Damon Runyon News

January 13, 2020
New Discovery


Karuna Ganesh, MD, PhD (Clinical Investigator ’19-’22), and her colleagues at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, have discovered a novel framework for approaching metastasis and developing treatments. The researchers found that metastasis-initiating cells can hijack the body’s natural wound-healing abilities to colonize distant organs.


January 7, 2020
Awards and Honors


The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research has awarded six grants to promising early career scientists for projects aimed at addressing unmet needs in cancer research. Eliezer Van Allen, MD (Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator ’15-’20), of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, received the competitive award for his research to improve clinical care for prostate cancer patients.


January 6, 2020
New Discovery


Scientists have found a clue as to how melanoma cells are able to metastasize. Ralph J. DeBerardinis, MD, PhD (Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator ’11-’14) and colleagues at Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) discovered that some melanoma cells carry proteins on their surface that help them survive the hostile environment of the bloodstream as they travel to distant organs and form new tumors.


December 3, 2019
Awards and Honors


This year, five Damon Runyon alumni were chosen as American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellows in honor of their invaluable contributions to science and technology. 


December 3, 2019
Blog


Nobel Laureate and Damon Runyon Board Member William G. Kaelin, Jr., MD, has been using the Damon Runyon Broadway Ticket Service to watch the hottest shows since 2008. We interviewed him about his dedicated support of this program.


November 20, 2019
New Discovery


Scientists first noticed circles of DNA floating alongside the regular chromosomes inside some cells, but they didn’t know the purpose of this “extrachromosomal DNA.” Now, Former Damon Runyon Scholar Howard Chang, PhD, of Stanford University, and colleagues have found that these doughnut-shaped pieces of DNA increase the malignancy of cancer cells.


October 30, 2019
Latest News


The Damon Runyon-Jake Wetchler Award for Pediatric Innovation is given annually to a third-year Damon Runyon Fellow whose research has the greatest potential to impact the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of pediatric cancer. Marissa Rashkovan, PhD, a Damon Runyon-Sohn Pediatric Cancer Fellow at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, received this special award at the annual Fellows' Retreat.


October 22, 2019
Blog


Since 2004, Genentech has made a transformational commitment to Damon Runyon of over $5.4 million to support the next generation of outstanding scientists. Nancy Valente, MD, Genentech’s Senior Vice President of Product Development/Global Head, Hematology Development, and Genentech’s Charitable Giving team, discuss the company’s productive partnership with Damon Runyon. 


October 22, 2019
Blog


Written by Jennifer Cavanaugh, breast cancer survivor, advocate, wife and mom. 

I had been a huge supporter of cancer research and the Raveis Ride + Walk fundraiser since its inception five years ago. Last year, I attended and walked with my family while I was in the thick of my battle. I was and still am somewhat in shock that it is me standing here speaking to all of you, especially at this point in my life.


October 21, 2019
Awards and Honors


Three Damon Runyon alumni were elected to the National Academy of Medicine. Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service: Edwin (Ted) G. Abel, PhD (Former Fellow ’93-’96); Julie A. Segre, PhD (Former Fellow ’97-’00); and Catherine J. Wu, MD (Former Clinical Investigator ’07-’12).


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