MD Anderson receives nearly $8 million in CPRIT funding for screening and early detection programs, faculty recruitment
MD Anderson News Release November 20, 2024
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today was awarded nearly $8 million from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) in support of faculty recruitment as well as lung and colorectal cancer screening and early detection programs to address cancer incidence rates across Texas.
“CPRIT’s continued support is essential for progress in our mission to end cancer, and we appreciate this important funding,” said Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of MD Anderson. “Our unique research ecosystem enables breakthroughs across all disciplines, and these new screening and early detection programs will contribute significantly to addressing the cancer burden for medically underserved Texans.”
The Project 80% colorectal cancer screening program, led by Lewis Foxhall, M.D., professor of Clinical Cancer Prevention, was awarded $2,499,990. This multi-component screening and diagnostics program serves 64 counties across Texas, partnering with federally qualified health centers and other community clinics to help with early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer.
Jennifer Minnix, Ph.D., associate professor of Behavioral Science, was awarded $1,497,342 in support of the Virtual, Centralized Lung Cancer Screening Program for Northeast Texas, which aims to provide lung cancer screening and diagnostic services with shared decision making and tobacco cessation services for high-risk areas in Northeast Texas.
In addition to these program awards, CPRIT also awarded $4 million for the recruitment of two first-time, tenure-track faculty.
Since its inception, CPRIT has awarded over $3.7 billion in grants for cancer research. MD Anderson investigators have received over $657 million all told, approximately 18% of the total awards. Programs supported by CPRIT funding have brought more than 324 distinguished cancer researchers to Texas, advanced the knowledge base for cancer treatment throughout the state and provided more than 10.1 million cancer prevention and early detection services reaching all 254 counties in Texas.