Awarded Grants
2025
Targeting Mutant ER-Mediated Enhancer Condensates to Overcome Persistent ER Activity in Endocrine-Resistant, Metastatic Breast Cancer
CPRIT, 11/25 – 11/28, Total Direct Costs: $899,991
Zhijie Liu, PhD
Charting cellular attraction-based interactome with Multivalent Adhesive Probe AFM (MAPA)
R61, 09/2025 – 08/2028, Total Direct Costs: $134,550
Pawel A. Osmulski, PhD & Marie E. Gaczynska, PhD
Targeting METTL3 to overcome drug resistance in metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma
DOD, 09/2025 – 08/31/29, Total Direct Costs: $248,960
Karthigayan Shanmugasundaram, PhD
Equipment-Only Grant For: 10X Genomics Xenium Analyzer
S10, 7/15/2025 – 7/14/2026, Total Direct Cost: $365,000
Zhao Lai, PhD
Selisistat as an anti-prostate cancer agent for treatment of prostate cancer
DOD, 06/01/25 – 05/31/28, Total Direct Costs: $400,000
A. Pratap Kumar
Organelle Communication During Transition From Fatty Liver to Hepatocellular Carcinoma
CPRIT, 2025 – 2028, Total Direct Costs: $900,000
Masahiro Morita, PhD
2024
TET2 mutations promote myeloid malignancies by dysregulating m5C oxidation of chromatin-associated RNAs
CPRIT, 2024 – 2029, Total Direct Costs: $900,000
Mingjiang Xu, PhD & Ying Li, PhD
Therapeutic Value and Mechanistic Action of PSPC1 in AML
RO1, 2024 – 2029, Total Direct Costs: $1,020,715
Mingjiang Xu, PhD
Critical Roles of RNA m5C-MBD6-H2AK119ub Deubiquitylation Axis in TET2-Mediated HSC Regulation
RO1, 2024 – 2028, Total Direct Costs: $932,088
Mingjiang Xu, PhD
AXL-STAT3-PD1 Targeting of Tumor Immune Microenvironments
V Foundation, 2024 – 2027, Total Direct Costs: $800,000
Josephine Taverna, PhD
The Role of Tumor-Macrophage Hybrid Cells in Prostate Cancer Metastasis
U01, 2024 – 2028, Total Direct Costs: $2,055,380
Tim Huang, PhD
Identification of APE2 Nuclease Inhibitors
William and Ella Owens Medical Research Foundation, 2024 – 2026, Total Direct Costs: $200,000
Sang Lee, PhD
Mechanisms of Enhancer Dynamics and Assembly in Gene Regulation
R35 2024 – 2029, Total Direct Costs: $1,250,000
Zhijie Liu, PhD
Development of a New Class of EZH2 Inhibitors in Era-negative Breast Cancer
R21 2024 – 2026, Total Direct Costs: $257,125
Kexin Xu, PhD
Function of the METTL3-NUP93 Complex-Mediated Nuclear Export of m6A-modified mRNAs in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
R01 2024 – 2029, Total Direct Costs: $1,536,138
Kexin Xu, PhD
The Role of EWSR1-FlI1-CENP-A Signaling in Chemoresistance in Ewing Sarcoma
Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, 2024 – 2028, Total Direct Costs: $1,330,000
Katasumi Kitagawa, PhD
Activation of Drug and Biologic Conjugates by Click Chemistry and their Tumor-Selective Targeting for Prostate Cancer Suppression
R21, 2024 – 2026, Total Direct Costs: $140,250
Bandana Chatterjee, PhD
Novel Human Oguchi Disease Mechanism
Retina Research Foundation, 2024, Total Direct Costs: $45,000
Ching-Kang Chen, PhD
Deciphering RNA Splicing Control of Lipid Metabolism and Alcoholic Liver Injury
Alcohol Research Programs, 2024 – 2029, Total Direct Costs: $1,668,520
Mengwei Zang, PhD
2023
Bruker Atomic Force Microscope NanoWizard 5
S10, 2023 – 2024, Total Direct Costs: $590,043
Pawel Osmulski PhD
The Role and Mechanism of RNA m6A Modification in the Pathogenesis and Drug-Resistance of Prostate Cancer
NCI, 2023, Total Direct Costs: $1,234,879
