PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Wistar Institute has announced that two of its assistant professors, Dr. Nan Zhang and Dr. Noam Auslander, have been awarded a total of $1.2 million in grants from the V Foundation for Cancer Research. These prestigious funds will support their pioneering work on ovarian cancer and immunotherapy over the next three years.
Tackling Chemotherapy Resistance in Ovarian Cancer
Dr. Nan Zhang received $600,000 to expand her research into a key challenge in treating ovarian cancer — chemotherapy resistance. Building on a pilot study, her project focuses on a protein called interleukin one beta (IL1β), which may play a central role in chemotherapy resistance. Zhang aims to investigate potential anti-IL1β therapies to combat this life-threatening challenge.
“Ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest cancers impacting women, often responding initially to chemotherapy but later becoming resistant,” Zhang explained. “This is an exciting opportunity to pursue a promising lead against a notoriously chemo-resistant cancer. The V Foundation has made this research project possible through their generosity; I look forward to reporting on what we find from our investigation.”
Ovarian cancer is known for its high mortality rate, and breakthroughs in preventing treatment resistance could significantly improve outcomes for patients. Zhang’s work represents a critical step in that direction.
Using Machine Learning to Boost Immunotherapy
Dr. Noam Auslander, an expert in computational methods and machine learning, was awarded a $600,000 grant through the V Foundation’s Women Scientists Innovation Award for Cancer Research. Her project seeks to improve the effectiveness of immunotherapy by identifying biomarkers — biological indicators that can predict how a patient will respond to treatment.
Auslander’s research focuses on analyzing large datasets, including those from the microbiome, to uncover patterns that could inform clinical decisions and enhance treatment outcomes.
“We’re grateful to The V Foundation for the opportunity to launch this important project,” Auslander said. “We know from past experience that large datasets from the microbiome carry important information that can predict health outcomes; with this funding, we hope to find patterns that will predict — and therefore inform — responses to immunotherapy.”
Advancing Cancer Research
The two projects reflect The Wistar Institute’s commitment to advancing cancer research and addressing major challenges in oncology. Zhang’s work could transform how ovarian cancer is treated, while Auslander’s findings have the potential to make personalized immunotherapy a reality for more patients.
These grants demonstrate the importance of sustained funding for innovative cancer research and the promise of solutions rooted in both biology and technology. With support from the V Foundation, Zhang and Auslander are poised to drive meaningful breakthroughs that could improve outcomes for cancer patients worldwide.
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