Jaye Gardiner, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at Fox Chase Cancer Center, has received an inaugural Black in Cancer postdoctoral fellowship, which is funded by Emerald Foundation Inc. Dr. Gardiner will receive $75,000 annually for 3 years, which will fund her research into pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
“I’m honored to be involved in this inaugural award for researchers in my field and am very excited to start this research with the Black in Cancer and Emerald Foundation,” said Dr. Gardiner, who conducts her research in the lab of Edna “Eti” Cukierman, PhD, who is Co-Director of the Marvin and Concetta Greenberg Pancreatic Cancer Institute at Fox Chase. The grants are designed to support future new Black principal investigators; the funding will increase to $100,000 a year when Dr. Gardiner reaches that milestone.
Jaye Gardiner, PhD
Edna “Eti” Cukierman, PhD
She will use the money to continue her research into the tumor microenvironment. Dr. Gardiner said the tumor microenvironment plays a key role in the growth of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. It does this in part by maintaining an immunosuppressive environment, which allows tumors to grow.
Postdoctoral Research
In her research, Dr. Gardiner will study tumor microenvironment cells extracted from patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma to selectively harness any of the cell’s tumor-suppressive functions and use them as a therapeutic strategy. The 5-year survival rate for these patients is about 10%, and it is projected to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths by 2026, so research such as Dr. Gardiner’s is needed to develop more effective treatment options and tools for early detection.
Dr. Gardiner was also selected by the American Association for the Advancement of Science as an IF/THEN Ambassador, an initiative that seeks to further women in science, technology, engineering, and math by empowering current innovators and inspiring the next generation of pioneers.