Jihoon Lee, PhD
Novel Proteasome-Activating Compounds for Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
Owens Medical Research Foundation, 2023, Total Direct Costs: $200,000
Maria Gaczynska, PhD, Pawel Osmulski, PhD
The SNAI2-RUNX2 Signaling Axis is a Novel Driver of Osteosarcoma Initiation, Growth and Therapy Resistance
American Cancer Society, 2023, Total Direct Costs: $167,000
Myron Ignatius, PhD
Targeting SNAI2 Resistance Mechanisms in Pediatric RAS Mutant Rhabdomyosarcoma
William and Ella Owens Medical Research Foundation, 2023
Myron Ignatius, PhD
Toward Clinical Trial:AXL-STAT3 Targeting of Lung Tumor Microenvironments
NIH/NCI, 2023, Total Direct Costs: $1,627,759
Josephine Taverna, PhD
Tvardi Pilot Grant (Taverna)
Tvardi Pilot Grant, 2023, Total Direct Costs: $50,000
Josephine Taverna, PhD
Repair of DNA ends with Adducts
NIH/NIGMS 2023, Total Direct Costs: $800,000
Sang Eun Lee, PhD
Roles of T-box Transcriptional Regulators in the Development of RGC Subtypes
UTHSC-Houston, 2023, Total Direct Costs: $98,090
Ching-Kang Jason Chen, PhD
2022
The Role of Transducin – and Melanopsin-Independent Phototransduction in Postnatal Retinal Development
NIH 2022, Total Direct Costs: $1,125,000
Ching-Kang Jason Chen, PhD
The Function of Wide-Field Amacrine Cells in Mammalian Retina
NIH 2022, Total Direct Costs: $1,250,000
Ching-Kang Jason Chen, PhD
Advancing Cancer Research Through Next Generation Sequencing at Mays Cancer Center of UT Health San Antonio
NIH NCI R50 2022, Total Direct Costs: $617,000
Zhao Lai, PhD
UT System Rising STARs
2022, Total Direct Costs: $250,000
Lingtao Jin, PhD
METTL3 as a Therapeutic Target in Uterine Fibroids
2022, Total Direct Costs: $50,000
Karthigayan Shanmugasundaram, PhD
Improving Therapeutic Approaches for RAS-driven Rhabdomyosarcoma
NIH-NCI- R37CA262657, 2022, Total Direct Costs: $1,143,749
PI-Angelina Vaseva, PhD
Organelle Communication During Transition from Fatty Liver to Hepatocellular Carcinoma
CPRIT, 2022, Total Direct Costs: $1,050,000
Masahiro Morita, Ph.D
Targeting tumor-immune microenvironment to improve durvalumab efficacy in small cell lung cancer
Lung Cancer Research Foundation/AstraZeneca, 2022, Total Direct Costs: $180,000
Lingtao Jin, Ph.D
Novel small molecule inhibitors for the treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma
NIH, 2022, Total Direct Costs: $150,000
Raushan Kurmasheva, PhD
2021
AXL-STAT3 Targeting of Lunch Tumor Microenvironments in Patient Derived Mouse Models
The Max & Minnie Tomerlin Voelcker Fund, Total Direct Costs: $350,000
Josephine Taverna, PhD
The role of lipid metabolism in dendritic cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity
American Lung Association, 2021, Total Direct Costs: $150,000
Lingtao Jin, PhD
A Testing Program to Identify Novel Agents for Treatment of Pediatric and AYA High-Risk Sarcoma, Kidney and Liver Cancer
NIH/NCI, 2021, Total Direct Costs: $3,502,418
Houghton, Ph.D., Kurmasheva, PhD
Enhancing MAPK-targeted Therapy in PDX Models of BRAF-Mutant Pediatric Brain Tumors
NIH/NCI, 2021, Total Direct Costs: $1,904,289
Houghton, PhD, Kurmasheva, PhD
Illumina NovaSeq 6000 Sequencing System
NIH, 2021, Total Direct Costs: $600,000
Zhao Lai, PhD
The functional role of MAST1 in mediating a-synucleinopathies and related dementia
NIH/NCI/NIA, 2021, Total Direct Costs: $350,000
