Winship Invest$ names pilot grant recipients

Melissa Gilbert-Ross, PhD, with graduate student, Briana Brown and research specialist, Chang-Soo Seung, PhD.

Twelve Winship investigators are the newest recipients of pilot grants through Winship Invest$, a peer-reviewed program designed to fund novel, innovative cancer research projects at Winship. Winship Invest$ is supported by philanthropic contributions as well as developmental funds from Winship's Cancer Center Support Grant (P30CA138292) awarded by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

Winship investigators who received funding in the current Winship Invest$ grant cycle are:

1. Jin-Tang Dong, PhD
   Professor, Hematology and Medical Oncology
   Effects of ZFHX3 and its crosstalk with the progesterone signaling on the development and progression of breast cancer
2. Melissa Gilbert-Ross, PhD
   Assistant Professor, Hematology and Medical Oncology
   Characterization of the role of FAK in de novo resistance to immune checkpoint therapies in genetic subsets of KRAS mutant lung adenocarcinoma
3. Peng Jin, PhD
   Professor, Human Genetics
   5-hydroxymethylcytosine Alterations in Medulloblastoma
4. Sumin Kang, PhD
   Assistant Professor, Hematology and Medical Oncology
   Pro-invasive signaling of LDHA in breast cancer metastasis
5. Jean Koff, MD
   Instructor, Hematology and Medical Oncology
   Examination of B cell repertoire in patients with autoimmune disease and diffuse large B cell lymphoma
6. Xiaoxian "Bill" Li, MD, PhD
   Assistant Professor, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
   Develop a biomarker to predict recurrence of ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast
7. Lauren McCullough, PhD, MSPH
   Assistant Professor, Epidemiology
   Obesity and breast tumor methylation in African American Women
8. Christopher Porter, MD
   Associate Professor, Pediatrics
   The function of ETV6 in B lymphopoiesis
9. Nabil Saba, MD, FACP
   Professor, Hematology and Medical Oncology
   Rafi Ahmed, PhD
   Professor, Microbiology and Immunology
   Georgia Chen, PhD
   Professor, Hematology and Medical Oncology
   Identification of Biomarkers of Response and Mechanisms of Resistance to Immunotherapy in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck Cancer
10. Shi-Yong Sun, PhD
    Professor, Hematology and Medical Oncology
    Overcoming acquired resistance due to EGFR C797S mutation to 3rd generation EGFR inhibitors