Johnson Cancer Research Center provides half-million dollars for Kansas State University research and education
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
MANHATTAN — Cancer research at Kansas State University has gotten a large boost from the university's Johnson Cancer Research Center through the help of private donors.
"Saving lives through cancer research is expensive," said Stephen Keith Chapes, Johnson Cancer Research Center interim director and professor of biology. "And unlike cancer treatment providers who can charge fees to cover their costs, researchers are constantly competing for funds to support their work that leads to such treatments."
Funds raised through private donations allow the cancer research center to provide faculty and students hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in competitive awards supporting innovative cancer research, equipment purchases, mentoring of student researchers and more. All awards are listed on the center's Award Programs webpages.
In fiscal year 2017, the center's awards totaled $505,912. The Innovative Research Award program, the center's largest, provided $203,000 to faculty for studies into such things as toxicity levels of potential anti-cancer agents, tissue growth regulation, deriving new canine tumor cell lines and a canine cancer treatment clinical trial.
"We are grateful to our many allies helping us conquer cancer, and pleased to redistribute their gifts to our most promising faculty and student researchers," Chapes said. "Those dollars are making a big difference, often being leveraged into large extramural grants."
Richard Myers, university president, sees great potential in the Johnson Cancer Research Center's work.
"With our groundbreaking stem cell, virology, immunology and nanotechnology research and point-of-care innovations, K-State is making its mark in cancer research and getting ever closer to becoming a Top 50 public research university," Myers said.
The Johnson Cancer Research Center currently has 100 affiliated faculty researchers conducting multidisciplinary cancer research in 20 departments at Kansas State University. Its programs are supported by private donations. More information about the center is at cancer.k-state.edu.
