The Conquer Cancer Foundation of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has announced this year’s recipients of its Advanced Clinical Research Award in Breast Cancer, Career Development Awards, Young Investigator Awards, and Gianni Bonadonna Breast Cancer Research Fellowship. These awards recognize and support promising researchers in the field of oncology, with this year’s recipients further investigating aspects of immunotherapy, overcoming drug resistance, and the impact that clinical trials can have on quality of life, among other topics. The ceremony honoring these oncology professionals will be held during the 2017 ASCO Annual Meeting, June 2-6 in Chicago.

“The Conquer Cancer Foundation has long believed that research is a fundamental pillar of cancer care,” said Thomas G. Roberts Jr., MD, Chair of the Conquer Cancer Foundation Board of Directors. “These particular awards encourage the brightest minds in oncology to pursue and prioritize research projects that might one day result in treatments or advancements that can help us achieve our collective goal of improving quality of life for people living with cancer.”

Advanced Clinical Research Award

The Advanced Clinical Research Award (ACRA) funds physician-scientists committed to conducting original cancer research in an area not currently funded. The 2017 ACRA in Breast Cancer recognizes Mohamed E. Abazeed, MD, PhD, at The Cleveland Clinic, and supports his research, “Targeting the Achilles' shield of TNBC by androgen blockade.”

Career Development Award

The Career Development Award (CDA) provides funding for clinical researchers performing patient-oriented cancer research during their faculty appointment at an academic center. In 2017, nine recipients will each receive a three-year grant totaling $200,000.

View the full list of the 2017 CDA recipients and their research projects.

Young Investigator Award

The Young Investigator Award (YIA) is a research grant that supports promising investigators and encourages quality research in clinical oncology, providing funding during a physician’s pivotal career transition from a fellowship program to a faculty appointment.  

View the full list of the 2017 YIA recipients and their research projects.

Endowed Young Investigator Awards

The Conquer Cancer Foundation also awards endowed YIAs, which honor the legacies of those for whom the awards are named and enable the Conquer Cancer Foundation to support these grants in perpetuity. This year, CCF gratefully acknowledges three endowed YIAs, sponsored by HELSINN and ASCO.   

Established in 2016, HELSINN’s award commemorates Anna Braglia, wife of Helsinn Group Founder and Chairman Gabriele Braglia, and mother of Helsinn Group Vice Chairman and CEO Riccardo Braglia. The inaugural recipient of the Anna Braglia Endowed Young Investigator Award in Cancer Supportive Care is Sarah A. Buckley, MD, of the University of Washington.

Building on its first endowed YIA in memory of founding ASCO member Jane Cooke Wright, MD, in 2016, ASCO has endowed two additional YIAs in memory of Society co-founders Fred J. Ansfield, MD, and Harry F. Bisel, MD. The inaugural recipient of the Fred J. Ansfield, MD Endowed Young Investigator Award is Stephen M. Schleicher, MD, MBA, of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and the inaugural recipient of the Harry F. Bisel, MD Endowed Young Investigator Award is David Y. Oh, MD, PhD, of the University of California, San Francisco.

Learn more about CCF’s endowments and funding opportunities.

Gianni Bonadonna Breast Cancer Research Fellowship

The Gianni Bonadonna Breast Cancer Research Fellowship provides funding to an early career investigator who is committed to conducting breast cancer research. In 2017, the recipient of this fellowship is Ana Christina Garrido-Castro, MD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Supporters*

The 2017 Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO Advanced Clinical Research Award in Breast Cancer is sponsored by Breast Cancer Research Foundation®.

The 2017 Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO Career Development Awards are sponsored by AbbVie, Inc., Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation, Amgen, Astellas, AstraZeneca, Breast Cancer Research Foundation®, Conquer Cancer Foundation Mission Endowment, Genentech BioOncology™, Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, Lilly, Michael’s Mission, and Takeda Oncology.

The 2017 Conquer Cancer Foundation of ASCO Young Investigator Awards are sponsored by Anonymous, AbbVie, Inc., American Association for Cancer Research, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Amgen, ASCO Clinical Practice Committee & State Affiliate Council, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Breast Cancer Research Foundation®, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene Corporation, Eisai Inc., Florida Society of Clinical Oncology, Gateway for Cancer Research, Genomic Health, Inc., HELSINN, Janssen Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Kelly Cares Foundation, Kidney Cancer Association, Miodrag Kukrika, MD, The John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation, Lilly, Lung Cancer Alliance, Merck & Co., Inc., Michiana Hematology Oncology, Novartis Oncology, Greg Parekh/ New Rhein Healthcare, LLC, Pfizer Oncology, William D. Piety Living Trust, The Norman & Ruth Rales Foundation, Thomas G. Roberts, Jr., MD and Susan M. DaSilva, Aaron and Barbro Sasson, The Scopus Foundation, Strike 3 Foundation, Takeda Oncology, Shawn C. Tomasello, Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation, The WWWW Foundation Inc. (QuadW) and The Sarcoma Fund of the QuadW Foundation of Communities Foundation of Texas, and Dr. Robin Zon and Family.

The 2017 Gianni Bonadonna Breast Cancer Research Fellowship is supported by a grant from GlaxoSmithKline Oncology.

*As of May 12, 2017.