Grant Support


Current Projects

The Role of Shared ST6Gal1 in Rectal Adenocarcinoma Invasion.

American Society of Colorectal Surgery

6/2024 – 5/2025

Role: Mentor

PI: Jeremie Lever

Creation of BACE1 polymersomes to overcome resistance in rectal cancer.

O’Neal Invests Award, University of Alabama at Birmingham

P30CA013148

2/2024 – 1/2026

Role: Principal Investigator

A novel, transferable sialyation-mediated mechanism of chemoradioresistance in GI cancer

National Institutes of Health

1R01CA265981

2/1/2022-1/31/2027

Goal: To assess the role of ST6Gal1 in conferring chemoradioresistance in colorectal cancer cell lines and organoids.

Role: Principal Investigator

Completed Projects

Intra-tumor Heterogeneity in Colorectal Cancer Progression and Treatment Response

National Cancer Institute

K08CA190645

08/2016 – 07/2020

Goal: To assess the clinical importance of genetic sub-clones in colorectal cancer.

Role: Principal Investigator

Development of a Dual and Selective Small Molecule Inhibitor of EGFR and PI3 Kinase to Treat BRAF Mutant Colorectal Cancer

National Cancer Institute

R01

04/2018 – 03/2023

Goal: To utilize a dual targeted strategy to treat colorectal cancer models.

Role: Co-Investigator with Effort

  • Principal Investigator: Judith Leopold

Therapeutic Targeting of DNA Repair for FBXW7 Mutant Colorectal Cancers

University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center Fund for Discovery

02/2017 – 07/2018

Goal: To improve response to therapy in colorectal cancer through targeted treatment.

Role: Co-Investigator

  • Principal Investigator: Meredith Morgan

Investigation of Treatment Resistance in Rectal Cancer

Surgery Research Advisory Committee

U051677

04/2016 – 04/2017

Goal: To create and compare patient derived xenografts from rectal cancers to each other and to the patients they were from.

Role: Principal Investigator

The Role of Intra-tumor Heterogeneity in Colon Cancer Metastasis

John S. and Suzanne C. Munn Cancer Research Fund

G017851

03/2016 – 02/2017

Goal: To study the role of genetic heterogeneity in colon cancer lymph node metastasis.

Role: Principal Investigator

Molecular Approaches to Improving Rectal Cancer Care

American Surgical Association Fellowship

N017003-00

07/2014 – 06/2016

Goal: To explore intra-tumor heterogeneity in rectal cancer

Role: Principal Investigator

Reducing Readmission after Ileostomy Creation

Patient Education Awards Committee, University of Michigan

04/2016 – 05/2016

Goal: To create and institute a patient discharge checklist for new ileostomy patients that decreased readmissions in patients with new ileostomies.

Role: Co-Investigator

Optimization of MEK Inhibitor-Based Combination Strategies Targeting KRAS Mediated Colorectal Cancer Progression

GI SPORE Program Project

5 P50 CA130810-05

09/2010 – 08/2017

Goal: To use a heterogeneous panel of patient derived xenografts to identify and optimize a MEK inhibitor-based combination treatment strategy to guide future clinical trial design.

Role: Co-Investigator

  • Principal Investigator: Judith Sebolt-Leopold