Research Grants
On an annual basis the National Pancreas Foundation provides multiple research grants in amounts of up to $50,000. NPF has given over $5 million to fund over 130 ground-breaking research projects.
Research Grant Awardees
Discovery of Epigenomic Biomarkers for Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer in a Spatial Context
Yang Liu, PhD, Yale University
The Role of Quantitative Sensory Testing in Pediatric Patients with Painful Acute Recurrent and Chronic Pancreatitis Juan Gurria, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
A Novel Non-Invasive Pancreatic Duct Pressure Measurement Technique to Predict Response to Endotherapy in Patients with Chronic Pancreatitis Venkata Akshintala, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Investigating Role of HMG-Box Transcription Factor 1 in Neural Interaction of Pancreatic Cancer
Jungsun Kim, PhD, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU)
Defining the Impact of Kras heterogeneity on the Tumor Microenvironment
Despina Siolas, MD, PhD, Weill Cornell Medicine
Role of Phospholipases in Worsening Fat Necrosis During Pancreatitis
Nabil Smichi, PhD, Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, AZ
Misfolding Trypsinogen Mutant Causes Chronic Pancreatitis in a Preclinical Mouse Model
Alexandra Demcsak, MD, PhD, The Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles
Exploring Therapeutic Options in CFTR-related Pancreatitis Using Advanced In-vitro Intestinal-organoid Models
Liron Birimberg-Schwartz, LBS, MD, Hadassah Medical Center
Investigating the Role of Hexosamine Biosynthetic Pathway in Driving Inflammation and Fibrosis in Mouse Models of Pancreatitis
Vineet Gupta, PhD, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Cytotoxic Effector Memory CAR-T Cells and Anti-PD1 Checkpoint Inhibitor Combination Immunotherapy for PDAC
Vanaya Konduri, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine
Leveraging Evolutionary Lineage Tracing to Dissect Heterogeneity in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Initiation and Therapeutic
Response
John Morris, PhD, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Mechanosensing in Pancreatic Regeneration and Developmen
Sandip Swain, PhD, Duke University
Targeting Asparagine Metabolism in Pancreatic Cancer
Christopher Halbrook, Ph.D., The Regents of the University of California, Irvine
Incorporating Endoscopic Ultrasound and Elastography towards improving outcomes of Pediatric Pancreatitis Management
David Vitale, MD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Reparative Responses of Ductal Progenitor Cells in a Genetic and Inducible Injury Model for Severe Acute and Chronic Pancreatitis
Janine Quijano, Ph.D., City of Hope
Soy-Tomato Enriched Diet Modulates Inflammation in Chronic Pancreatitis
Thomas Mace, PhD, The Ohio State University
Peep Profiling of Local and Systemic Immune Responses During Progression of Pancreatitis
Murli Manohar, PhD, Stanford University
Identifying Adaptations to Metabolic Stress in The Pancreatic Cancer Microenvironment
Alexander Muir, PhD, University of Chicago
Metabolic profiling to identify key regulatory events that drive pancreatic tumorigenesis and metastatic dissemination
Christine Chio, PhD, The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
Initial Pain Management in Pediatric Pancreatitis: Opioid vs Non-Opioid
Amit Grover, MD, Boston Children’s Hospital
Treating The Gaps in Acute Pancreatitis
Jiwon Hong, PhD, University of Auckland (New Zealand)
Identifying Novel Druggable Regulators of NRF2 in Pancreatic Cancer
Chang Jiang, PhD, Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
Local Immune Responses Associated With Human Chronic Pancreatitis
Bomi Lee, PhD, Stanford University
Therapeutic Targeting Of The Most Aggressive Molecular Subtype of Pancreatic Cancer
Cindy V. Leiton, PhD, The Research Foundation for The SUNY Stony Brook University
Contributions of the Adipose Tissue to the Development of Pancreatic Cancer
Zobeida Cruz-Monserrate, PhD, The Ohio State University
Targeting Stellate Cells for the Treatment of Chronic Pancreatitis
Vikas Dudeja, MD, University of Miami
Aberrant RNA Processing Induced by Mutant p53 in Pancreatic Cancer: Mechanistic and Therapeutic Implications
Luisa F. Escobar-Hoyos, PhD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Enhancing Precision Therapy for Patients with Acute Recurrent or Chronic Pancreatitis with CFTR Dysfunction by the Use of a Novel Sweat Test
Tanja Gonska, MD, The Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto)
Inhibitor Resistant Trypsin in Pancreatitis
Zsanett Jancso, PhD, Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine
Can High RAS Activity Transform Pancreatic Ductal Cells?
