Cooper Foundation Announces 2017 Cancer Research Grant Award Recipients

Congratulations to the following recipients of the Cooper Foundation‘s 2017 Cancer Research Grants:

Andres Ferber, MD Hematologic Malignancy Research, funded by the DiFlorio family, to Kamyar Nader, MD, “Malignant Hematology Database at MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper”. Dr. Nadar will construct a database of malignant hematological conditions, such as Hodgkin’s lymphoma, non Hodgkin’s lymphomas, multiple myeloma, leukemia, myelodysplastic and myeloproliferative disorders. This information witll provider a base for future quality improvement projects and help in the design of clinical trials for a new cancer treatment options for patients.

Tulin Budak-Alpdogan, MD

Pink Roses Teal Magnolias Research Fund to Tulin Budak-Alpdogan, MD, “Targeting of Refractory/Relapsed Multiple Myeloma Cells with Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor”. Multiple myeloma is currently not a curable disease though new drugs have increased survival times. New novel molecular targets that can eliminate multiple myeloma cells that have stem cell features may show treatment promise. Dr. Budak-Alpdogan’s study will evaluate the in vitro efficacy of the BTK inhibitor, Isatin 11, on stem cells isolated from refractory and relapsed patient samples.

Gynecological cancer research, funded by the Pink Roses Teal Magnolias Fund, to David Warshal, MD “A Randomized Trial of Observation versus Treatment with Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA) in the Management of High-grade Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia”. The human papillomavirus (HPV) is implicated in the development of cervical dysplasia and almost all cervical cancer. While the majority of women will experience spontaneous resolution of HPV infection, 10% will have persistent HPV, putting them at risk for development of high grade cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer. Current medical guidelines call for either 12 month observation or treatment for women of child-bearing age. Limited studies using TCA show promise in the treatment of CIN with no side effects. Dr. Warshal will conduct a 12-month study to measure and compare the rate of regression in patients with CIN who are treated with TCA versus observation.


The Cooper Foundation makes these grants available to improve the health of our patients and to foster the academic career development of our researchers. It is the hope of the Foundation that this research support will result in scholarly publications, new extramural research grants for continued, future research and positively impact patient care. Learn more about the Cooper Foundation by clicking here.

Pink Roses Teal Magnolias funds breast and gynecological cancer clinical and research programs at the MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper. When you give to the Pink Roses Teal Magnolias, you support women in our fight against cancer. You provide funding for innovative research which results in better treatments and brings us closer to discovering a cure. Your donation helps to improve patient experiences and outcomes. Learn more and register for this year’s Pink Roses Teal Magnolias brunch by clicking here.

Leave a Reply

DO NOT USE THIS FORM FOR APPOINTMENTS. Using this form will only delay your ability to get an appointment. Please use the contact information in the article or visit appointments.cooperhealth.org.