{"id":130183,"date":"2026-02-25T12:52:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T18:52:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=130183"},"modified":"2026-02-25T13:54:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T19:54:44","slug":"american-cancer-society-grants-support-early-stage-investigators-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2026\/02\/25\/american-cancer-society-grants-support-early-stage-investigators-research\/","title":{"rendered":"American Cancer Society\u00a0grants\u00a0support\u00a0early-stage\u00a0investigators\u2019\u00a0research"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"panel body-content\"><div class=\"panel__container\">\n<p>Fueling the next generation of cancer breakthroughs, the American Cancer Society&nbsp;(ACS)&nbsp;is investing in promising&nbsp;early-stage investigators&nbsp;at the&nbsp;UNMC and the Fred &amp; Pamela Buffett Cancer Center&nbsp;through internally competitive institutional research grants designed to tackle some of the most pressing questions in cancer research.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In&nbsp;2025, four investigators received ACS Institutional Research Grant&nbsp;(IRG)&nbsp;pilots for their innovative projects.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Advancing precision in prostate cancer treatment<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ruirui&nbsp;Liu, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology, received the ACS IRG pilot grant for&nbsp;his&nbsp;project \u201cDevelopment and Validation of a Dynamic Treatment Planning System for Ultrasound-Guided High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy in Prostate Cancer\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, most brachytherapy procedures rely on treatment plans created before the procedure begins. Because the prostate can shift slightly in position or shape during treatment, doctors have limited ability to&nbsp;make adjustments&nbsp;in real time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Liu\u2019s approach aims to change that. His&nbsp;system will combine live ultrasound imaging with advanced radiation dose calculations, allowing clinicians to make immediate adjustments during the procedure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis system will provide continuous feedback, allowing adjustment of needle placement and radiation dose delivery to maintain target coverage while protecting surrounding organs,\u201d Dr. Liu explained.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To ensure the system works safely&nbsp;and&nbsp;effectively, it will be tested using realistic prostate&nbsp;and&nbsp;pelvic models to evaluate accuracy,&nbsp;efficiency,&nbsp;and&nbsp;reliability.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Targeting muscle wasting in cancer patients<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Bhopal Mohapatra, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, received the ACS IRG pilot grant for his project \u201cTargeting of&nbsp;Cbl-b as a Novel Therapeutic Strategy for Cancer Cachexia\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Muscle wasting can significantly reduce quality of life, make chemotherapy harder to tolerate, and is linked to about 30% of cancer-related deaths. Despite its impact, there are currently no effective treatments.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Mohapatra\u2019s research focuses on a protein called&nbsp;Cbl-b, which plays&nbsp;an important role&nbsp;in muscle loss. Using genetic models and drug-like inhibitors, his team will test whether blocking this protein could help preserve muscle in cancer patients.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cStrong evidence has&nbsp;accumulated for&nbsp;a key role&nbsp;of&nbsp;Cbl-b in muscle loss from disuse,\u201d Dr. Mohapatra said. \u201cOur preliminary data suggest&nbsp;Cbl-b also plays a role in muscle cachexia.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Improving life after colorectal cancer through diet<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Mariah Kay Jackson, PhD, assistant professor at the College of Allied Health Professions,&nbsp;received the ACS IRG pilot grant for her project \u201cResearching the Effects of Survivorship, Inflammation, and Neuro-Cognitive Enhancement through Cancer and Eating: The RESILIENCE Study\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cancer treatment and surgery can disrupt normal&nbsp;eating&nbsp;habits, and many patients are&nbsp;advised to temporarily limit&nbsp;fiber after surgery. This study aims to help survivors safely reintroduce high-fiber foods that support gut health, reduce&nbsp;inflammation,&nbsp;and improve cognitive function.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 12-week pilot study will&nbsp;enroll&nbsp;50 colorectal cancer survivors who have completed treatment. Participants will either receive standard care or take part&nbsp;in&nbsp;a comprehensive support program that&nbsp;includes:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Personalized nutrition counseling&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Telehealth follow-up visits&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hands-on cooking classes featuring affordable, high-fiber meals&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis trial integrates biological markers with patient-prioritized outcomes to deliver a scalable, tailored model for lifestyle-based survivorship care, ensuring life after cancer is thriving, not just surviving,\u201d Dr. Jackson said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Bridging the rural cancer care gap<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Thais Favero Alves, PhD, assistant professor in the College of Public Health, received the ACS IRG pilot grant for her project &#8220;Chatbot Development to Support Rural Nebraskans with&nbsp;Breast&nbsp;Cancer\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>About 20% of breast cancer patients in the United States live in rural areas. Compared with patients in urban communities, they often face&nbsp;additional&nbsp;barriers to care,&nbsp;including fewer healthcare providers, longer travel distances to specialists,&nbsp;and&nbsp;lower&nbsp;access to health information.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Alves is developing a chatbot designed to support rural Nebraskans living with breast cancer. To ensure the tool reflects real community needs, Dr. Alves is using a community-based research approach. She is partnering with the Fred&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;Pamela Buffett Cancer Center Office of Community Outreach&nbsp;and&nbsp;Engagement&nbsp;and&nbsp;rural healthcare partners to recruit participants&nbsp;and&nbsp;form a community work group. The study will include English-speaking&nbsp;and&nbsp;Hispanic\/Latino breast cancer patients living in rural areas, with information collected in each participant\u2019s preferred language.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur central hypothesis is that an evidence-based chatbot designed to address patients\u2019 needs and communication preferences will increase access to care through reliable, personalized support that complements the breast cancer care team,\u201d Dr. Alves said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\">Building a foundation for bigger breakthroughs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The ACS Institutional Research Grant pilots&nbsp;are&nbsp;designed to do more than fund early ideas \u2014 they help researchers generate strong preliminary findings that can open the door to larger, extramural funding opportunities, accelerating the path from discovery to real-world impact.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Four early-stage investigators received American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant pilots, supporting innovative projects in prostate cancer treatment, cancer-related muscle wasting, colorectal cancer survivorship, and rural breast cancer care 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