view . spring2017
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RESEARCH GRANT PLANTS SEEDS OF HOPE
ThreeUniversityof Windsor researcherswill receive
a total of almost $228,000 in two-yeargrants from
theWindsorCancerCentreFoundation toaddress the
causes, diagnosisand treatment of cancer.
The foundation announced the results of its
Seeds4Hope grant competition inOctober, with three
projectswinning awards:
JohnHudson,
professorof biological sciences, $80,000
for “Plk4haploinsufficiencyasageneticpredisposition for
hematologicalmalignancies,” to study the roleof thisprotein
in thedevelopment of certainbloodcancers in thehopesof
providingnewmarkers for theirdetection;
JoséeJarry,
professorof psychology, $70,680 for “Ashtanga
yoga forwomenwithbreast cancer: a feasibility study,” to
investigatewhether thischallenging formof yogacanmitigate
the long-termmental andphysical effectsof treatment on
breast cancer survivors; and
SinduKanjeekal
, anadjunct professor inbiological sciences
andoncologist atWindsorRegionalHospital, $77,236 for
“Identifyingagenetic signature that predictsprogressionof
non-invasiveurothelial carcinoma toan invasivecancer,”
toexploreawayof predictingwhichpatientsareat greatest
riskof theirbladder cancersmetastasizing.
All threeprojects involve largecross-disciplinary teamsof
co-investigatorsandcollaborators.
The seed fundingprovidedby the foundation servesan
important role indevelopingnewavenuesof investigation,
saysDr.Hudson. “Thiswork isat averyearly stage,”he says.
“This fundingprovidesanopportunity toget theseprojects
off thegroundand toestablish researchpartnershipsbetween
local cliniciansand researchers.
“This frameworkwill allowus tocontribute to thebody
of knowledgeoncancer,will producepublishable resultsand
will enhance theabilityof local researchersandclinicians to
compete for larger grantsand tomakeadifference.”
Seeds4HopeadministratorMichaelDufresne says the
awardsdemonstrate the strengthof the local cancer research
culture. “Thehope in research reflects itspotential,”he says.
“Eachof theprojects supportedbySeeds4Hope isawork in
progress; itspotentialwill onlybe fully realized in its future
application tobenefit our childrenandgrandchildren.”
From left: Seeds4Hope administratorMichael Dufresne congratulates grant recipientsDrs. Josée Jarry, SinduKanjeekal andJohnHudson.
