5 Pew-Stewart Scholars Chosen to Advance Innovative Cancer Research

PHILADELPHIA, June 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Alexander and Margaret Stewart Trust announced today the 2024 class of the Pew-Stewart Scholars for Cancer Research, five early-career scientists who will each receive four-year grants to explore new avenues in cancer development, diagnosis, and treatment. This is the 11th year the Alexander and Margaret Stewart Trust has partnered with Pew to cultivate a legacy of cutting-edge cancer research.

"Despite decades of groundbreaking research and innovative breakthroughs, millions of Americans are still all too familiar with the devastation and uncertainty of a cancer diagnosis," said Donna Frisby-Greenwood, senior vice president for Philadelphia and scientific advancement at The Pew Charitable Trusts. "Scientists have so much more to learn about the complexities of cancer, and Pew hopes this standout group of cancer researchers will help move us even closer to finding cures."

The scientists will explore a range of pressing topics, including pioneering methods for studying deadly brain cancer and investigating solutions to improve cancer immunotherapy.

"For more than a decade, Pew-Stewart scholars have built a reputation for high-caliber cancer research. Their work has undoubtedly advanced our understanding of this disease and our ability to treat it," said Helen Piwnica-Worms, Ph.D., chair of the Pew-Stewart program's national advisory committee. "I know these five talented scientists will continue that tradition, and I look forward to seeing where their efforts lead."

The 2024 Pew-Stewart Scholars for Cancer Research are:

Aparna Bhaduri, Ph.D.
University of California, Los Angeles
The Bhaduri lab will study glioblastoma, an often-lethal type of brain cancer that is extremely resistant to treatment.

Justin Eyquem, Ph.D. 
University of California, San Francisco
The Eyquem lab will aim to enhance the efficiency of CAR-T therapy, a cancer treatment that modifies T cells to target cancer cells.

Yogesh Goyal, Ph.D.
Northwestern University
The Goyal lab will study how individual cells respond differently to various stimuli and take on distinct identities or characteristics, a capacity known as plasticity.

Shiri Gur-Cohen, Ph.D.
University of California, San Diego
The Gur-Cohen lab will examine how stem cells interact with external stimuli to determine how cancer forms within the complex environment of the lymphatic vascular system.

Humsa Venkatesh, Ph.D.
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
The Venkatesh lab will investigate the reciprocal interactions between the nervous system and cancer.

Founded in 1948, The Pew Charitable Trusts uses data to make a difference. Pew addresses the challenges of a changing world by illuminating issues, creating common ground, and advancing ambitious projects that lead to tangible progress.

Erin Davis, 202-540-6677, [email protected]

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SOURCE The Pew Charitable Trusts