Lingtao Jin, PhD
Role of lncRNA mediated R-loops in CTCF boundary function and AML genome organization
NIH-NCI R01CA260729, 2021, Total Direct Costs: $933,750
Mingjiang Xu, PhD
METTL3-NUP93 interaction facilitates the nuclear export of m6A-modified mRNAs
NIH, 2021, Total Direct Costs: $1,075,000
Kexin Xu, PhD
Targeting AXL-JAK1 in tumor immune microenvironments of lung adenocarcinoma
Voelcker Fund Young Investigator Award, 2021, $350,000
Josephine Taverna, MD
Leveraging oxysterol sulfotransferase in prostate cancer progression
Department of Defense, 2021, Total Direct Costs: $1,161,253
Bandana Chatterjee, PhD
PAI-1-mediadted early-onset endometrial cancer
NIH, 2021, Total Direct Costs: $2,692,120
Tim H.M. Huang, PhD, Nameer B. Kirma, PhD
2020
Calming the cytokine storm with proteasome-targeting immunomodulators
San Antonio Medical Foundation, 2020, $93,000
Maria Gaczynska, PhD
Enhancing Cytarabine Response Through SAMHD1 Inhibition
Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), 2020, Total Direct Costs: $ 1,138,728
Ivanov, PhD, Kurmasheva, PhD
Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (MTOR) signaling and the suprachiasmatic circadian clock
NIH, 2020, $27,778
Victor Jin, PhD
Omics analysis of three-dimensional transcription regulation
NIH, 2020, $144,184
Victor Jin, PhD
Role of RTEL1 in Microhomology-Mediated end joining
NIH, 2020, $150,000
Sang-Eun Lee, PhD
Targeting Microhomology-Mediated end joining to sensitize recombination deficient cancer cells
Owens Foundation, 2020, $80,000
Sang-Eun Lee, PhD
Novel Coregulators of estrogen receptor in enhancer-regulated transcription
NIH, 2020, $1,250,000
Zhijie Liu, PhD
Targeting a non-canonical role of YAP/TEAD for
Mary Kay Foundation, 2020, $100,000
Zhijie Liu, PhD
Targeting AXL-JAK1 in tumors and immune ecosystems of lung cancer
Voelcker Foundation, 2020, $100,000
Josephine Taverna, MD
Role of HOTTIP IncRNA in leukemogenesis
Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas, 2020, $900,000
Mingjiang Xu, PhD
2019
Endometriosis diagnosis by communicome gene single-cell expression
Presidential Translational and Entrepreneurial Research Fund, 2019, $25,000
Nameer B. Kirma, PhD
Berberine in the prevention of biochemical recurrence
Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas, 2019, $900,000
A. Pratap Kumar, PhD
Potentiation of Gemcitabine activity in pancreatic cancer
William & Ella Owens Foundation of America, 2019, $96,810
A. Pratap Kumar, PhD
Epigenetic-mediated alternative splicing in SF3B1-mutated CLL patients
William & Ella Owens Foundation of America, 2019, $100,000
Victor Jin, PhD
PARP Inhibition: Elucidating Mechanisms of Resistance to Improve Therapy
UT Health San Antonio Mays Cancer Center Pilot Award, 2019,Total Direct Costs: $50,000
Kurmasheva, PhD
PARP1/MGMT Interaction as a Potential Target for Cancer
Childhood Cancer Research Fund (CCRF), 2019, Total Direct Costs: $100,000
Kurmasheva, PhD
Development of novel anti-cancer compounds targeting dimerization of proteasome with its regulatory modules
William & Ella Owens Foundation of America, 2019, $99,177
Maria Gaczynska, PhD, Pawel Osmulski, PhD
Precision targeting of MED12-mutant CLL with Notch inhibitors
Thomas Boyer, PhD
Combating Protein-misfolding Diseases
William & Ella Owens Foundation of America, 2019, $100,000
Hai Rao, PhD