrin Signaling in Brain Tumor Angiogenesis" and 16-18 Novel Molecular Model of P1D1 Function in Pediatric Brain Tumors

• Novel Molecular Model of P1D1 Function in Pediatric Brain Tumors

Dr. Tijana Talisman (Pancreatic Cancer) City of Hope 2023-2024

• Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Collecting plasma with pancreatic cancer and those in high risk of developing the disease

Concern Cares Awards

Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center 2023-2024

• The Center for Urological Health

Beauty Bus Foundation (Patient Services) 2017-2024

• Beauty Bus creates Pop-Up Salons where cancer patients, caregivers, and hospital staff receive a variety of complimentary beauty and grooming services to offer dignity, hope and respite to families when they need it most.

The Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program (AYA)
University of Southern California 2010-2024

• The AYA represents a collaboration between the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Norris Cancer Hospital (USC Norris), Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), and Los Angeles County Medical Center (LAC+USC) designed to address this “AYA Gap.”

Wellness, Resilience, and Survivorship Program (Patient Services)
Cedars Sinai 2020-2024

• Cancer Exercise Recovery Program, Emerging from the Haze™, Gentle Yoga for Wellness, Art Therapy, and Nutrition in Your Kitchen. All continued to be offered free-of-charge to cancer survivors receiving care at and outside of Cedars.

Children’s Hospital Summer Oncology Program 2012-2024

• 2024 6 students funded

• 2023 5 students funded

• 2022 5 students funded

Hope for Henry (Patient Services) 2021-2024

• Hope for Henry is reinventing how hospitals care for children and their families through innovative, scientifically tested programs that help hospitalized kids confront the challenges of serious illness, adhere to their medical plans, and thrive.

Sharsheret (Patient Services) 2021-2024

• Sharsheret, a national non-profit organization, improves the lives of Jewish women and families living with or at increased genetic risk for breast or ovarian cancer through personalized support and saves lives through educational outreach.