Jennifer Bailey, MA, PhD, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Alterations in the Enteroendocrine Axis Following Total Pancreatectomy with Islet Autotransplant (TPIAT) for Chronic Pancreatitis
Melena D. Bellin, MD, Regents of the University of Minnesota
The Role of Pancreatic Cancer Metabolic Rewriting in Driving the Expression of CES2 a Predictor of Response to Folfirinox Therapy
Michela Capello, PhD, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Reinterpreting Hypertriglyceridemia in the Context of Pancreatitis: Implications for Its Measurement, Classification, Mechanisms in Disease, Therapy, and Nutrition
Biswajit Khatua, PhD, Mayo Clinic Arizona
Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy as an IMaging Biomarker (CLIMB study) for the Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cystic Lesions
Somashekar Krishna, MD, MPH, The Ohio State University
Follistatin Nanoparticle Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer Cachexi
Daniel L. Marks, MD, PhD, Oregon Health and Science University
Targeting Fibrosis in Chronic Pancreatitis: A Potential Treatment Option
Nadella, MD; Victor Ciofoaia, MD, Georgetown University
Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) A Reliable, Non-Invasive Method for Staging Chronic Pancreatitis from Minimal Change Disease to the Advanced Stages in Pediatrics
Abu-El-Haija, Maisam, MD; Trout, Andrew, MD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
A Novel Biomarker, mAB Das-1, for Diagnosis and Risk Stratification of Precancerous Pancreatic Lesions*
Das, Kiron, MD, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
*Supported by the Allen Lebovitz and Esther Horvitz Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund
Genomic Structural Variants at the CTRB1/CTRB2 Locus in Chronic Pancreatitis
Hegyi, Eszter, MD, PhD,
Boston University, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine
Preoperative Extended Chemotherapy vs. Chemotherapy Plus Hypofractionated Radiation Therapy for Borderline Resectable Adenocarcinoma of the Head of the Pancreas*
Katz, Matthew, MD FACS, University of Texas/MD Anderson Cancer Center
*Supported by the Western PA National Pancreas Foundation Chapter
Non-Tumorigenic Support Cells Fuel Pancreatic Cancer Metabolism
Lyssiotis, Costas, PhD, Regents of the University of Michigan
Engineered T Cells for Pancreatic Cancer*
Watanabe, Norihiro, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine
*Supported by the Ben & Rose Cole Pria Foundation
Effect of Liver Histopathology on Islet Engraftment Post Autologous Transplant after Total Pancreatectomy for Chronic Pancreatitis
Chirag Desai, MD, Georgetown University
Modulating TH17cells in Pancreatic Tumorigenesis by Targeting RORγt
Florencia McAllister, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Identifying Somatic Mutations in Chronic Pancreatitis
Andrew Rhim, MD, University of Michigan
Genetic Determinants of Pediatric Chronic Pancreatitis
Aliye Uc, MD, The University of Iowa
Investigating the Role of Progenitor-Like Cells in Pancreatitis in Mouse and Human Pancreas
Farzad Esni, PhD, University of Pittsburgh
Immune Based Therapies in Chronic Pancreatitis
Aida Habtezion, MD, MSc, Stanford University
Jak2 Inhibition as a Therapeutic Approach for Chronic Pancreatitis
Gregory Lesinski, PhD, MPH, The Ohio State University
Temporal Analysis of Tumor Suppressor Function in Pancreatic Cancer Development
Scott Lowe, PhD, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Blocking Scaffold-Kinase Interactions to Inhibit Pancreatic Cancer
Julien Sage, PhD, Stanford University
Characterization and Modulation of TGFbeta Activation in Pancreatic Fibrogenesis
Barbara Ulmasov, PhD, Saint Louis University
Rectal Indomethacin to Prevent Post-ERCP Pancreatitis
John Levenick, MD, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Role of Tunneling Nanotubes in Promoting Chemotherapy Resistance of Pancreatic cancer
Emil Lou, MD, PhD, University of Minnesota
Role of the Polycomb Group Gene1 BMI1 in Pancreatic cancer
Marina Pasca Di Magliano, PhD, University of Michigan
The Histone Deactylase SIRT6 Modulates Pancreatic Cancer Metabolism
Raul Mostoslavsky, MD, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital
Genetics of Constant Pain in Chronic pancreatitis
David Whitcomb, MD, PhD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
The Role of Bacteria in Modulating Pancreatic Tumorigenesis
Constantinos Zambirinis, MD, Mres, New York University
Endocrine function in chronic pancreatitis: The role of insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity, and the incretin axis
Melena Bellin, MD, University of Minnesota
Dissecting the Pdx1 Master Switch in Pancreatitis Recovery
Howard Crawford, PhD, Mayo Clinic-Jacksonville
Reconstituting pancreatic cancer development to discover early diagnostic biomarkers
Seung Kim, MD, PhD, Stanford University
A Zebrafish Approach to Characterizing Human GWAS Genes for Pancreatic Cancer
Sahar Nissim, MD, PhD, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Natural Killer Cell Impact on Pancreatic Cancer Progression
Kerry Campbell, PhD, Fox Chase Cancer Center
The Role of Toll-Like Receptors in Modulating Pancreatic Tumorigenesis
George Miller, MD, New York University School of Medicine
Control of Pancreatic Acinar Cell Nuclearity, Ploidy and Proliferation
Charles Murtaugh, PhD, University of Utah Psychometric Testing of the Pancreatitis Quality of Life Instrument (PANQOLI) on Patients from the National Pancreas Foundation using Survey Monkey
Wahid Wassef, MD, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Screening test for the early detection of pancreatic cancer
Kenneth Yu, MD, MS, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
The role of Annexin A2 in metastasis and as a novel therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer
Lei Zheng, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins University
Regulation of Pancreatic Fibrotic Responses by Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor (PEDF)
Chuhan Chung, MD, Yale University School of Medicine
The Role of Stat3 signaling in the initiation of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Akihisa Fukuda, MD, PhD, University of California San Francisco
The Role of Dendritic Cells in Pancreatic Fibrosis and the Development of Pancreatic Neoplasia
Ashim Malhotra, MD, New York University School of Medicine
Translational Studies of Circulating Pancreatic Epithelial Cells in Cancer Progression
Andrew Rhim, MD, University of Pennsylvania
Role of Src in Antegrade Golgi Expansion and Autophagic Acinar Cell Death
Vijay Singh, MD, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
