SAN
DIEGO, April 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/
-- The Prebys Foundation has launched a $7 million program designed to bring more diverse
perspectives into the laboratory and yield ground-breaking medical
research. The initiative seeks to address the critical gap in women
and underrepresented groups in leading research positions by
offering substantial funding to researchers for projects that might
otherwise go unsupported.
Prebys Foundation Announces
$7 Million "Prebys Research Heroes"
Program to Improve Medical Research through Diversity
Grant Oliphant, CEO of the Prebys
Foundation, emphasized the importance of this initiative: "Eighty
percent of postdocs are women, but only 20 percent receive funding
to run their own projects. This shows us that the path to
leadership in medical research is fraught with barriers. Our
program is designed to address that problem by empowering 14
brilliant researchers with the means to pursue cutting-edge
research that promises to tackle some of the most challenging
diseases facing our world today."
The program will award 14 two-year grants, each providing
$500,000, to researchers
demonstrating exceptional promise in areas critical to advancing
medical science, including liver, gastric, and pancreatic cancer,
Alzheimer's disease, infectious disease, and mental health, among
others.
Prebys Foundation partnered with the Science Philanthropy
Alliance and the consulting organization Open Impact to create a
grantmaking initiative to encourage more innovation, equity, and
collaboration in medical research. The working collaborative
developed the strategy and helped administer the awards program.
The Prebys Foundation hopes this initiative sets the standard for
other organizations across the country seeking to address similar
disparities in the medical research community.
"The Science Philanthropy Alliance is proud to have partnered
with the foundation to build and execute a philanthropic strategy
that marries the foundation's desire to support both rigorous and
equitable scientific discovery. These remarkable individuals,
hailing from various countries such as Ukraine, the
Philippines, Spain, and
Kenya, highlight the diverse range
of backgrounds and perspectives they bring to the field of science.
This diversity has the incredible potential to drive scientific
breakthroughs that will ultimately improve health outcomes.," added
Elizabeth Weiss, Senior Director of
Philanthropic Advising at the Science Philanthropy Alliance.
This initiative comes at a crucial time when federal funding
often overlooks high-risk, high-reward research. By stepping in to
fill this gap, The Prebys Foundation and its partners hope to set a
new standard for philanthropic support in science—encouraging more
inclusive, exploratory, and promising research. Critically, the
announcement comes as the White House released a new initiative on
Women's Health Research. The President's Advanced Research Projects
Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Spring for Women's Health intends to
fundamentally change the trajectory of women's health care research
and radically accelerate the next generation of discoveries.
"By focusing on excellence in research and a deep understanding
of the research community, this program not only promotes diversity
but also enhances the quality and scope of scientific inquiry. It's
a testament to the power of philanthropy in driving innovation
where it's most needed," continued Ms. Weiss.
The recipients of the grants are conducting research at key
institutions in San Diego, a
region increasingly recognized as a vital center for medical
innovation. These institutions are at the forefront of diversifying
labs and embracing a wider array of scientific questions and
methodologies, thereby enriching the research community. They
are: La Jolla Institute for Immunology; Salk Institute for
Biological Studies; San Diego State
University; Scripps Research; University of California San Diego; and
University of San Diego.
"Scientific progress is driven by the courage to explore the
unknown and ask new questions. Through this initiative, we're not
just funding research, we're investing in a future where diverse
perspectives lead to discoveries that benefit all of humanity,"
concluded Mr. Oliphant.
Introducing the Prebys Research Heroes
In December, the Prebys Foundation announced the institutions
whose scientists would receive the awards. Today, the foundation is
announcing the names of the 14 awardees. The program put a focus on
scientists who are conducting groundbreaking fundamental research
that has the potential to advance improved health among
disproportionately underserved populations within San Diego.
Rachel
Blaser
Professor, Psychology
University of San
Diego
Dr. Blaser's research focuses on the complex
steps of human thought and memory. She is exploring how healthy
aging adults perform on tasks that test their perception of space
and their problem-solving abilities. This work has profound
implications, potentially leading to early detection methods for
cognitive decline, which could transform how we approach diseases
like Alzheimer's.
