The UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center recently announced five winners of the O’Neal Invests grant awards, two generously funded by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama (BCRFA).

Commencing in the spring of 2020, the O’Neal Invests Program has grown, intending to support UAB’s cancer scientists’ novel ideas in cancer studies. The program primarily seeks to promote excellence by funding nascent, paradigm-shifting cancer research proposed by UAB faculty. This supports preliminary research and opens pathways to competitive extramural applications and funding, including those from the NIH, offering a substantial impact in the realm of cancer prevention and care. 

The awardees receiving funding through O’Neal Invests for the 10th grant cycle include:

• Rui Lu, Ph.D.
  o Department of Medicine
  o Division of Hematology and Oncology
  o Pre-R01
  o Epigenetic Determinants of Menin Inhibitor Response in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
  
  
• Julienne Carstens, Ph.D.
  o Department of Medicine
  o Division of Hematology and Oncology
  o Pre-R01
  o Functional Impact of EMT in Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Chemotherapy Resistance
  
  
• Zhangli Su, Ph.D.
  o Department of Genetics
  o Catalyst
  o Novel Small RNA Regulators of GBM Treatment Response

In addition to these grants, two awards were funded through the generosity of the BCRFA including:

• J. Bart Rose, M.D.; Benjamin Larimer, Ph.D.; and Michael Niederweis, Ph.D.
  o Department of Surgery, Department of Radiology, and Department of Microbiology
  o Pre-R01
  o Validation and Rapid Detection of Calreticulin as a Cancer Biomarker
  
  
•  Jia Xu, Ph.D.
  o Department of Genetics
  o Catalyst
  o Synergistic Antitumor Effect of Combined EZH2 and Aurora Kinases Inhibition in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
  
  There are two annual O’Neal Invests funding cycles, spring and fall. O’Neal Cancer Center membership is not a requirement to apply, but awardees must become members. The grants are peer-reviewed by a panel of distinguished UAB faculty members and can range anywhere from $2 million (R01) to $12 million (SPORE, P01). Investigators not awarded funding for a particular project are offered guidance through the review panel and process, strengthening their science and allowing for future opportunities in extramural funding.
  
  The new RFA for O’Neal Invests applications will be available on June 10.