Cancer Research Foundation

A note about the importance of the Cancer Research Foundation. #cancer #cancerresearch #leadership #impact #sciencesaveslives #cancerresearch #supportresearch #wearehere

We are happy to share more about our final 2025 Young Investigator, Martina Damo, PhD. Dr. Damo is an Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Chicago, and is focusing on immune-related adverse events (irAEs) caused by checkpoint receptor inhibitors (CPIs) in cancer immunotherapy. While CPIs have significantly improved outcomes for cancer patients, up to 80% experience irAEs, where the immune system attacks healthy tissues, particularly in the skin and gastrointestinal tract. Dr. Damo’s innovative mouse model replicates these reactions, showing how checkpoint inhibition unleashes T cells that attack healthy cells. Her research aims to uncover the mechanisms behind this process and identify drug targets to prevent irAEs, ultimately allowing for safer, more effective cancer immunotherapy. CRF is proud to support this important work! Read more about her project at the link below. https://lnkd.in/eC_qGnsT

We're delighted to share more about John Krais, PhD, one of CRF's 2025 Young Investigators. Dr. Krais is an Assistant Professor of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis is investigating the link between Fanconi Anemia and cancer development. Individuals with inherited mutations in the Fanconi Anemia DNA repair complex are at higher risk of cancer, especially solid tumors, even after hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HCT). Dr. Krais is using a unique mouse model to explore how these mutations cause genome instability and lead to tumor formation. His research aims to reactivate DNA repair mechanisms to prevent cancer in high-risk individuals and to uncover new therapeutic strategies to target the root cause of cancer-causing genome instability. CRF is proud to support Dr. Krais's groundbreaking work! Read more about his project at the link below. https://lnkd.in/gb6dYjZs

We're excited to share more about Salman Banani, MD, PhD, another of our 2025 YIAs. Dr. Banani is a Neubauer Family Assistant Professor, University of Chicago, and is investigating the role of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) in cancer, an essential but often underexplored part of the genome. rDNA is responsible for producing ribosomes, which are crucial for protein synthesis and cell growth. Cancer cells often increase rDNA activity to meet their high demands for growth. With his Young Investigator Award, Dr. Banani aims to uncover how rDNA becomes dysregulated in cancer, identify proteins that mediate this dysregulation, and explore how these changes drive cancer progression. His research could lead to new therapeutic targets, enabling strategies to control ribosome production and rDNA regulation in cancer treatment. CRF is proud to support Dr. Banani's work! Read more about his project at the link below. https://lnkd.in/g3dmQZbM

Today, we're excited to share more about another of our 2025 Young Investigators, Jonathan Chen, MD, PhD. Dr. Chen is an Assistant Professor of Pathology, Northwestern University, and is delving into how multicellular interactions within the tumor microenvironment shape T cell behavior and impact immunotherapy responses. By profiling human tumors and using perturbational systems, he aims to understand the molecular pathways that govern these interactions and how they influence T cell state. His work seeks to identify new targets that could make immunotherapy more effective for a broader range of patients and cancer types. CRF is proud to support Dr. Chen's groundbreaking work! Read more about his project at the link below. https://lnkd.in/d7T4wzbb

We're happy to share more about one of CRF's 2025 Young Investigators, Joseph Franses, MD, PhD. Dr. Franses is an Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Chicago, and is focusing on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) to discover new blood-based biomarkers and drug targets for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a leading form of liver cancer. While traditional methods focus on circulating free DNA, Dr. Franses is shifting the focus to circulating tumor cells (CTCs)—the precursors to metastasis. CTCs contain crucial RNA and molecular cargo that could reveal deeper insights into how cancer spreads and responds to immune therapies. By studying the interactions between CTCs and immune cells, he hopes to create predictive biomarkers for therapy response and uncover new therapeutic targets, ultimately improving outcomes for HCC patients. This is exciting work CRF is proud to support! Read more about his project at the link below. https://lnkd.in/g8eQjVGz

We're proud to share more about one of our 2025 YIAs Jennifer Foltz, PhD. Dr. Foltz is an Assistant Professor of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, and is advancing research to improve Natural Killer (NK) cell therapy for leukemia. Her work focuses on identifying NK cell donors who produce the most effective “memory-like” (ML) NK cells—cells that are not only safer but also more powerful in targeting and killing cancer. By mapping the molecular landscape and studying key transcription factors, Dr. Foltz aims to enhance NK cell-based therapies, making them more effective and personalized for leukemia patients. This breakthrough could lead to more targeted, life-saving treatments for those battling leukemia. We're honored to support Dr. Foltz's important work! Read more about her project at the link below. https://lnkd.in/grNkSsZU

The CRF Team was honored to spend yesterday afternoon Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana, making and serving dinner to families staying at the House. As a nonprofit, we strongly believe in the importance of giving back. We were especially happy to support a place so close to one of the cancer centers we fund.  Nicole Seidlitz, Alexandra (Zanna) Nikitas, Margaret Hermanek, Bailey Medley, Robert Grierson, Matthew Johnson #volunteering #givingback #nonprofitlife #socialgood #volunteeringisgood

We're excited to share more today about another of our 2025 Young Investigators and this year's Breakthrough Board Scholar, Joon Seok Park, PhD. Dr. Park, an Assistant Professor of Medicine at University of Chicago, is exploring the powerful role of gut commensal microbes in improving cancer immunotherapy. While immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed cancer treatment, many patients still don’t respond. Dr. Park’s groundbreaking research focuses on a specific gut microbe, Coprobacillus cateniformis, which has shown potential in enhancing immunotherapy by downregulating a novel immune pathway. His work aims to decode the mechanisms by which gut microbes influence this immune pathway and the tumor microenvironment. By using gnotobiotic tumor models and genetic manipulation, Dr. Park is studying how gut bacteria signal immune cells in the tumor to promote anti-tumor immunity. He also plans to explore how commensal microbe-induced inflammation in the tumor environment could be leveraged to improve ICI efficacy, offering hope for patients who don’t respond to current treatments. We're so proud to support Dr. Park's work! Read more about his project at the link below. https://lnkd.in/gyr3wV7k

We're delighted to share another 2025 Young Investigator with you today. Christine R. Zhang, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Pathology, Northwestern University, and is focusing on decoding the molecular mechanisms behind NPM1 mutation-driven leukemia. With NPM1c mutations present in 30% of AML cases, Dr. Zhang aims to uncover how specific chromatin changes and epigenetic modifications drive leukemogenesis. Her research could lead to new ways to target leukemic stem cells, improving remission-free treatments and patient outcomes. We're proud to support Dr. Zhang's work! Read more about her project at the link below. https://lnkd.in/gVDZX4p7