MD Anderson receives $19.1 million in CPRIT awards for research and recruitment

MD Anderson News Release August 19, 2016

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center was awarded $19.1 million in research grants this week from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). Sixty-three percent of funds awarded for Multi-Investigator Research Awards went to MD Anderson faculty as well as 20 percent of funds awarded for recruitment, reflecting the importance of the institution’s research and impact of its world-renowned cancer researchers and star recruitment candidates

Across Texas institutions, CPRIT awarded a total of $61.5 million in 26 new grants. MD Anderson received $17.1 million for research, which will fund novel studies in breast cancer and leukemia as well as basic science investigation of DNA repair and cancer therapy, and $2 million in recruitment. A listing of individual awards can be found below.

“We are thankful to the State of Texas for ensuring novel and life-saving cancer research continues. CPRIT plays an important role in helping us accomplish our mission to end cancer,” said MD Anderson President Ronald DePinho, M.D. “CPRIT funding also is vital to our recruitment of some of the nation’s brightest talent in cancer research and care. I congratulate our investigators recognized through this funding and applaud the ongoing scientific and clinical progress of our entire faculty.”

MD Anderson research awards include the following:

  • DNA-protein crosslink repair pathways and cancer therapy (Junjie Chen, Ph.D., chair of Experimental Radiation Oncology) – $5,101,316
  • Acute myeloid leukemia in the immunosuppressed microenvironment (Michael Andreef, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Leukemia) – $6,000,000
  • A randomized clinical trial platform with translational studies to overcome resistance in triple negative breast cancer (William Symmans, M.D., professor of Pathology) – $5,997,677.

Beginning operations in 2009, CPRIT has to date awarded $1.64 billion in grants to Texas researchers, institutions and organizations. CPRIT provides funding through its academic research, prevention and product development research programs. Programs made possible with CPRIT funding have reached all 254 counties of the state, brought more than 110 distinguished researchers to Texas, advanced scientific and clinical knowledge, and provided more than 3 million life-saving education, training, prevention and early detection services to Texans.