Damon Runyon identifies today’s most brilliant early career scientists and funds their innovative cancer research.
- Today’s Promising Areas of Cancer Research
- What is Cancer?
- A Broken Pipeline?
A Generation of Science at Risk
- ARISE Report
Early Career Scientists and High-Risk, High Reward Research - American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Why We’re Losing the War on Cancer (And How To Win It)
Clifton Leaf - Fortune Magazine
Research by Cancer Type
Decades of research have shown that cancers are defined by genetic makeup, not strictly by the organs that they affect. In fact, many cellular processes are proving to be useful therapeutic targets for a variety of cancers.
That’s why for more than 60 years the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has funded brilliant scientists asking questions common to all cancers, as well as those related to specific types of the disease.
Below, you will find fact sheets for a variety of specific cancer types, including information on the breakthroughs Damon Runyon scientists have made and the contributions they continue to make related to each cancer type.
> Brain Cancer
> Breast Cancer
> Colorectal Cancer |
> Lymphoma
> Pancreatic Cancer
> Prostate Cancer
> Skin Cancer [Coming Soon]
> Head & Neck Cancer [Coming Soon]
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Breast Cancer Research
Damon Runyon scientists have been on the cutting-edge of breast cancer research for more than 30 years.
> Learn more about our impact on breast cancer research
Colorectal Cancer Research
Damon Runyon scientists have been on the cutting-edge of colorectal cancer research for more than 30 years.
Leukemia Research
Damon Runyon scientists have been on the cutting-edge of leukemia research since the 1950s.
> Learn more about our impact on leukemia research
Brain Cancer Research
Damon Runyon scientists have been on the cutting-edge of brain cancer research for over 50 years.
Pancreatic Cancer Research
Damon Runyon scientists have been on the cutting-edge of pancreatic cancer research for the past several years.
Lymphoma Research
Damon Runyon scientists have been on the cutting-edge of lymphoma research since 1957.
Lung Cancer Research
Damon Runyon scientists have been on the cutting-edge of lung cancer research since the 1940s.
> Learn more about our impact on lung cancer research
Prostate Cancer Research
Damon Runyon scientists have been on the cutting-edge of prostate cancer research for the last two decades.
> Learn more about our impact on prostate cancer research
Our Award Programs
We offer three programs aimed at encouraging and advancing the work of early career cancer researchers with high promise. Each program is designed to address a need or fill a gap in cancer research funding.
Our grant-making process is rigorous and highly competitive. Each program is overseen by a separate committee of renowned scientists who select our award recipients.
Scientists and Projects
Damon Runyon scientists work at premier hospitals and academic institutions across the United States. They are leaders of clinical trials and respected pioneers of important research.
Below, you will find information on our currently funded scientists, including video profiles and a map showing where they do their groundbreaking research.
Award Programs
We offer three programs aimed at encouraging and advancing the work of early career cancer researchers with high promise. Each program is designed to address a need or fill a gap in cancer research funding.
Our grant-making process is rigorous and highly competitive. Each program is overseen by a separate committee of renowned scientists who select our award recipients.
Scientists and Projects
> View videos of our scientists to hear about their research on the cures and treatments for cancer in their own voices.
> See if Damon Runyon scientists are working in your region on our Google map of currently funded cancer research projects across the country.
New Discoveries and Honors
Learn about new cancer research from Damon Runyon awardees and recent honors bestowed upon members of Damon Runyon's elite scientific circle.
> See the latest cancer research discoveries.Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award
The new ideas and fresh perspectives of early career scientists often lead to breakthroughs. Yet the largest funder of biomedical research in this county, the federal government, is notoriously conservative, requiring that successful investigators show extensive preliminary data that essentially proves that their proposed research will succeed. As a result, bold, risky ideas remain on the shelf.
Recognizing this paradox, venture capitalist Andy Rachleff, with his wife Debbie, combined forces with the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation to create the Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award. The Award funds cancer research by exceptionally creative thinkers with “high-risk/high-reward” ideas—ideas that have the potential to significantly impact cancer, but lack sufficient preliminary data to obtain traditional funding.
The Innovation Award provides a total of $450,000 over a three-year period for salary and cancer research expenses. In its first year, the Award attracted more than 400 applicants from top scientists across the US, highlighting the urgent need for this award.
Current Cancer Research Projects
Damon Runyon funds cancer research addressing questions common to all cancers, as well as those related to specific types of the disease. Our scientists' projects span a variety of topics, from understanding the genetic underpinnings of cancer to developing drugs that more effectively fight the disease.
> See a list of our currently funded scientists and their cancer research projects.
