METAvivor Research and Support announces 12 new grant awards to research investigators for metastatic breast cancer research totaling $3.75 million. Metastatic, or stage IV, breast cancer is breast cancer is incurable and life-shortening. METAvivor exists to fund research to transition metastatic breast cancer into a chronic condition, with a close-to-normal life expectancy and decent quality of life.
METAvivor Research and Support Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for stage IV metastatic breast cancer (MBC), announces 12 new grant awards totaling $3,750,000. The metastatic breast cancer research grants are intended to enhance the understanding of metastatic breast cancer, help improve current treatments and develop greatly needed therapeutic options to combat the complicated disease.
“I am thrilled that once again METAvivor is funding impactful research and identifying up-and-coming young investigators in the field of metastatic research,” says Kelly Shanahan, MD, a long-time volunteer and newly elected president of METAvivor’s board of directors. “I have been living with MBC for 11 years now, and research such as ours is what gives me hope”, she adds.
Metastatic breast cancer (also known as stage IV cancer) is the spread of breast cancer to other parts of the body -- most commonly to the bones, liver, lungs and/or brain. Approximately 30% of early stage breast cancer patients will develop metastasis, with the mean survival after diagnosis being 33 months. In the U.S., less than 10% of all breast cancer research funds are dedicated to metastatic breast cancer research – yet 98% of all breast cancer deaths are caused by a metastasis.
METAvivor is awarding grants for the 2024 research cycle in four categories: The Early Career Investigator Award is focused on funding grants for early career metastatic breast cancer researchers and the awards are for $200,000, distributed over two years. The Translational Research Award is intended for career metastasis researchers and is $450,000, over three years. The Exploratory Award is a $50,000, one year award, to develop a promising hypothesis. The Advisor’s Award is given to career metastasis researchers who serve on METAvivor ‘s Scientific Advisory Board. All award categories are evaluated in a rigorous peer and patient advocate reviewed process.
The 12 grants that METAvivor is funding in this grant cycle bring the grand total to 218 awards, totaling $37,250,000, over 15 years. “METAvivor can only do this work through the commitment of our all-volunteer board, many of whom are living with MBC, and the generosity of our supporters. As someone living with MBC, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our donors, and the researchers who commit themselves to studying the mind-blowing complexities of MBC”, says Shanahan, adding “We cannot do this without you."
METAvivor’s Early Career Research Awards
Nir Ben Chetrit, PhD, Weill Medical College of Cornell University. “Harnessing Innate Immunity and Radiotherapy for Next-Generation Immuno-Oncology in Metastatic Breast Cancer”. Presented by the #LightUpMBC Ambassador Team in Honor of Caitlin Blake
Chris McGinnis, PhD, Stanford University School of Medicine. “Discovering Anti-Metastatic Immunotherapies and Mechanisms of Secondary Metastatic Dissemination”. Presented in memory of Amy Verrill Wolfe, MJ Borrelli, and members of the Living with MBC Support Group in DENJPA who passed away in 2024 | ALSO Presented by the Family of Erica Griffiths, in her memory
Sangeetha Reddy, MD, MSCI, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. “Differential response to therapies stimulating antigen presentation by sites of metastases in triple negative breast cancer”. Presented by MetGala Santa Clarita
Paolo Tarantino, MD, Dana Farber Cancer Institute. “Identifying predictive biomarkers for novel antibody-drug conjugates”. Presented by the #LightUpMBC Ambassador Team in Memory of Jessica Moore and all lives lost too soon to MBC
METAvivor’s Translational Research Awards
Wei Dai, PhD, New York University Grossman School of Medicine. “Plk1 as a Key Molecular Target for Managing Metastasis of Breast Cancer”. Presented in Memory of Jacquie Reynolds Beck & Kerry O'Riordan McAdam
Rita Mukhtar, MD, University of California San Francisco. “The PLUMB Study: a Prospective study of LobUlar Metastatic Breast cancer using serial circulating tumor DNA to measure disease response”. Presented by Lake Tahoe Music for METAvivor in honor of Kelly Shanahan and in memory of Barbara Carter | ALSO Presented by Tonyia's Hope in memory of Tonyia Lucas
Davide Ruggero, PhD, University of California San Francisco. “Looking through a new lens: posttranscriptional regulation in metastatic breast cancer”. Presented by the Minneapolis Metsquerade in memory of Erin Remme
Thordur Oskarsson, PhD, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute. “Targeting stress signaling to enhance immunotherapy against metastatic breast cancer”. Presented by the Pittsburgh Metsquerade in honor of those living with MBC and loved ones we’ve lost to MBC including Sheila Frankowski and Carol Zuro
Hui-Wen Lo, PhD, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. “Targeting Established Brain Metastases of Triple-negative Breast Cancer Using A Novel Combination of Two FDA-Approved BBB-permeable Kinase Inhibitors”. Presented by Midland Park’s Third Annual Color Fun Run in memory of Ashley Rizzuto & Angela Rogers
Amy Yee, PhD, Tufts University School of Medicine. “Cha1: A New Therapeutic Strategy for Triple Negative Breast Cancers and Brain Metastases”.
METAvivor’s Exploratory Award
Xiangliang Yuan, PhD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. “Development of Novel Immunotherapy with Engineered Dendritic Cells-derived Extracellular Vesicles to Impede Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Brain Metastases”. Presented by the Linda Sousa A Better Dream Foundation in Memory of Linda LeClair Sousa
METAvivor’s Advisor’s Award
Danny Welch, PhD, The University of Kansas Medical Center. “Mitochondrial tRNA Fragments as Modifiers of Metastasis”. Presented by Sister Sojourn in honor of Brandi Darr
