The goal of the UVA Focused Ultrasound Cancer Immunotherapy Center is to improve quality of life, increase longevity, and improve access to and decrease the cost of care for patients with a variety of cancers – including glioblastoma, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, and melanoma – by augmenting the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy with focused ultrasound. To achieve this goal, we leverage many existing strengths of UVA, which is a designated Focused Ultrasound Center of Excellence. The center is built on a powerful multidisciplinary and interdepartmental collaboration between medical and surgical oncology, radiology, radiation oncology, and biomedical engineering. Funds are available to support clinical and pre-clinical projects centered on the use of focused ultrasound (FUS) for potentiating immunotherapies against solid tumors, with a strategic focus on treating melanoma, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and both primary and metastatic brain tumors. The goal is to support research with a strong likelihood of leading to a successful extramurally funded grant proposal.
Award:
- Clinical trial proposals: $300,000 total over 2 years
- Pre-clinical trial proposals: $100,000 total for 1 year
Eligibility:
- Clinical trial proposals:
- Applicants must hold a MD or equivalent
- Employed by UVA in a position that permits the submission of grants to external funding sources
- Clinical trial applications must conform to the guidelines for immune analysis, treatment reporting, and data sharing provided at the following link.
- Pre-clinical trial proposals:
- Applicants must hold a Ph.D. and/or M.D. degree or equivalent
- Employed by UVA in a position that permits the submission of grants to external funding sources
Deadlines: Closed (RFA to be released each June).
Contact for Questions: Inquiries about the suitability of specific project ideas for support are welcome and should be directed to the UVA FUS Cancer Immunotherapy Center Co-Director, Dr. Richard J. Price and the Center Research Director, Dr. Natasha Sheybani.