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Honors and AwardsJanuary 29, 2019

Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Grants over $4.7M in Awards to 24 Top Young Scientists

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has named 18 new Damon Runyon Fellows at its fall Fellowship Award Committee review. The Fellowship encourages the nation's most promising young scientists to pursue careers in cancer research by providing them with independent funding ($231,000 total) to work on innovative projects. The Committee also named six new recipients of the Damon Runyon-Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists, which provides additional funding to scientists completing a Damon Runyon Fellowship Award who have greatly exceeded our highest expectations.

Honors and AwardsJanuary 24, 2019

Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Awards $3.2M to Nine Innovative Early Career Scientists

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation announced that nine scientists with novel approaches to fighting cancer have been named 2019 recipients of the Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award. Initial grants of $400,000 over two years were awarded to five early career scientists whose projects have the potential to significantly impact the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Each awardee will have the opportunity for up to two additional years of funding (four years total for $800,000). In addition, continued “Stage 2” support was granted to four awardees, who demonstrated significant progress on their proposed research during the first two years of the award. This year, the Foundation increased the award by 33% from $150,000 to $200,000 annually.

Honors and AwardsJanuary 24, 2019

Virtual Tour of a Tumor

Former Damon Runyon Fellow Gregory J. Hannon, PhD, and colleagues at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, have developed a new interactive, virtual reality 3D model of breast cancer. A human tissue sample about the size of a pinhead was used to create the model, which can be magnified to appear several meters across, providing researchers an inside view of how breast cancer cells interact with surrounding healthy tissue.

New DiscoveriesJanuary 23, 2019

Damon Runyon Alumni Lead International Effort to Beat Colorectal Cancer

The Cancer Research UK Grand Challenge brings together the very best researchers from around the globe to unite their talent, pool resources and crack the biggest questions in cancer research. Matthew L. Meyerson, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow '95-'98) of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, and Wendy S. Garrett, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow '06-'09) of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Cambridge, received £20 million to lead an international, multidisciplinary team of researchers focusing on the microbiome and its role in colorectal cancer.

Honors and AwardsJanuary 15, 2019

Two Years Cancer Free – Christy's Story

In 2018, William Raveis Real Estate raised an incredible $552,000 for cancer research. They have been a staunch supporter of Damon Runyon, hosting several multi-state fundraising events. At the annual Raveis Ride + Walk, held September 30, 2018, at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk, Connecticut, Christy Jefremow bravely shared her story.

New DiscoveriesJanuary 14, 2019

Highly Mutated Cancers Respond Better to Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy has saved countless lives but it is not effective for all cancer patients and predicting who should be using this therapy has been difficult. New results from Luc G. Morris, MD (Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator '14-'17) at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, and colleagues, now shed light on this dilemma.

Honors and AwardsJanuary 10, 2019

Stepping Up Our Drive Against Cancer

Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation increases Junior Faculty Grants by 33%. Effective in 2019, the Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation and Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Awards will be increased by 33% for new and current scientists. This investment allows the next generation of elite scientists to conduct work that will lay the foundation for careers filled with untold discoveries that are critical to finding new treatments and cures for patients.

Honors and AwardsDecember 17, 2018

Celebrating the Launch of the Lurie Breakthrough Challenge Fund

Recently, the Damon Runyon Bay Area community gathered to celebrate the leadership and generosity of Connie and Bob Lurie and kick off the $1 million Lurie Breakthrough Challenge Fund. “Bob and I are delighted to continue the family tradition of supporting Damon Runyon and are thrilled to be a part of its Bay Area Committee,” Connie Lurie said. “We hope the Challenge Fund will encourage new support by people who don't know about the work of the foundation and inspire them to get involved. Our goal is to put Damon Runyon on the map as a critically important supporter of the best young scientists in the Bay Area.”

Honors and AwardsDecember 12, 2018

Building the Next Generation of Leaders

Damon Runyon is committed to ensuring that early career scientists are paired with exceptional mentors so they are empowered to reach their highest potential. In fact, this positive experience has motivated many of our past award recipients to mentor new generations of scientists. We talked with two former Fellows about this important facet of life as a successful scientist: Abby Dernburg, PhD, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology at UC Berkeley, and Daniel Jarosz, PhD, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology and of Developmental Biology at Stanford University.

New DiscoveriesDecember 12, 2018

Takeda and the New York Academy of Sciences 2019 Innovators in Science Award

In its second year, the Innovators in Science Award recognizes research excellence in Regenerative Medicine. Shruti Naik, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow '14-'17 and Damon Runyon-Dale F. Frey Breakthrough Scientist '17-'19) of New York University, received the Early-Career Scientist Award with a $200,000 grant.