Developmental Research Program
Developmental Research Projects promote interdisciplinary research and move basic research findings from the laboratory to clinical settings. The program awards grants for translational research projects exploring innovative concepts that:
- Have potential for translation to or from clinical application,
- Reduce the morbidity and mortality of primary brain tumors, or
- Improve the quality of life for primary brain tumor patients.
Applications are accepted each summer. Contact Joanna Drennen for details.
2023 Awardees
Jason Huse, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Pathology
"Interrogating Radiation-Induced Immunogenicity in Brain Metastasis"
Joseph McCarty, Ph.D., Professor, Neurosurgery
"Targeting the Frem Protein Complex in the Glioma Microenvironment"
George Calin, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Translational Molecular Pathology
"SMIRs: A novel Therapy Targeting Oncogenic MicroRNAs in Gliomas — Small Molecules Targeting miR-10b"
Jian Hu, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Cancer Biology
"To Investigate the Role of Arginine Metabolism in GBM Microenvironment"
Candelaria Gomez-Manzano, M.D., Professor, Neuro-Oncology
"Mechanisms of Anti-Viral Immunity: Therapeutics Implications"
Joya Chandra, Ph.D., Professor, Pediatrics and Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis
"Evaluating the Molecular Basis for Inhibition of Chromatin Modifiers as a Means to Overcome Radioresistant Adult and Pediatric High Grade Gliomas to Photon and Proton Therapy"
Kadir Akdemir, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery
"Investigating Molecular Biomarkers for Hypermutation Occurrence as a Result of Temozolomide-Resistance in Gliomas"
2022 Awardees
Pratip Bhattacharya, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Cancer Systems Imaging
"Hyperpolarized MRI and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Inform Metabolic Evolution of Glioblastoma Throughout Tumor Progression"
Chirag B. Patel, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Neuro-Oncology
"Development of [18F]DASA-23 PET at MDACC for Metabolic Imaging of Glioblastoma"
Joseph McCarty, Ph.D., Professor, Neurosurgery
"Astrocyte Heterogeneity in Glioblastoma"
Krishna Bhat, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Translational Molecular Pathology
"Novel Methylation Based Liquid Biopsies for Gliomas"
Jian Hu, PhD, Associate Professor, Cancer Biology
"To Explore the Mechanisms and Therapeutic Values of Restoring Phagocytosis of Myeloid Cells in Glioblastoma"
Hong Jiang, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Neuro-Oncology
"Intratumoral Treatment with CAR T Cell Therapy and its Combination with Oncolytic Adenovirus Delta-24-RGDOX in Immunocompetent Mice with Malignant Glioma"
2021 Awardees
Candelaria Gomez-Manzano, M.D., Professor, Neuro-Oncology - Research
"Stealth Oncolytic Adenovirus for the Treatment of Malignant Gliomas"
Joya Chandra, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Pediatrics
"Evaluating Inhibition of KDM1A and Kinase Signaling in Adult and Pediatric Glioblastoma"
Joseph McCarty, Ph.D., Professor, Neurosurgery
"Astrocyte Heterogeneity in Glioblastoma"
George Calin, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Translational Molecular Pathology
"SMIRs: A Novel Therapy Targeting Oncogenic microRNAs in Gliomas — Small Molecules Targeting miR-10b"
Jian Hu, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Cancer Biology
"To Explore the Mechanisms and Therapeutic Vulnerability of Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres in Gliomas"
Leomar Ballester, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Pathology
"Analysis of CSF miRNA and Metabolites for Molecular Characterization and Monitoring of Patients with Infiltrating Gliomas"
Developmental Research Project Award — Supported by the Broach Foundation
Kadir Akdemir, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery
Identifying and Visualizing Complex Chromosomal Rearrangements at the Molecular Level in Malignant Brain Tumors"
2020 Awardees
Hong Jiang, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Neuro-Oncology
"Role of Invariant Nature Killer T Cells During Oncolytic Adenovirotherapy for Gliomas"
Joya Chandra, Ph.D., Pediatrics Research & Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, Associate Professor
"Combinational Epigenetic Strategies for GBM to Enhance Immune Sensitization and Overcome Radiation Resistance"
Joseph McCarty, Ph.D., Neurosurgery, Professor
"Targeting the Mlc1/GlialCAM Protein Complex in Glioblastoma Stem Cells (2nd year Renewal)"
George Calin, M.D., Ph.D., Leukemia, Professor
"SMIRs: A Novel Therapy Targeting Oncogenic microRNAs in Gliomas — Small Molecules Targeting miR-10b"
