Clement K. Gwede, PhD, MPH, Moffitt Cancer Center, will investigate whether a culturally targeted "photo novella" his team has developed works better than a standard brochure to improve use of colorectal cancer screening tests in an ethically diverse black population.
Catherine Cubbin, PhD, University of Texas, is heading a study that will address gaps in information on how neighborhood environments influence obesity and smoking among women and their young children.
Heather M. Conklin, PhD, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, will investigate the benefits of a working memory intervention in a sample of childhood cancer survivors and look at brain-based changes that may occur as the result of working memory intervention.
Christopher P. Fagundes, MS, Ohio State University will investigate which psychosocial factors contribute to elevated inflammation, and possibly worse outcomes among breast cancer survivors.
Health Policy and Health Services Research
David S. Zingmond, MD, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles, will lead an in-depth population-based evaluation of the treatment of six cancers to evaluate the surgical care of the poor and underserved and to investigate potential improvements deriving from an expansion of Medicaid.
Christopher Carpenter, PhD, University of California, Irvine, will examine whether state laws requiring women to obtain referrals before obtaining a mammography benefits result in smaller increases in mammography use compared to states with laws without such requirements.
Melissa Millerick-May, PhD, Michigan State University, will investigate workers in three areas, an automotive foundry, chromium smelter workers, and dye manufacturing to determine if there is an increased risk for developing cancer in these occupations.
Jeanene A. Smith, MD, MPH (Oregon Health Policy and Research, will lead the first-ever randomized trial to assess the role of health insurance in improving outcomes in cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. The study will compare those with Medicaid benefits in Oregon and compare them with a waitlist of individuals hoping for entry into this program.
The American Cancer Society's research and training program emphasizes investigator-initiated, peer-reviewed proposals, and has supported groundbreaking research that has led to critical discoveries leading to a better understanding of cancer and cancer treatment. Grant applications are ranked on the basis of merit by one of several discipline-specific Peer Review Committees, each of which includes 12 to 25 scientific advisors or expert reviewers. The Council for Extramural Grants, a committee of senior scientists, recommends funding based on the relative merit of the applications, the amount of available funds, and the Society's objectives. No member of the American Cancer Society's Board of Directors or National Assembly may serve on a Peer Review Committee or as a voting member on the Council for Extramural Grants.
The Council for Extramural Grants also approved 93 research grant applications that could not be funded due to budgetary constraints. These "pay-if" grants represent work that passed the Society's multi-disciplinary review process but go beyond the Society's current funding resources, and which will be funded of additional monies become available. These grants serve as an important reminder that there continues to be promising research we would like to fund but cannot with our current resources.
Source: American Cancer Society