2022 Research Grant Recipients

Home Research Research Grants Program Grants Awarded Grants Awarded by Year 2022 Research Grant Recipients

In 2022, in partnership with our generous donors and supporters, 25 research grants have been awarded – including 16 newly awarded grants and nine extensions to support next steps of promising projects – totaling a record $10.5 million. Overall, PanCAN invested nearly $25 million in research this year, which includes our grants program as well as our transformational scientific and clinical initiatives, including the PanCAN Precision PromiseSM adaptive clinical trial and PanCAN Early Detection Initiative.

Awarded through a rigorous peer-review process, the PanCAN 2022 Research Grants Program includes three categories: funding early-career investigators, supporting projects aiming to improve treatment options for patients and projects focused on devising effective early detection strategies.

Please join us in welcoming this year’s grantees:

Early Career Investigator Award Recipients

Brittany Allen-Petersen, PhD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award funded by The Rockhammer Charitable Fund
Brittany Allen-Petersen, PhD
Purdue University
The Role of PP2A in Regulating Pancreatic Cancer Macropinocytosis
Jashodeep Datta, MD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award, funded by an anonymous donor
Jashodeep Datta, MD
University of Miami
A Novel Mechanism of MDSC-mediated Stromal and T-cell Dysregulation in PDAC
G. Aaron Hobbs, PhD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award in memory of Skip Viragh
G. Aaron Hobbs, PhD
Medical University of South Carolina Hollings Cancer Center
KRAS G12R Metabolic Reprogramming Alters Therapeutic Sensitivity
Janielle Maynard, PhD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award funded by the Chrysalis Fund at the Ventura County Community Foundation
Janielle Maynard, PhD
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Immunobiological Factors Associated with Pancreatic Cancer Disparities
Jami Saloman, PhD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award in memory of Skip Viragh
Jami Saloman, PhD
University of Pittsburgh
Neuronal Checkpoint Signaling in Pancreas Cancer Pain
Rahul Shinde, PhD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award, funded by an anonymous donor
Rahul Shinde, PhD
The Wistar Institute
Exploiting the Gut Microbiome to Improve Therapy Response in PDAC
Kea Turner, PhD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award, funded by an anonymous donor
Kea Turner, PhD
Moffitt Cancer Center
Remote Nutrition Monitoring for Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Patients
Gillian Gresham, PhD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award Extension funded by the George & June Block Family Foundation
Gillian Gresham, PhD
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Evaluating Objective Measures of Physical Function in Pancreatic Cancer

Treatment-related Grant Recipients

Therapeutic Accelerator Award Recipient

Louis Denis, MD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Therapeutic Accelerator Award supported by the 1440 Foundation and the Gail V. Coleman-Kenneth M. Bruntel Research Fund
Louis Denis, MD
Verastem Oncology
Phase 1/2 Trial of VS-6766 + Defactinib and GEM + Nab-P in Metastatic PDAC

Therapeutic Accelerator Collaborative Award Recipients

Andrew Aguirre, MD, PhD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Therapeutic Accelerator Collaborative Award funded by the Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation honoring the memory of Shirley Sadoff
Andrew Aguirre, MD, PhD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Identify Genetic and Phenotypic Mechanisms of Response or Resistance to RAF/MEKi +/- FAKi in Pancreatic Cancer
Gregory L. Beatty, MD, PhD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Therapeutic Accelerator Collaborative Award in memory of Llewellyn Bixby IV, through a gift made by his family
Gregory L. Beatty, MD, PhD
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Preclinical and Translational Studies to Inform the Development of Strategies Targeting the KRAS Pathway
David DeNardo, PhD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Therapeutic Accelerator Collaborative Award
David DeNardo, PhD
Washington University in St. Louis
Determine How FAK/MEK Inhibition Alters Tumor-Microenvironment Interactions and the Immune Response
Louis Denis, MD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Therapeutic Accelerator Collaborative Award
Louis Denis, MD
Verastem Oncology
Translational Studies for the Phase 1/2 Trial of VS-6766 + Defactinib and GEM + Nab-P in Metastatic PDAC
Channing Der, PhD