Jian Hu, Ph.D., Cancer Biology, Associate Professor
"Decipher the Synergistic Role of H3.3-G34R Mutation and ATRX Loss in pediatric High-grade Gliomas"
David Piwnica-Worms, M.D., Ph.D., Cancer Systems Imaging, Profesor and Chair
"Fluorescent-guided Surgery in Glioblastoma and Oligodendroglioma"
Krishna Bhat, Ph.D., Translational Molecular Pathology, Associate Professor
"Engineering Monocytes as a Cell Therapy for Glioblastoma"
Developmental Research Project Award — Supported by the Broach Foundation
Pratip Bhattacharya, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Cancer Systems Imaging
"Hyperpolarized MRI and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to inform Metabolic Evolution of Glioblastoma Throughout Tumor Progression"
2019 Awardees
Jian Hu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Cancer Biology
"Sensitizing of Immune Checkpoint Blockade-Resistant Glioblastoma through Modulating Genomic Instability"
Hong Jiang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Neuro-Oncology
"Combining Adoptive T Cell Therapies and Oncolytic Adenoviruses in Glioma Therapy"
Joseph McCarty, Ph.D., Professor, Neurosurgery
"Targeting the Mlc1/GlialCAM Protein Complex in Glioblastoma Stem Cells"
Pratip Bhattacharya, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Cancer Systems Imaging
"Metabolic Imaging of Therapeutic Efficacy in Glioblastoma by Hyperpolarized Magnetic Resonance"
Candelaria Gomez-Manzano, M.D., Professor, Neuro-Oncology
"Inflammatory Reprogramming of Gliomas Using Delta-24-RGDOX and Immunometabolic Adjuvants"
Yiwen Chen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
"Systematic Discovery of Cryptic CD8+ T-cell Epitopes in Glioblastoma Multiforme for Developing New Adoptive T-cell Therapy"
2018 Awardees
Mohammad Hossain, Ph.D., Instructor, Neuro-Oncology
"TIE2-mediated Epigenetic Modification Results Therapy Resistance of Malignant Gliomas"
Pratip Bhattacharya, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Cancer Systems Imaging
"Real-time Metabolic Imaging of Brain Cancer Aggressiveness"
Joseph Mccarty, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Neurosurgery
"Targeting Phosphorylation-dependent Ubiquitination in Invasive GBM Cells"
Dawid Schellingerhout, M.D., Associate Professor, Diagnostic Radiology
"A Hyperpolarized Pyruvate MR Spectroscopy Imaging Trial for Glioma Patients: An Exploratory First Study at MD Anderson"
Jason Huse, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Departments of Pathology & Translational Molecular Pathology
"Radiosensitizing malignant glioma by targeting DNA secondary structure"
Developmental Research Project Award — Supported by the Broach Foundation
Florian Muller, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Cancer Systems Imaging
"Collateral Lethality Targeting of PTEN-Deletion in Glioblastoma"
2017 Awardees
Jian Hu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Cancer Biology
"Targeting Aberrant Vesicle Trafficking System in Quaking-Deficient Malignant Glioma Cells"
Tomasz Zal, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Immunology
"Enhancement of T Lymphocyte Recruitment in Glioma by Brain-Tumor Homing Monocytic Dendritic Cells"
Jun Wei, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery
"Development of Secreted Phosphoprotein 1-4-1BB bi-Specific Aptamer Targeting GBM Specific Immune Suppression"
Candelaria Gomez-Manzano, M.D., Associate Professor, Neuro-Oncology
"Tie2-Mediated Epigenetic Marks and Radioresistance of Gliomas"
Pratip Bhattacharya, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Cancer Systems Imaging
"Metabolic Imaging of Brain Cancer Aggressiveness in Real-Time"
2016 Awardees
Jian Hu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Cancer Biology
“Targeting aberrant quality control systems in quaking deficient malignant glioma cells”
Florian Muller, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Cancer System Imaging
“Nernstian Probes as vectors for imaging and therapeutic modalities in Glioblastoma”
George A. Calin, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Experimental Therapeutics
“A combined ‘miRNA-miRNA’ therapy for primary glioblastomas (GBM)”
Candelaria Gomez-Manzano, M.D., Associate Professor, Neuro-Oncology
“Role of Tie2-mediated H4Tyr51 Phosphorylation in the Radioresistance of Gliomas”
Pratip Bhattacharya, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Cancer System Imaging
“Hyperpolarized Metabolic Imaging of Brain Cancer Therapy to Predict Outcome”
Developmental Research Project Award — Supported by the Broach Foundation
Hillary Caruso, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Neurosurgery
"Rational design of affinity-optimized PDGFRα chimeric antigen receptor for targeted, personalized therapy of glioblastoma”