CBT PhD student, Brian Mooney and postdoctoral fellow, Dr Sudipto Das were among six researchers to receive Irish Cancer Society Research Fellows and Scholars awards at a ceremony in Dublin on Wednesday, November 27th.
The Irish Cancer Society Research Fellows and Scholars awards are designed to foster home-grown cancer research talent in Ireland and to ensure new research projects are commenced in a range of cancers including colorectal and breast cancers.
The awards are supported through the fundraising efforts of volunteers around Ireland such as the Rainbow Runners, a group of 47 women who ran the 2013 Flora Women’s mini-marathon in memory of their friend, Gayle Warnock who died from a brain tumour in 2012. The Tesco Charity of the Year Partnership 2010-2011 and the Movember Foundation also support this award scheme.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. John Fitzpatrick, Head of Research, Irish Cancer Society said, “The Irish Cancer Society’s vision for cancer research is based on achieving world-class discoveries across all cancer types to improve outcomes for the thousands of patients that are diagnosed each year in Ireland. We are extremely proud to announce our next round of Fellows and Scholars that will join the battle against cancer by applying their great knowledge and skills to finding new ways to improve patient outcomes.”
Research Projects:
The role of the molecule CART in the development of resistance to Tamoxifen treatment in breast cancer patients
Scholar: Brian Mooney
Principal Investigator: Dr. Darran O’ Connor
Summary:
The aim of this study is to understand how the molecule CART plays a role in the development of resistance to anti-estrogen treatment in breast cancer patients. There is an urgent need to understand this resistance mechanism as only half of recurring breast cancer which can receive anti-estrogen therapy will respond to the treatment. This project will determine if CART can be used as a marker for predicting response to therapy in these breast cancer patients.
Identifying DNA modications which may help predict if colorectal cancer patients will respond to therapy
Fellow: Dr. Sudipto Das
Principal Investigator: Dr. Darran O’ Connor
Summary:
It is well known that an adequate blood supply is vital for tumours to survive and grow in the body and a number of drug which target the tumours blood supply have now been developed. However, patient response to these drugs is quite varied. This project aims to look at specific DNA modifications which may help to predict which colorectal cancer patients will successfully respond to these treatments.