Dannielle
Engle
Assistant Professor, Helen McLoraine
Developmental Chair
Salk Institute for Biological Studies,
Regulatory Biology Laboratory
Dr. Engle and her team are working to find a way
to easily and quickly diagnose pancreatic cancer, using a test
similar to the PSA test for prostate cancer or colon cancer
screenings.
Stephanie
Fraley
Associate Professor, Bioengineering
University of California
San Diego
The Fraley lab is tackling two major challenges
facing human health today: advancing infectious disease detection
technologies and identifying therapeutic targets for cancer
metastasis -- two conditions that account for a significant
proportion of deaths globally. Fraley's team recently developed a
way to grow cancer cells that makes them behave more like they do
in vivo. This enabled them to identify a new therapeutic candidate
that targets migratory cancer cells and overcomes their resistance
to standard therapies. They have also developed a machine-learning
based method to detect pathogens faster and more accurately in
blood and other sample types to diagnose infections and sepsis.
Rapid, inexpensive, and quantitative infection diagnostics that can
"learn" new pathogens on the fly will not only support improved
health, but also enable repeated time-series testing that can lend
new fundamental insight into and progression of both known and new
infectious diseases.
Mia
Huang
Associate Professor, Chemistry
Scripps
Research
Dr. Huang's research focuses on the biological
functions of glycans. By developing chemical tools to identify
glycan interactomes, her work aims to impact pregnancy health risks
like preeclampsia – a common yet poorly understood pregnancy
disorder – and seeking markers that could predict complications
long before they occur.
Xin
Jin
Assistant Professor, Neuroscience
Scripps Research
Dr. Jin is working on approaches to
understanding the cellular underpinnings and fundamental principles
of brain development, which will allow us to understand how
diseases like autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia, among
others, progress.
Razel Bacuetes
Milo
Associate Professor, Nursing and Health
Science
University of San
Diego
Dr. Milo is a practicing family nurse
practitioner and behavioral science researcher, studying the
relationship between perceived well-being and stress among the
Filipino community as a way of gaining insight into how to improve
health outcomes.
Marygorret Obonyo
Associate Professor, University of California San Diego School of
Medicine
Gastric cancer is the third leading cause of
cancer-related deaths, with more than one million new cases and
approximately 841,000 deaths annually worldwide. In the U.S.,
Native Americans, African Americans, and Hispanics are
disproportionately affected by the disease. Dr. Obonyo studies a
pathogen called Helicobacter pylori, which is a cause of
gastric cancer and is present in the stomachs of 50% of all people
and 90% of people from her native Kenya. Her lab is studying novel ways to
identify genes that increase the risk of gastric cancer and
treatments that could be effective before the cancer reaches the
terminal stage.
Angelica
Riestra
Assistant Professor, Biology
San Diego State
University
Dr. Riestra's lab studies pathogens that affect
female reproductive health. Her lab has a special focus on
investigating how the sexually transmitted parasite, Trichomonas
vaginalis, causes the disease trichomoniasis. Trichomoniasis
disproportionately affects Black women and women from lower
socioeconomic backgrounds and is associated with severe health
outcomes like preterm birth, cervical cancer, bacterial vaginosis,
and HIV. By learning how T. vaginalis promotes inflammation
and interacts with other microbes in the female reproductive tract,
Dr. Riestra aims to find novel ways to help counteract the
disproportionate impact of trichomoniasis. Dr. Riestra is also
involved in efforts to promote student success and retention in
STEM fields and biomedical research.
Erica Ollmann
Saphire
President and CEO, La Jolla Institute for
Immunology
As president of CEO of the La Jolla Institute of
Immunology and as a practicing researcher, Dr. Saphire wears two
important hats. Her research studies the molecular relationships
between pathogens and their hosts, learning about where viruses
interact with the immune system and where they are vulnerable to
being neutralized. As the leader of the institute, she has made it
possible for more women and especially women of color to succeed,
offering programs that support diversity, equity, and
mentorship.
