2016 BCAN Young Investigator Awardees

The Stephen Hale Gushée Young Investigator Award will support Kent William Mouw, M.D., Ph.D. of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, for his research “Identifying Genomic Determinants of Chemoradiotherapy Response in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer.” Dr. Mouw’s study will leverage new genomic techniques to better understand how these biomarkers can benefit muscle invasive bladder cancer patients treated with combined modality therapy.

The JPB Foundation Young Investigator Award will further the work of Niannian Ji, Ph.D. of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio for her project on the “Role of antigen-specific immunity in BCG therapy for bladder cancer.” Dr. Ji’s study will provide key mechanistic insights into BCG efficacy in treating bladder cancer and establish a framework for rapid development of BCG combination strategies to combat BCG resistance in bladder cancer patients.
“Advancing quality research is a top priority for BCAN. The work of Drs. Mouw and Ji exemplifies the promise of early career researcher’s efforts to make a difference in the lives of those who are diagnosed with bladder cancer. We are grateful for the generous support from the JPB Foundation and the family of Stephen Hale Gushée for making these awards possible,” stated Andrea Maddox-Smith, Chief Executive Officer of BCAN. “BCAN is committed to continuing to support Young Investigators interested in advancing knowledge about the fifth leading cause of cancer in the United States.”