The National Cancer Institute has awarded more than $11 million in funding to Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI), to begin an aggressive, multipronged search into preventing and treating ovarian cancer.
Distributed over 5 years, the funds will come through a Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant. The research team, led by Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator of the RPCI/UPCI Ovarian Cancer SPORE grant, will study novel immunotherapy approaches for the treatment of and risk assessment for ovarian cancer.
Research With Potential to Change Lives
“The NCI has recognized that our research has very high potential for changing the lives of ovarian cancer patients around the world,” said Dr. Odunsi, who is Chair of Gynecologic Oncology and Director of the Center for Immunotherapy at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Dr. Odunsi is an expert in the field of immunotherapy.
The RPCI/UPCI Ovarian Cancer SPORE program will focus exclusively on harnessing the immune system. The overall goal is to prolong the survival of ovarian cancer patients through innovative translational research.
Co-Principal Investigators
The Ovarian Cancer SPORE Co-Principal Investigators are Kirsten B. Moysich, PhD, Professor in the Department of Immunology and Professor of Oncology in the Department of Cancer Prevention and Control at Roswell Park, and Robert P. Edwards, MD, Executive Vice Chair of Gynecologic Services and Director of the Ovarian Cancer Center for Excellence, Gynecologic Program at Magee-Womens Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. ■
