Research Funding Impact

Since 1993, the AACR has awarded more than $540 million in grants to fund meritorious research projects across the spectrum of cancer science, including basic, translational, and clinical research. See how the AACR grants program has contributed to the AACR's mission.

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Cholesterol: A Fork in the Road for Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer outcomes can differ depending on where the disease metastasizes, with lung involvement generally associated with better prognosis than liver involvement. Supported by a 2022 AACR-MPM Oncology Charitable Foundation Transformative Cancer Research Grant, Rushika Perera, PhD and her team at UCSF uncovered a key insight: a protein player in cholesterol metabolism, PCSK9, predicts whether pancreatic cancer cells colonize the liver or lungs. This discovery provides new understanding of metastatic behavior and potential therapeutic strategies.

Category: Grantee Impact

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By Africans, for Africans: Advancing Breast Cancer Screening in Ghana 

As breast cancer awareness month approaches, we spotlight the work of Adwoa Bemah Boamah Mensah, PhD, a 2022 recipient of the Beginning Investigator Grant for Catalytic Research (BIG Cat). Dr. Mensah is developing Mbreastcheck, a culturally tailored mobile health app designed to promote early detection and improve cancer care uptake among women in Ghana.

Category: Grantee Story

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The Lipid Trigger: Metabolic Rewiring and the Path to Early Breast Tumorigenesis

Mariana Bustamante Eduardo, PhD, received the 2023 AACR-Pfizer Breast Cancer Research Fellowship to investigate the early cellular changes in non-transformed breast cells – work that is shedding light on how a lipid metabolism-induced metabolic shift contributes to several hallmarks of cancer.

Category: Grantee Impact

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Targeting the Epigenetic Engine of Synovial Sarcoma: Advancing Therapeutic Innovation With AACR Donor Support

With support from end-of-year AACR funds, Dr. Yao Yu advanced a novel PROTAC therapeutic strategy targeting the SS18::SSX-WDR5 chromatin complex - disrupting tumor growth and reactivating p53 defenses in a rare but aggressive soft tissue cancer, synovial sarcoma.

Category: Grantee Impact

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Redefining Cancer and Immunotherapy Through the Microbiome

A serendipitous observation made possible at least in part by an AACR-PanCAN grant helped lead the way of two-time AACR grant recipient Florencia McAllister, MD. Her journey continues to uncover how microbes play a key role in carcinogenesis and the effectiveness of cancer therapies.

Category: Grantee Story

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Breaking Down to Build Back Up: Aurora-A Degraders as Treatment for Neuroblastoma

The survival rate for nearly half of children diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma remains tragically low. This devastating outcome is often linked to the amplification of the MYCN gene. Dr. Daniel Harki, recipient of two AACR-Bayer Innovation and Discovery (IND) Grants.

Category: Grantee Impact

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AACR Grantees Present Their Work at the AACR Annual Meeting 2025 

The AACR Annual Meeting 2025 will welcome the global cancer community to the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago on April 25-30. We are thrilled to announce the AACR grantees selected to present their work in oral and poster presentations and are extremely proud and excited about the progress they have made with support from the AACR and its funding partners! 

Category: Grantee News

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Exclusive Opportunity to Engage with AACR Research Grant Reviewers at the AACR Annual Meeting 2025 

2025 AACR Annual Meeting attendees are invited to join the Meet the Research Grant Reviewers session held on Monday, April 28, 2025. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with AACR research grant reviewers James M. Cleary, MD, PhD, and Sandra W. Ryeom, PhD, on all grant review topics. Continue reading to get a sneak peek of what you can expect from this interactive session.

Category: Grantee News

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The Cytoskeleton: No Longer an Innocent Bystander in Ovarian Cancer Immunotherapy

Ovarian tumors are often resistant to traditional chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Supported by a 2022 AACR-Bristol Myers Squibb Immuno-oncology Research Fellowship, Dr. Sung-Min Hwang has uncovered a novel strategy for reinvigorating the ability of dysfunctional intratumoral T cells to combat cancer.

Category: Grantee Impact

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Driving Standardization of Molecular Testing Guidelines in Pediatric Cancer  

2023 AACR-St. Baldrick's Foundation Pediatric Cancer Research Grant recipient, Alanna Church, MD, shared how being an AACR grantee has advanced her work in improving molecular tumor profiling in the diagnosis and treatment of children with cancer.  

Category: Grantee Story

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