Prostate Cancer Foundation Awards Over $3.8 Million to Early Career Scientists

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Oct. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) announced 19 new Young Investigator (YI) Awards at the 22^nd Annual Scientific Retreat in Washington, DC, held October 8-10, 2015. Awardees were selected from a pool of 107 applicants from 65 institutions in 9 countries. To date, PCF has provided funding to 172 YIs, representing a total investment of over $36.5 million.

Read More About the Class of 2015 PCF Young Investigators

"The new class of Young Investigators exemplifies our commitment to attract and retain superlative research talent, and we are proud to make this impactful investment," said Jonathan W. Simons, MD, president and chief executive officer of PCF. "These awards also come at a critical juncture in prostate cancer research, as we are now realizing the great potential that this work holds for solving other life-threatening diseases."

The Class of 2015 is a diverse group of recent MDs and PhDs whose research programs range from basic science to clinical practice. All recipients have demonstrated potential for high impact research that will improve the lives of all men with prostate cancer in the near future.

The majority of successful proposals focus on novel treatments and prognostic indicators for aggressive forms of prostate cancer—tumors that will recur, progress, and metastasize. While prostate cancer is 100% treatable if detected early, there is no cure for the ~20% of patients who develop advanced, metastatic disease.

Other YI projects address immunological approaches to prostate cancer and issues related to the emergence of treatment resistance.

Since 2008, PCF's YI Program has made 3-year investments in highly skilled individuals with the expertise to rapidly translate the latest scientific discoveries from bench to bedside. As part of the YI program, awardees are mentored by leaders in prostate cancer research. Each award is matched dollar-for-dollar by the investigator's institution.

The YI Program is inspired by the preeminent scientist Donald S. Coffey, PhD, the Prostate Cancer Research Director at Johns Hopkins University who for over four decades mentored and motivated some of the best and brightest minds in prostate cancer research.

While prostate cancer will affect 1 in 7 men in his lifetime, recent studies have indicated certain genetic similarities with breast, ovarian, and colon cancer. This means that research in prostate cancer is extraordinarily scalable, with the potential for new lifesaving treatments for other cancers.

About the Prostate Cancer Foundation

The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world's leading philanthropic organization funding and accelerating prostate cancer research. Founded in 1993, PCF has raised more than $615 million and provided funding to more than 2,000 research programs at nearly 200 cancer centers and universities. The PCF global research enterprise now extends to 19 countries. PCF advocates for greater awareness of prostate cancer and more efficient investment of governmental research funds for transformational cancer research. Its efforts have helped produce a 20-fold increase in government funding for prostate cancer. For more information, click here.

CONTACT: 
Alexandra Schwertfeger 
Prostate Cancer Foundation
310-570-4692
[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151021/279450 
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140903/142709

SOURCE Prostate Cancer Foundation

Related Links

http://www.pcf.org