American Cancer Society Team Visits ASU Cancer Research Center

 

Alabama State University’s Cancer Research Center hosted two American Cancer Society (ACS) officials for a second site visit as part of their grant review process.

 

Last year, ACS awarded Manoj K. Mishra, founder and director of the Cancer Biology Research and Training (CBRT) center, a four-year, $2.6 million grant to continue the University’s cutting-edge cancer research program and outreach.  Later that year, Mishra received an additional $84,000 to the existing grant. Both grants come from ACS’s Diversity in Cancer Research Institutional Development Grant (DICRIDG).

 

Renowned in their fields, Dr. Michael Pignone, professor of Medicine and Population Health at Duke University’s School of Medicine, and Dr. Ellie Daniels, senior vice president of Extramural Discovery at ACS, met with ASU administrators and observed the progress of postdoctoral students and junior faculty supported by the ACS cancer research capacity building grant.

 

During the daylong event, Pignone gave a timely and informative talk on alcohol as a cancer risk factor and efforts to reduce unhealthy drinking to decrease alcohol-related cancers.

“It was an exciting opportunity to host our funding agency officials and show them the groundbreaking cancer research that is happening right here on the ASU campus,” said Mishra.

The DICRIDG provides pilot projects and clinical scientist development grants to junior faculty interested in cancer research at ASU. The current award also supports six Master of Science students (stipend and tuition fees) and two postdoctoral fellows to conduct cancer research. Under the grant, Mishra will have the opportunity to travel and discuss his research with different stakeholders, including community leaders, to enhance the cancer research capacity at the University.