Meet Our Scientists - National Foundation for Cancer Research

Filter By :

Collaborative Research Grants

NFCR's team science approach aims to investigate the new frontiers of cancer research which will lead to future breakthroughs. Combining experts with differing specialties allows new paths to discoveries and innovations.

Siddhartha Mukherjee, M.D., D.PHIL
Columbia University

Azra Raza, M.D.
Columbia University

This research team is pioneering and investigating innovative approaches to stop cancers at their early stage, such as stage zero, and to detect them before new cancers occur.

Aaron N. Hata
Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital

Jessica J. Lin, M.D.
Harvard Medical School Massachusetts General Hospital

The research team tries to identify the major ‘drivers’ of resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer to develop new methods for patients when drug resistance occurs.

Rakesh K. Jain, Ph.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School

Mario L. Suvà, M.D., Ph.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Medical School

The research team will use a “systems biology” approach paired with single-cell technologies to identify the factors that restrain the tumor infiltration and treatment effects of CAR-T cells for GBM.

Suzanne L. Topalian, M.D.
Johns Hopkins University

Paul Nghiem, M.D., Ph.D
University of Washington

The research team will use cutting-edge single-cell technology and patient-derived tumor samples to address the deadly skin cancer Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) treatment challenges.

Paul Schimmel, Ph.D.
Scripps Research

Xiang-Lei Yang, Ph.D.
Scripps Research

The research team investigates SerRS, a suppressor of breast cancer and its metastasis. Their work may lead to novel therapeutic applications for brain, esophageal, kidney, rectal, stomach, and thyroid cancers.

Avery D. Posey, Ph.D.
University of Pennsylvania

Courtney W. Houchen, M.D.
Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

The research team will apply the latest genetic engineering technology to patient-derived disease models to develop a novel CAR-T cell therapy for pancreatic cancers.

Daniel A. Haber, M.D., Ph.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center

Esther Rheinbay, Ph.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center Harvard Medical School

The research team collaborates to identify therapeutic targets that may lead to novel therapies for the most deadly subtype of breast cancer, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Danny R. Welch, Ph.D.
University of Kansas Cancer Center

Isidore Rigoutsos, Ph.D.
Thomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center

The research team investigates tRNA fragments located in special cell parts, with the potential of new biomarkers that indicate the risk of metastasis and save more lives.

Lisa Coussens, Ph.D.
Oregon Health & Science University

Elana Fertig, Ph.D
Johns Hopkins University Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center

The research team is doing innovative research to improve the treatment outcomes for breast cancer, including difficult-to-treat triple-negative breast cancer, by utilizing single-cell multi-omics technology.

Teresa Davoli, Ph.D
New York University School of Medicine

J. Silvio Gutkind, Ph.D
University of California San Diego

The research team aims to identify the link between losing a piece of DNA from oral cancer cells and their capability to escape from immune cell attacks.

James P. Basilion, Ph.D.
Case Western Reserve University

John J. Letterio, M.D.
Case Western Reserve University

The research team will combine molecular imaging technology, photodynamic therapy, and image-guided surgery to develop better triple-negative breast cancer treatment approaches.

Katherine Uyhazi, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

Tomas Aleman, M.D.
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

The research team focuses on the combined technologies of gene and cell replacement therapies in retinal diseases, which may apply to patients with other eye diseases to restore their vision.

Kornelia Polyak, M.D., Ph.D
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School

Valerie M. Weaver, Ph.D
University of California San Francisco

The research team will employ 2-D and 3-D in vitro cell culture techniques and clinical tumor samples to decipher the role of protein-sugar interaction, or protein glycosylation, in a tumor’s brain metastases and drug resistance.

Accelerate Innovative Cancer Research for a Cure

Circulating Tumor-Cell Research Grants

NFCR was an early supporter of Circulating Tumor Cell (CTC) Research through Daniel Haber and has seen the significant impact developments in this area can have on cancer patients. Our grants to the researchers below aim to expand this field's impact on patients across more cancer types.

Michelle A. Kelliher, Ph.D.
UMass Cancer Center

David H. Peng, Ph.D.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Francesca Bersani, Ph.D.
University of Torino, Italy

Benjamin Drapkin, M.D., Ph.D.
UT Southwestern Medical Center

Igor Astsaturov, M.D., Ph.D.
Fox Chase Cancer Center

Darren Carpizo, M.D., Ph.D.
University of Rochester

Christian Rolfo, M.D., Ph.D.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Ling Huang, Ph.D.
Ling Huang, Ph.D., Henry Ford Cancer Institute

Aditya Bardia, M.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School

Himisha Beltran, M.D.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Harvard Medical School

Massimo Cristofanilli, M.D.
Weill Cornell Medicine

Ritesh R. Kotecha, M.D.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Weill Cornell Medicine

Srinivas Viswanathan, M.D., Ph.D.
Harvard Medical School

Support Innovative CTC Research

AIM-HI Translational Research Grants

NFCR provides Translational Research Grants to our non-profit partner, AIM-HI Accelerator Fund, to bridge the gap between innovations in the laboratory environment to the clinical development of new treatments and technologies. This translational research effort aims to accelerate early-stage oncology startups to bring new therapies and diagnostic tools to patients.