Dr. Minoj Mishra in lab
By Kenneth Mullinax/ASU
Two professors in the Cancer Research Center (CRC) at The Alabama State University have been awarded pilot grants totaling $200,000.
Dr. Manoj Mishra, the director and founder of the University's Cancer Research Center, shared that both he and Dr. Parul Dubey, a researcher at the CRC, received grants from The Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama (BCRFA or Foundation).
"ASU's Cancer Research Center is both gratified and thankful to the BCRFA for awarding the pilot grants to myself and Dr. Dubey which will greatly aid us in our two research projects that concentrate on breast cancer," stated Dr. Mishra. "ASU's Center continues to gain recognition, attention and funding to do its best to learn more about this disease, which we hope will contribute to one day putting an end to it."
The two grants will be awarded in $50,000 increments over a two-year period to each of them. Both grants focus on breast cancer, but in different avenues of research.
Dr. Mishra serves as the principal investigator for his project that is titled Nanostructured Copper Oxide Aptasensor for Noninvasive Early Detection of 8-oxo-dG in Breast Cancer Diagnosis.
Dr. Dubey’s project is titled Bridging the Gap: Integrating Genetic Insights and FDA-Approved Therapies to Revolutionize Treatment for African American Breast Cancer.
The BCRFA awarded more than $1.1 million to support 22 unique projects at seven established research institutions in Alabama. The funding is part of the Foundation’s overall goal of establishing breast cancer research that ultimately saves lives.
In addition to Alabama State University, BCRFA awarded research grants to Auburn University, Huntsville's HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Tuskegee University, O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, The University of Alabama, and Mitchell Cancer Institute at the University of South Alabama.
“This year’s investment of $1,125,000 reinforces our ongoing reputation as a catalyst for important research across Alabama," explained Beth Davis, the president and CEO of BCRFA. "Our support allows research to occur that ranges from new early detection strategies to refined innovations in treatment. Ultimately, these investments give increased hope and improved opportunities to Alabamians and others who are fighting breast cancer.”