Timeline of Results
Since 1946, Damon Runyon scientists, including 11 Nobel Laureates, have made some of the most important discoveries in cancer research. To this day, our scientists - whether they have Damon Runyon Fellowships or participate in another of our award programs - are at the forefront of new and promising cancer research. Past discoveries include:
- Groundbreaking research confirming the link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer (1954)
- Identification of the first cancer-causing gene (1970)
- Development of treatments to arm the immune system against cancer cells (2008)
The below timeline highlights some of our scientists’ most important accomplishments. For recent discoveries, including new cancer treatmentresearch and the latest prevention and diagnosis breakthroughs, see our New Discoveries and Honors section, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. You can also download a PDF listing our most notable achievements.
Navigate the timeline by grabbing and horizontally dragging either the top row (slower) or the bottom row (faster), and jump to specific points in the timeline by clicking on the years in red (e.g., 1945). Click on the bolded timeline entries to view details. Search (by name, topic, date, etc.) by entering keywords in the search fields.
A Timeline of Our Results in Cancer Research
Your donations fund real breakthroughs. Since 1946, Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation scientists, including 11 Nobel Laureates, have made some of the most important discoveries in cancer research, including:
- Curing a solid tumor with chemotherapy (1956)
- Successfully transplanting bone marrow between family members (1970)
- Using immunotherapy to cure advanced melanoma (2008)
The following timeline highlights some of our scientists’ most important accomplishments.
Our Nobel Laureates
- Albert Szent-Györgyi, MD, PhD (Grantee 1973)
- Edward A. Doisy, PhD (Grantee 1950)
- Wendell M. Stanley, PhD (Grantee 1964)
- Fritz A. Lipmann, MD, PhD (Grantee 1952)
- John F. Enders, MD (Grantee 1968)
- George W. Beadle, DSc, PhD (Grantee 1952)
- Charles B. Huggins, MD (Grantee 1955)
- Salvador E. Luria, MD (Grantee 1961)
- Albert Claude, MD (Grantee 1951)
- Susumu Tonegawa, PhD (Fellow 1969-70)
- Sidney Altman, PhD (Fellow 1967-69)
Damon Runyon Fellowship Award
The Damon Runyon Fellowship Award is the Foundation’s oldest and most well recognized award. It is one of the highest accolades an early career scientist can receive. The grant is designed to give the nation's top minds the resources to further hone their cancer research skills and explore their own innovative ideas, while working with mentors in top universities and cancer research centers.
The Damon Runyon Fellowship Award is the scientist’s primary source of funding for three years—$156,000 for PhDs and $186,000 for MDs. Your support allows us to fund the cancer research projects of approximately 30 new Fellows each year.
Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists **NEW**
At the end of the Fellowship, there are often a select few Damon Runyon Fellows
who have greatly exceeded the Foundation’s highest expectations. To catapult
their research careers—and their impact on cancer—the Foundation will make an
additional investment in these exceptional individuals by selecting them as
recipients of the Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists.
Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award
The Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award was launched in 2000 to help speed the process of moving laboratory discoveries to the patient bedside. It is designed to support and encourage physicians committed to translating cancer treatment research into cures, helping to address a national shortage of these specially trained scientists.
The Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award provides $450,000 over three years to each recipient for salary, research and staffing expenses. To address one reason for the decline of physician-scientists, the Foundation will also pay up to $100,000 of recipients’ medical school debt. Thanks to your support, Damon Runyon is currently funding 23 Clinical Investigators.
Continuation Grants
All third-year Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators are eligible to apply for the Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award Continuation Grant, which is designed to provide two additional years of support to Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators who are approaching the end of their awards and need extra time and funding to complete a promising avenue of research, or initiate/continue a clinical trial.
- Meet some of our Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators.
- View a listing of all current Clinical Investigators’ projects.
- See an interactive map showing where Clinical Investigators conduct their research.
- Scientists: Learn about Clinical Investigator Award applications and more in our 'For Scientists' section.
Cancer Research Map
Our cancer research map shows where we are currently funding projects, which scientists are at each institution and the type of research they are pursuing.
> See where the rising stars of science conduct their cutting-edge cancer research.
Scientist Video Profiles
Meet current Damon Runyon scientists and hear about their cancer research, their motivations and why funding from Damon Runyon is so important to them.
> Videos: Our scientists share their stories and their cancer research.
Research by Cancer Type
Decades of research have shown that cancers are defined by genetic makeup, not strictly by the organs that they affect. In fact, many cellular processes are proving to be useful therapeutic targets for a variety of cancers.
That's why for more than 60 years the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has funded brilliant scientists asking questions common to all cancers, as well as those related to specific types of the disease.
> Learn more about our breakthrough research on specific cancers.




