$1.25 million investment powers Alabama’s top institutions in tackling breast cancer

Barry P. Sleckman, Ph.D.,
Photography: Andrea MabryThe Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama proudly announces its commitment to advancing breast cancer research in Alabama through a substantial investment of $1.25 million in 2023. This grant funding will support 35 cutting-edge research projects at eight esteemed institutions across the state, further powering a future free from breast cancer. Among the beneficiaries are the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, Alabama State University, CerFlux, Inc., HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Tuskegee University, University of Alabama and Mitchell Cancer Institute at the University of South Alabama.

This year’s grants mark a significant milestone, propelling the BCRFA’s cumulative investment in breast cancer research to over $15 million since its founding in 1996.

“This year’s monumental investment by the BCRFA solidifies our ongoing legacy as a driver of pivotal research within Alabama and the organization’s dedication to catalyzing breast cancer breakthroughs,” said Beth Davis, president and CEO of BCRFA. “Our support spans critical facets, from pioneering early detection strategies to fostering groundbreaking treatment innovations. These investments will deliver hope and tangible advancements to those battling breast cancer.”

“The Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama has been a remarkable force in bolstering cancer research within our state,” said Barry P. Sleckman, Ph.D., director of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB. “Their funding will propel the work of UAB investigators and their counterparts across the state, and we are profoundly grateful for their unwavering support.”

BCRFA funding acts as foundational support for early-stage studies, allowing researchers to generate crucial data necessary for attracting substantial national grants. Numerous projects funded by BCRFA have gone on to secure multimillion-dollar grants from esteemed bodies like the National Institutes of Health, affirming the pivotal role of these initial investments.

The 2023 grant recipients represent a diverse and talented cohort poised to drive significant advancements in breast cancer research, aiding in the pursuit of innovative solutions and enhanced patient care.

The 2023 grantees include:

Alabama State University (Montgomery, Alabama)

• Priyadarshni Nivedita, Ph.D., who will design and develop an affordable point-of-care device for non-invasive, early diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer from saliva using aLCN-1 functionalized carbon dot biosensor

Auburn University (Auburn, Alabama)

• Alexei Kisselev, Ph.D., who will investigate highly active liposomal formulation of proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib for the treatment of TNBC
• Amit Mitra, Ph.D., who will use a novel strategy to prevent the development of drug resistance in breast cancer

Auburn University (Auburn, Alabama) / University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)

• Yuping Bao, Ph.D., and Robert Arnold, Ph.D., who will look at carrier-free quercetin nanoparticles for overcoming breast cancer drug resistance

CerFlux, Inc. (Birmingham, Alabama)

• Karim Budhwani, Ph.D., who investigates getting the right treatment to the right patient by matching regimens to patient biopsy before treatment

HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology (Huntsville, Alabama)

• Sara Cooper, Ph.D., who looks at inherited breast cancer risk screening and education through Access Matters

Tuskegee University (Tuskegee, Alabama)

• Deepa Bedi, M.D., who leads a cancer genomic study to characterize genetic and epigenetic diversity of immune landscape in triple-negative breast cancer in women of African ethnicity

O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB (Birmingham, Alabama)

• Ritu Aneja, Ph.D., associate dean for research and innovation in the School of Health Professions, who will evaluate associations of rurality and neighborhood disadvantage with racial disparities in breast cancer mortality among women in the state of Alabama
• Sofia Beas, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Neurobiology, who looks at the neuropathological effects of chemotherapeutic drugs
• Smita Bhatia, M.D., distinguished professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, who has research predicting the risk of heart failure in breast cancer survivors
• Nicole Caston, clinical research data coordinator in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, who will try to understand how multi-level factors influence cancer clinical trial enrollment decisions by patients living in higher-disadvantaged areas
• Anindya Dutta, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Genetics, who will investigate FAM129B/NIBAN2 as a biomarker for therapy with NRF2 inhibitors
• Blake Hildreth, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, who is targeting CSF1R/PU.1 signaling and PU.1 super-enhancer regulation in tumor progression across breast cancer subtypes
• Katia Khoury, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, who is launching the Phase II single arm trial of low-dose capecitabine in patients with advanced breast cancer
• Jianmei Leavenworth, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Neurosurgery, who investigates hijacking axonogenesis to promote breast cancer by a subset of regulatory T cells
• Steve Lim, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, who will research nuclear FAK-mediated epigenetic reprogramming of triple-negative breast cancer
• Catherine Parker, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Surgery, who is conducting research by Breast Surgical Fellow
• Amr Rafat, graduate research assistant in Graduate Biomedical Sciences, who focuses on elucidating the effects of hypoxia on ribosome biogenesis in breast cancer
• Bin Ren, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Surgery, who will research the unique arteriolar niche in expansion of breast cancer stem cells for metastasis
• Lalita Shevde-Samant, Ph.D., professor in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, who looks for a novel clinically actionable approach to disable resurgence and metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer
• Keshav Singh, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy, and Sejong Bae, M.D., professor in the Division of Preventive Medicine, who will identify mitochondrial trafficking in triple-negative breast cancer
• Anna Sorace, Ph.D., associate professor in the Division of Advanced Medical Imaging Research, who is researching PDL1-targeted theranostic approaches to enhance combination therapy in TNBC
• Sooryanarayana Varambally, Ph.D., professor in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, MammOnc-DB, who is looking at the development of a comprehensive breast cancer platform for data analysis, integration and visualization
• Courtney Williams, DPH, assistant professor in the Division of Preventive Medicine, who is identifying ideal reimbursement “dose” to reduce clinical trial-related financial toxicity
• Jia Xu, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, who is developing a novel AKT degrader to selectively inhibit the growth of PI3K/AKT/PTEN pathway mutant breast cancer
• Chao Zhang, M.D., scientist in the Genetics Research Division, who is looking at chronic stress-regulated tumor-neuroimmune network in triple-negative breast cancer

University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)

• Shreyas Rao, Ph.D., who is researching engineered environments to probe immune cell-mediated reawakening of dormant breast cancer brain micrometastasis

University of South Alabama Mitchell Cancer Institute (Mobile, Alabama)

• Debanjan Chakroborty, Ph.D., who is leading research of WNK1, a novel regulator of metastatic breast cancer
• Santanu Dasgupta, Ph.D., who is looking at circulating mitochondrial DNA for the detection of breast cancer progression and recurrence
• Luis del Pozo-Yauner, M.D., who investigates the contribution of PERK+ polyploid giant cancer cells in the ethnic disparity of triple-negative breast cancer
• Simon Grelet, Ph.D., who will identify targeting the nerve-cancer crosstalk to prevent breas t cancer metastasis
• Chandrani Sarkar, Ph.D., who is comparing adipocyte and lymphatic endothelial cell crosstalk in breast cancer
• Ajay Singh, Ph.D., who is unfolding a novel mechanism for endocrine resistance in breast cancer
• Seema Singh, Ph.D., who is looking at the influence of stress on immune landscape and spatial heterogeneity of breast cancer 

BCRFA funding is made possible with support from corporate and community partners, local and state funders, event patrons, generous individual donors, and sales of the Breast Cancer Research specialty license plate. Available at DMVs across the state, nearly 14,000 vehicles in Alabama sport the Breast Cancer Research tag. One hundred percent of tag sale proceeds received by the BCRFA support local, lifesaving research.