Sonia
Sharma
Associate Professor, La Jolla Institute for
Immunology
Dr. Sharma's research focuses on a significantly
understudied aspect of immunology – the differences in the immune
system between males and females. In general, women tend to be more
prone to autoimmunity and inflammation, and men have a less robust
immune system and are more susceptible to viruses and infection.
Dr. Sharma is particularly interested in how molecules in the blood
can activate the brain's immune system as a way to design
treatments for Alzheimer's disease.
Tatyana
Sharpee
Professor, Edwin K. Hunter Chair, Salk Institute
for Biological Studies
Dr. Sharpee is working on potentially
groundbreaking research that could dramatically improve how we
understand how the brain works. Her work is profoundly
interdisciplinary, drawing on physics, mathematics, neuroscience,
molecular biology, hyperbolic geometry, and even cosmology to help
scientists better unlock the mysteries of the brain. As an
educator, she is training the next generation of women and people
of color to achieve the scientific breakthroughs of the future.
Sujan
Shresta
Professor
La Jolla Institute for
Immunology
Dr. Shresta's research focuses on protecting the
public against several medically relevant viruses, including
dengue, Zika, West Nile, Powassan, and other pathogens that
manipulate human immune cells and which have the potential to cause
long-term neurological issues such as brain fog and potentially
even dementia. Host-pathogen interactions differ depending on
patients populations, geographical locations, and other
environmental factors, and Dr. Shresta leads international
collaborative efforts that are beneficial to both high- and
low-income countries.
Lisa
Stowers
Professor, Neuroscience
Scripps Research
Dr. Stowers focuses on learning more about how
the brain works in order to develop medications and therapies to
treat a wide variety of brain-related disorders, from depression to
dementia, and more.
Daniela
Valdez-Jasso
Associate Professor, Bioengineering
University of California
San Diego
Dr. Valdez-Jasso studies pulmonary hypertension
– high blood pressure of the lungs, which is only diagnosed by
observing the damage it has already caused to the heart and whose
only "cure" is a lung transplant. Her work focuses on identifying
markers for diagnosis before it's too late, understanding how the
disease progresses, and identifying opportunities for developing
new drugs to treat the disease.
Additional Details:
For more information on each grantee and their research
institutions, you may visit PrebysResearchHeroes.org and also
review the institutional press releases here:
- Salk Institute Press Release
https://www.salk.edu/news-release/prebys-foundation-awards-1-1-million-to-support-salk-institutes-research-and-diversity-efforts
- La Jolla Institute for Immunology
https://www.lji.org/news-events/news/post/lji-scientists-win-prebys-research-heroes-funding/
About Prebys Foundation
Prebys Foundation is the largest independent private foundation
in San Diego County, a unique
tri-national area encompassing communities from San Diego, Tijuana, and the Kumeyaay Nation. The
foundation works to create an inclusive, equitable, and dynamic
future for all San Diegans. Prebys advances excellence and shared
opportunity through investments in groundbreaking institutions,
ideas, and people to ensure more people in the region are
financially secure, healthy, empowered, and connected. For more
information about the Prebys Foundation and the Prebys Research
Heroes Program, visit prebysfdn.org.
About Science Philanthropy Alliance
The Science Philanthropy Alliance works to advance scientific
discovery through visionary philanthropy. By providing advising
services for philanthropists, foundations, and platforms that
catalyze connection, awareness, and learning, the Alliance
strengthens philanthropic support for science that benefits society
and the planet. Learn more at
https://sciencephilanthropyalliance.org/.
Additional Information for Grants in Science and
Research
Acknowledging that the award initiative alone is insufficient
for achieving a more equitable research environment in the region,
Prebys Foundation, in collaboration with the Alliance and Open
Impact, chose to allocate an additional supplementary grants.
Details about these grants and grantees will be provided later on
this Spring.
For more information about the Prebys Foundation and the Prebys
Research Heroes Program, please visit:
https://www.prebysfdn.org/.
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SOURCE The Conrad Prebys Foundation