The American Cancer Society, the largest non-government,not-for-profit funding source of cancer research in the United States,recognized current and former recipients of Society research funding ata luncheon held at the Chase Center on the Wilmington Riverfront. Theevent also provided the organization with an opportunity to showcasethe impact Society-funded research has made on the cancer burden inDelaware.
Heather Bittner-Fagan, MD and Sigrid Rajasekaran, PhD,two researchers currently funded by the American Cancer Society, wererecognized for their efforts. Dr. Bittner-Fagan, a physician anddirector of health services research at Christiana Care Health System,is the recipient of a $300,000 Society research and training grant thatis expected to help scientists better understand the roles obesity,race and gender play in the early detection of colorectal cancer. Dr.Rajasekaran, head of the cancer cell metabolism laboratory at Alfred I.duPont Hospital for Children, has received a $720,000 Society researchgrant to study the mechanism of increased function of growth factors incancer cells, specific to bladder cancer. Both Drs. Bittner-Fagan andRajasekaran briefly described their research efforts at the Societyluncheon.
The researchers were introduced by William Phelps, PhD, director of the extramural grants department at the AmericanCancer Society. Dr. Phelps shared the impact the Society-fundedresearch has made in the progress against cancer after Patricia P.Hoge, RN, PhD, chief mission officer for the Society, shared the impactSociety-funded research has made against the cancer burden in Delaware.
SteveForbes, a cancer survivor from Townsend, Del., spoke during the latterportion of the event and shared his own personal experience with thedisease and how survivors are impacted by the research funded by theSociety.
The American Cancer Society’s Research and TrainingProgram has funded 42 Nobel laureates since its inception in 1946,during which time it has invested more than $3.2 billion in cancerresearch, much of that focusing on the work of promising newinvestigators. Currently the Society invests more than $489 million in982 grants to researchers across the United States. With the support ofthe American Cancer Society, researchers like Drs. Bittner-Fagan andRajasekaran are focusing on new discoveries to help achieve theSociety’s goal of eliminating cancer as a major health problem.
TheAmerican Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntaryhealth organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major healthproblem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing sufferingfrom cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. Forinformation about cancer, call 24 hours day, seven days a week1.800.ACS.2345 or log onto www.cancer.org.