FREE ME FROM LUNG CANCER (FMFLC) and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) have announced the first-ever winner of the FMFLC-IASLC Foundation Joint Fellowship Award for the Early Detection of Lung Cancer. The FMFLC-IASLC Joint Fellowship Award supports novel, innovative, and translational research with the potential of having a high clinical impact on the early detection of lung cancer.
Eva Koziolek, DSc, PhD
Eva Koziolek, DSc, PhD, won for her research titled: “A Novel Biomarker for Diagnosis and Treatment of Lung Premalignancy.” She will work with principal investigator Claudio Scafoglio, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary Care and Critical Care Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.
“Free Me From Lung Cancer is excited to collaborate with the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer on this exciting and innovative research that Dr. Koziolek has developed,” said Deb Violette, President and Founder of FMFLC. “Clearly, researchers are advancing and closing in on lung cancer with new and innovative treatments and diagnostic equipment so that patients can live longer and better lives. This is a time for hope.”
The objective of this new, 2-year FMFLC-IASLC award is to fund research that will deliver a meaningful and measurable result for the early detection of lung cancer and that has a high probability of near-term benefit to patients or individuals at risk. Drs. Koziolek and Scafoglio will test the possibility of targeting sodium-dependent glucose transporter 2 (SGLT2) for diagnostic imaging of lung premalignant lesions and for targeted chemoprevention/cancer interception with U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved SGLT2 inhibitors.
“At IASLC, we truly value partnerships and the ability to collaborate with other organizations who work toward the same objectives,” said Fred R. Hirsch, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of IASLC. “This Joint Fellowship Award allows the development of innovative research. Without this partnership, we might have missed this incredible opportunity to support Dr. Koziolek and her team. The more we work together, the more we can accomplish together.”
About Free Me From Lung Cancer
FREE ME FROM LUNG CANCER is the only nonprofit based in Maine dedicated solely to raising money for lung cancer research; early lung cancer screening for high-risk patients who do not have insurance; and providing radon air abatement systems to single-family, low-income homeowners. ■
