Dannielle Engle, PhD, of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and Avery D. Posey, PhD, of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, were announced at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2021 as the inaugural recipients of the Lustgarten Foundation–AACR Career Development Awards for Pancreatic Cancer Research in Honor of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and John Robert Lewis.
Dannielle Engle, PhD
Avery D. Posey, PhD
Each award consists of a 3-year, $300,000 grant supporting the Lustgarten Foundation–AACR mission to cure pancreatic cancer by funding meritorious basic, translational, and clinical research. Through these awards, the Lustgarten Foundation and the AACR seek to help close the gap in the number of early-career women and underrepresented scientists applying for and receiving funding to conduct research that may lead to a better understanding and treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Promoting Diversity With Research Funding
The awards honor the extraordinary lives and legacies of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and civil rights leader and 17-term Georgia Congressman John Robert Lewis, two influential and inspiring public figures who died of pancreatic cancer in 2020. The award named for Justice Ginsburg supports the career advancement of an early-career female pancreatic cancer researcher, and the award named for Congressman Lewis supports the career advancement of an early-career pancreatic cancer researcher from an underrepresented minority group.
Linda Tantawi
“Pancreatic cancer is a uniquely challenging disease, requiring bold and innovative science,” said Linda Tantawi, Chief Executive Officer of the Lustgarten Foundation, which has committed up to $1.8 million to the program over the next 3 years. “We know these challenges are even greater for Blacks and African Americans, who experience both higher incidence and death rates than other populations. What we don’t know is why. Congressman John Lewis was a bold and innovative leader who never backed away from a challenge, including pancreatic cancer. Honoring his legacy through this grant is a step toward both the deeper understanding of pancreatic cancer among Blacks and African Americans and closing the gap of diversity within the research community.
“Similarly, we honor Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s tireless fight for equality by supporting women researchers within the pancreatic cancer field. Their work will not only reverberate across the pancreatic cancer community of patients, physicians, and researchers, but they also will serve as the necessary role models and mentors to attract even more women into the field.”
Dr. Engle is Assistant Professor in the Regulatory Biology Laboratory at the Salk Institute. Her project is titled “The Role of CA19-9 in Pancreatic Cancer Progression and Metastasis.”
Dr. Posey is Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania. His project is titled “The Role of Tn Antigen in Pancreatic Cancer: Driver, Suppressor, and Target.”
