DeGregorio Family Foundation Grant Recipients
Grant Awarded to Enhance the Efficacy of Chemoradiation for Locally Advanced Esophageal Adenocarcinoma
NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2022 –The DeGregorio Family Foundation with support from the Torrey Coast Foundation Gastro Esophageal Investigator Network Initiative (GEMINI) has awarded $250,000 to Joseph M. Caster, MD, PhD, and Chandrikha Chandrasekharan, MD, both from The University of Iowa, to enhance the efficacy of chemo and radiation on locally advanced esophageal adenocarcinoma. Esophageal cancer, particularly esophageal adenocarcinoma, has been growing exponentially over the last five decades, especially in the United States. Depending on results, this grant funding could increase up to $1 million.
Grant Awarded to Develop Genetically Engineered Stem Cell Products to Fight Gastroesophageal Cancer
NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 2022 –The DeGregorio Family Foundation with support from the Torrey Coast Foundation Gastro Esophageal Investigator Network Initiative (GEMINI) has awarded $250,000 to Saar Gill, MD, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania, to improve immunotherapy in gastroesophageal cancer by using the tools of genetic engineering to modify human blood-forming stem cells to produce highly specialized cancer-eating cells called Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) macrophages. Depending on results, this grant funding could increase up to $1 million.
Grant Awarded to Improve Immunotherapy in Gastroesophageal Cancer
NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2022 –The DeGregorio Family Foundation with support from the Torrey Coast Foundation Gastro Esophageal Investigator Network Initiative (GEMINI) has awarded $250,000 to Eric Smith, MD, PhD, and Andrew Aguirre, MD, PhD, both of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Sam Klempner, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital, to improve immunotherapy in gastroesophageal cancer by identifying and characterizing additional target antigens for next-generation cellular therapies. Depending on results, this grant funding could increase up to $1 million.
Grant Awarded to Enhance the Effectiveness of Immunotherapy in Gastric Cancer
NEW YORK, March 16, 2022 – The DeGregorio Family Foundation with the support of the Price Family Foundation and the Esophageal Cancer Awareness Association has awarded $250,000 to Paraskevi Giannakakou, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology in Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Giannakakou and her team seek to identify clinically actionable mechanisms to overcome taxane resistance in gastroesophageal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The taxanes, microtube-stabilizing cancer drugs, are a mainstay of treatment for gastroesophageal cancer, used in both first- and second-line therapy. However, their clinical benefit is not sustained, owing to drug resistance. To date, and despite their wide use in oncology, taxane resistance in gastroesophageal cancer patients is not understood.
Grant Awarded to Enhance the Effectiveness of Immunotherapy in Gastric Cancer
NEW YORK, Feb.17, 2022 – The DeGregorio Family Foundation with the support of the Price Family Foundation and the Esophageal Cancer Awareness Association has awarded $175,000 to Dawit Kidane-Mulat, PhD, Assistant Professor, College of Pharmacy at The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Kidane-Mulat is working to enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapy in gastric cancers, which now has a very low success rate, in the five percent range.
Grant Awarded to Define Gene Dependencies in Whole-Genome Doubled Esophageal Adenocarcinomas
NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2021 – The DeGregorio Family Foundation has awarded $250,000 to Neil J. Ganem, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine, Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Department of Pharmacology, Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Ganem is working on defining gene dependencies in whole-genome doubled esophageal adenocarcinomas to ultimately discover new drug targets. Rates of esophageal adenocarcinomas have risen dramatically in recent decades and it is a highly deadly cancer.
Grant Awarded to Better Define Gastric Cancer Risks of the Hereditary Diffuse Gastric Cancer Gene CTNNA1
NEW YORK, September 29, 2021 – The DeGregorio Family Foundation has awarded $250,000 to Bryson Katona, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Director at the Gastrointestinal Cancer Genetics Program at University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Dr. Katona is a physician-scientist who seeks to better define the gastric cancer risks associated with the CTNNA1 gene in order to aid both patients and medical professionals in their abilities to manage the cancer risks associated with the gene.
Grant Awarded to Explore Hopeful New Treatment Strategies for Gastric and Esophageal Cancers
(NEW YORK, March 2, 2021) – The DeGregorio Family Foundation, with funding support from the Price Family Foundation and the Esophageal Cancer Awareness Association, has awarded $200,000 to Dr. Nilay Sethi, Principal Investigator at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
New Grant Seeks to Transform Patient Care and Leapfrog Drug Development for Gastroesophageal Cancers
(NEW YORK, March 24, 2021) – The DeGregorio Family Foundation, with funding support from the Esophageal Cancer Awareness Association, has awarded $230,000 to Dr. Manish Shah, Chief of the Solid Tumor Oncology Service and Director of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Program at Weill Cornell Medicine.
$150,000 A $150,000 Grant Awarded to Fund Promising New Research into Enhancing Efficacy of Immunotherapy
NEW YORK, March 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Cedars Sinai’s Dr. YanYi Jiang, Postdoctoral Scientist and Dr. H. Phillip Koeffler, Mark Goodson Chair in Oncology Research at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, have been awarded $150,000 by The DeGregorio Family Foundation and the Price Family Foundation.
Potential Breakthrough in the Search for New Treatment Options for Esophageal Cancer Patients
NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Kishore Guda, DVM, PhD, an associate professor of oncology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, has been awarded $200,000 by The DeGregorio Family Foundation and the Price Family Foundation—partnering with the Savone Family and The Esophageal Cancer Awareness Association.
DeGregorio Family Foundation, Savone Family and Esophageal Cancer Awareness Association Awards Grant to Stephen Meltzer of Johns Hopkins University and Hans Clevers of the Princess Maxima Center of Pediatric Oncology
NEW YORK, March 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Stephen J. Meltzer, M.D., a Professor of Medicine and Oncology at Johns Hopkins University, and Johannes Carolus (Hans) Clevers, M.D., Ph.D., Director of Research at the Princess Maxima Center of Pediatric Oncology in the Netherlands, have been awarded $100,000 by The DeGregorio Family Foundation for Gastric and Esophageal Cancer Research, the Savone Family and the Esophageal Cancer Awareness Association.