The UC Irvine Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences is proud to announce that seven of its faculty members have been selected as 2024 awardees of the UC Irvine Anti-Cancer Challenge, a community-based initiative that raises funds to support promising cancer research. This remarkable showing highlights the school’s vital role in the fight against cancer and its commitment to advancing life-changing discoveries that can benefit people both locally and globally.
These awards support pilot projects that tackle some of the most pressing challenges in cancer research. From breast and ovarian cancer to pancreatic and endometrial cancer, each project explores new approaches that have the potential to improve treatments, predict patient outcomes and ultimately save lives. The funding provided by the Anti-Cancer Challenge allows researchers to take bold steps toward understanding the mechanisms that fuel cancer and developing innovative therapies.
Faculty awardees include Professor Aimee Edinger, whose project aims to make radiation therapy more effective against aggressive breast tumors, and Assistant Professor Christopher Halbrook, who is leading efforts to identify a new target in pancreatic cancer. Professor Lee Bardwell is working to uncover how specific gene interactions contribute to brain and skin cancers, while Associate Professor Olga Razorenova and Distinguished Professor Qing Nie are teaming up to trace how breast cancer cells spread throughout the body. Associate Professor Wenqi Wang’s project focuses on uncovering a pathway that allows ovarian tumors to grow unchecked, and a collaborative effort led by Assistant Professor Christopher Halbrook and Professor David Fruman is evaluating a new treatment strategy for endometrial cancer that could lead to improved outcomes for underserved communities in Orange County.
These projects reflect the Dunlop School’s dedication to harnessing scientific knowledge for the public good. They also reinforce UC Irvine’s leadership in health research and its strong ties to the communities it serves. Thanks to the generosity of Anti-Cancer Challenge participants and supporters, these faculty members now have the resources to push their bold ideas forward.
In a time when cancer continues to touch so many lives, this investment in discovery offers a powerful message of hope. With continued support, researchers at the Dunlop School are bringing the world closer to a future where more effective, equitable and personalized cancer treatments are within reach.
Learn more about the research projects funded by the UC Irvine Anti-Cancer Challenge.