A five-year, $12.1 million SPORE grant from the National Cancer Institute will support a new multi-institutional effort to address ancestry-related differences in lymphoma outcomes.
Jean Koff, MD, MS, serves as a principal investigator on a new multi-institutional SPORE grant focused on improving outcomes for patients with lymphoma.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has awarded a five-year, $12.1 million Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant to support a new multi-institutional effort aimed at improving outcomes for patients with lymphoma. The Lymphoma Outcomes SPORE (U54CA302435) will focus on understanding how patient ancestry, lymphoma biology and survival are connected, with the goal of advancing precision medicine and eliminating health disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of this complex disease.
The SPORE is led by Christopher R. Flowers, MD, MS, FASCO, division head of Cancer Medicine and chair of Lymphoma/Myeloma, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Jean Koff, MD, MS, a clinician-scientist in the Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, who serve as multiple principal investigators (MPIs) on the award. Collaborating institutions include Weill Cornell Medicine, Northwestern University and the University of North Carolina.
“Our SPORE brings together an outstanding team of investigators with complementary expertise to address a largely unmet challenge in lymphoma research: understanding how ancestry influences disease biology and treatment response,” says Koff, associate professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine and director of the Lymphoma Program’s Translational Research Team at Winship Cancer Institute. “By integrating genomics, advanced analytics and community-based initiatives, we aim to ensure that advances in lymphoma care benefit all patients, regardless of their background.”
Winship researchers will lead three major components of the SPORE:
- Translating genomics into practice to address differences in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a research project co-led by Koff and Michael Green, PhD, of MD Anderson, focuses on applying genomic findings to clinical practice to better tailor treatments for aggressive lymphoma in patients of different ancestral backgrounds.
- AI digital pathology tools to improve lymphoma diagnosis and classification in community settings, a Research Project co-led by David Jaye, MD, a member of the Cancer Immunology Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute and Lee Cooper, PhD, of Northwestern University, will develop artificial intelligence (AI) models that enhance diagnostic precision and accessibility for clinicians caring for patients with lymphoma across diverse healthcare environments.
- Jonathon Cohen, MD, MS, co-director of Winship’s Lymphoma Program, and Lorna McNeill, PhD, MPH, of MD Anderson, will co-lead the Community Outreach & Engagement Core, helping to ensure that the program’s findings are effectively translated into community settings where health care disparities are often most pronounced.
Together, these efforts reflect Winship’s mission to combine cutting-edge science with compassionate care and community partnership, inspiring hope and optimizing outcomes for patients with cancer and their families.
Advancing equity in lymphoma care
The Lymphoma Outcomes SPORE seeks to bridge the gap between bench, bedside and community through four specific goals: redefining lymphoma subtypes by ancestry, developing new diagnostic biomarkers and treatment strategies, launching biomarker-directed clinical trials, and training the next generation of investigators.
“This program reflects how collaboration among NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers can accelerate discovery and translate it into equitable outcomes,” says Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD, FACP, FASCO, executive director of Winship Cancer Institute. “We are proud to see Winship investigators at the forefront of this national effort to make precision lymphoma care more inclusive and effective.”
The SPORE award provides $2.56 million in annual funding through July 2030, totaling more than $12 million in support of innovative research that combines laboratory science, advanced analytics and community engagement to improve lymphoma outcomes across populations.