Developmental Research Program

Director Geoffrey Greene, PhD
Co-Director Suzanne Conzen, MD

The objective of the University of Chicago Breast Cancer SPORE Developmental Research Program (DRP) is to create a streamlined and transparent mechanism for selecting exciting and novel research projects that have significant potential for translational success. Such projects may be collaborative among scientists within our SPORE or outside the SPORE environment. Most importantly, they should be innovative, have the potential for high-impact results, and preferably be multidisciplinary. The specific aims of the DRP are to:

Aim 1: Establish a mechanism for soliciting DRP applications that reaches beyond cancer center members and the local SPORE community to all biological, physical, computer and social science faculty members at the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory, as well as to investigators at other SPOREs nationwide.

Aim 2: Encourage, support, and nurture interdisciplinary collaboration using the expertise of our interdisciplinary Internal Scientific Advisory Committee.

Aim 3: Select and assess projects that help generate new hypotheses for development as primary SPORE initiatives.

Current Awardees 2009-2010

Yang-Xin Fu, MD, PhD
A Novel Treatment for Her2/neu+ Breast Cancer

Anthony Kosiakoff, PhD
Receptor Mediated Delivery of Synthetic Antibodies to Antagonize Focal Adhesion Signaling in Breast Cancer

Dorothy Sipkins, MD, PhD
In Vivo Imaging of Metastatic Breast Cancer Cell Interactions with the Bone Marrow Microenvironment

Kevin White, PhD
Systems Approch to Define Estrogen Signaling Regulators in Breast Cancer

Past Awardees 2008-2009

Suzanne D. Conzen, MD
Gene-environment Interactions: A possible Breast Cancer Link to Physiological Stress Signaling

Lucy A. Godley, MD, PhD
Identification of Proteins that Mediate Promoter Hypermethylation in Breast Cancer Using Novel Chemical Probes

Kathleen H. Goss, PhD
Wnt Pathway Activation in Basal-like Breast Cancers

Richard B. Jones, PhD
Quantitative Analysis of Ninety-six Protein Targets in Triple Negative Breast Tumors and Generation of Next Generation Clinical Screening Technology

Marvin W. Makinen, MD, PhD
Vanadyl (VO2+) Chelates Can Enhance Detection of Breast Cancer by FDG PET Imaging

Rita Nanda, MD
The role of VEGFR-2 Genetic Variation in Breast Cancer

Marsha R. Rosner, PhD
Analysis of Epac and Rap1 in Angiogenesis and Tumorigenesis of Breast Cancer

Past Awardees 2007-2008

Philip P. Connell, MD
Targeted Inhibition of Homologous Recombinational DNA Repair in Breast Cancer Cells

Kay F. Macleod, PhD
BNIP3 as a Breast Cancer Metastasis Suppressor