2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Therapeutic Accelerator Collaborative Award in memory of Llewellyn Bixby IV, through a gift made by his family
Channing Der, PhD, and Kirsten Bryant, PhD
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Determination of Novel RAF/MEK and/or FAK Inhibitor Combinations in KRAS-mutant PDAC

Marina Pasca di Magliano, PhD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Therapeutic Accelerator Collaborative Award funded by the Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation honoring the memory of Shirley Sadoff
Marina Pasca di Magliano, PhD
University of Michigan
Tumor Microenvironment Determinants of Resistance to KRAS/FAK Inhibition

2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Translational Research Grant Extension Recipients funded by Kenneth D. Custance and Gladys C. Custance, honoring the memory of Martha ‘Molly’ Reed Woodroofe

Susan Bates, MD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Translational Research Grant Extension funded by Kenneth D. Custance and Gladys C. Custance, honoring the memory of Martha ‘Molly’ Reed Woodroofe
Susan Bates, MD
Columbia University
Using an eIF4A Inhibitor to Exploit a Metabolic Vulnerability Created by Epigenetic Therapy of Pancreatic Cancer
Fengzhi Li, PhD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Translational Research Grant Extension funded by Kenneth D. Custance and Gladys C. Custance, honoring the memory of Martha ‘Molly’ Reed Woodroofe
Fengzhi Li, PhD
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Validation of Targets as Biomarkers for Targeted Pancreatic Cancer Therapy
Kenneth Olive, PhD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Translational Research Grant Extension funded by Kenneth D. Custance and Gladys C. Custance, honoring the memory of Martha ‘Molly’ Reed Woodroofe
Kenneth Olive, PhD
Columbia University
Therapeutic Induction of Tumor Selective Ferroptosis in Pancreatic Cancer
Xiaoyang Qi, PhD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Translational Research Grant Extension funded by Kenneth D. Custance and Gladys C. Custance, honoring the memory of Martha ‘Molly’ Reed Woodroofe
Xiaoyang Qi, PhD
University of Cincinnati
Immunotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer by Saposin C-based Nanovesicles
Jill Smith, MD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Translational Research Grant Extension funded by Kenneth D. Custance and Gladys C. Custance, honoring the memory of Martha ‘Molly’ Reed Woodroofe
Jill Smith, MD
Georgetown University
Proglumide and the Pancreatic Cancer Microenvironment

Precision Medicine Targeted Grant Extension Recipients

Gregory L. Beatty, MD, PhD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Precision Medicine Targeted Grant Extension funded by Leslie Gaynor in memory of Phyllis Bolotin
Gregory L. Beatty, MD, PhD
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Multiplex Tissue-based Assays and Analytical Tools for Pancreatic Cancer
Sunil R. Hingorani, MD, PhD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Precision Medicine Targeted Grant Extension
Sunil R. Hingorani, MD, PhD
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Murine Clinical Trials for the Evaluation of High Priority Therapeutic Targets for Precision Promise

Early Detection-related Grant Recipients

Suresh Chari, MD2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Catalyst Award funded by Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation honoring the memory of Shirley Sadoff
Suresh Chari, MD
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Retrospective Cohort (REGARD) and Case-Control (PANDORA) Studies for Individuals with New-onset Diabetes (NOD) and New-onset Prediabetes (NOPD) in a Large Integrated Healthcare System
Nicolette Juliana Rodriguez, MD, MPH2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Catalyst Award funded by a generous foundation
Nicolette Juliana Rodriguez, MD, MPH
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Racial/ethnic Equity in GENetic Education, Risk Assessment and TEsting (REGENERATE) Study
Sapna Syngal, MD, MPH2022 Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Catalyst Award Extension funded by Janssen Research & Development, LLC
Sapna Syngal, MD, MPH
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Racial/ethnic Equity in GENetic Education, Risk Assessment and TEsting (REGENERATE) Study