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Dr. Weizhou Zhang Receives Four Institutional and Philanthropic Grants to Support Cancer Research

March 7, 2017

Dr. Weizhou Zhang

Kimberly A. Stack Basler Breast Cancer Research Fund. This is a five-year pledge by Philip C. Stack in the amount of $50,000. Mr. Stack is retired after working 30+ years for IBM. His daughter, Kimberly Stack Basler, was a UI student who received her BA in Music in 1983. Kimberly passed away February 2, 2010 at the age of 48 from breast cancer. The funds will be used by Dr. Zhang to define molecular targets in basal-like breast cancer and develop novel small molecular inhibitors for therapeutic applications.

Cancer and Aging Pilot Award from the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Center on Aging. Dr. Zhang was awarded this grant for the project entitled CD177 and aging-associated metabolic reprogramming in mammary stem cells and cancer. This grant aims to study the role of CD177 in mammary epithelial cell aging and redox biology. The total funding for this award is $50,000 and the project period is November 1, 2016 through October 31, 2017.

Team Science Pilot Grant Award from the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science. Dr. Zhang and Dr. Klesney-Tait (Internal Medicine) are Co-Principle Investigators and were awarded the grant for the project entitled The role of TREM-1 in lung metastasis. Other members of the team include Dr. Meyerholz (Pathology), Dr. Harty (Microbiology) and Dr. Tivanski (Chemistry). The project will examine the function of cells expressing the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (TREM-1) molecule in lung cancer metastasis. The total funding for this award is $75,000 and the project period is October 1, 2016 through March 31, 2018.

Pilot Grant Award from the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Zhang and Dr. Milhem (Internal Medicine) are Co-Principle Investigators and were awarded the grant for the project entitled CD177 defines a new cancer-infiltrating regulatory T cell population. The goal of this study is to document the heterogeneity of T regulatory cells in melanoma tumor beds and importantly, determine the role of CD177+ T regulatory cells in melanoma progression and response to therapy. The total funding for this award is $30,000 and the project period is March 1, 2017 through February 28, 2018.