CHARLOTTE, N. CAROLINA – April 14, 2011— The American Cancer Society, the largest non-government, not-for-profit funding source of cancer research in the United States, has awarded four grants totaling $2,634,000 to researchers in North Carolina. The grants, which go into effect July 1, are among 132 national research and training grants totaling $51,473,000 in the second of two grants cycles for 2011.
With the support of the American Cancer Society, researchers are focusing on new discoveries to help eliminate cancer as a major health problem. North Carolina grant recipients are:
- Samuel Cykert, MD, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, is receiving $1,799,000 to study life-saving care related to lung cancer surgery;
- Syed Zafar, MD, Duke University Medical Center, is receiving $583,000 to study evidence-based supportive care in advanced cancer clinical trials;
- David Meckes, PhD, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, is receiving $150,000 to study the molecular properties of exosomes secreted from cancer cells; and
- David Mauger, PhD, Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, is receiving $102,000 to study the structure of the hepatitis C virus genomic RNA.
For more than 60 years, the American Cancer Society has funded research and training of health professionals to investigate the causes, prevention and early detection of cancer, as well as new treatments, cancer survivorship and end-of-life support for patients and their families. Since 1946, the American Cancer Society extramural research grants program has devoted more than $3.5 billion to cancer research. It has funded 44 researchers who have gone on to win the Nobel Prize.
Grant applications are ranked on the basis of merit by one of several discipline-specific Peer Review Committees, each composed of 12 to 25 scientific advisors or peers who are experts in their fields. The Council for Extramural Grants, a committee of senior scientists, recommends funding based on the relative merit of the applications, the amount of available funds and American Cancer Society objectives. No member of the American Cancer Society Board of Directors or National Assembly may serve on a Peer Review Committee or as a voting member on the Council for Extramural Grants.
For more information about the American Cancer Society Research Program, please visit cancer.org/research.
About the American Cancer Society. The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing about $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us any time, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
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