Johnson Cancer Research Center provides more than $742,000 for Kansas State University research and training programs
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Research by Kansas State University's Adam Schieferecke, senior in microbiology, and Stefan Rothenburg, assistant professor of biology, has been aided by donations to the university’s Johnson Cancer Research Center. The center uses the donations to fund innovative cancer research projects, many of which include undergraduate researchers. | Download this photo.
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 Rob Denell, Johnson Cancer Research Center director and university distinguished 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, which leads to such treatments."
With the funds that are raised through private donations, the cancer research center provides Kansas State University faculty and students hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in competitive awards to support innovative cancer research, equipment purchases, mentoring of student researchers and more.
In fiscal year 2016, the cancer research center's awards totaled $742,145. The Innovative Research Award program, the center's largest, provided $496,788 to faculty for studies into such things as anti-cancer properties of flavonoids, toxicity of a leukemia drug, self-management of ovarian cancer using a smartphone-based 3-D chip, and characterization of the Kibra tumor suppressor protein.
"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," Denell said. "Our dollars make a difference, often being leveraged into large extramural grants."
University interim President Gen. Richard Myers sees great potential in the cancer research center's work.
"With our groundbreaking nanotechnology, stem cell, virology and immunology 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.
Kansas State University's Johnson Cancer Research Center currently has 100 affiliated faculty researchers conducting multidisciplinary cancer research in 18 departments of five colleges. More information about the center is at cancer.k-state.edu.
