Research Research Research Programs Systems, Pathways & Targets Biotechnology, Imaging & Drug Development Cancer Control Clinical Research Disease-Oriented Teams Stern Center for Cancer Clinical Trials and Research Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee Research Resources Shared Resources Funding Opportunities Membership Guidelines Acknowledgement of Grant and Shared Resources Centers & Institutes Anti-Cancer Challenge Research Anti-Cancer Challenge RFP Team Funds Anti-Cancer Challenge Past Awardees Anti-Cancer Challenge Funded Research The Anti-Cancer Challenge advances the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center's research mission by funding pilot projects that help investigators generate crucial preliminary data for high impact research. Home Research UCI Anti Cancer Challenge Research Anti Cancer Challenge Funded Research What is the impact of your research? Since our first Anti-Cancer Challenge Pilot Project in 2017, we have started to witness the impact of innovative research in the effort to reduce the cancer burden in our community. The following videos are from our first cohort in 2016 of the Principal Investigators reflecting on the progress of their research. 2019 Anti-Cancer Challenge Awardees Research Title Investigator Program Area Feasibility of a Biobehavioral Intervention to Reduce Adverse Outcomes in Young Adult Hispanic Men with Testicular Cancer Hoyt, Michael Cancer Control Novel Inhibitors of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) that target scaffold protein-mediated interactions Bardwell, Lee Systems, Pathways & Targets Neoadjuvant combination therapy with Cabozantinib and Nivolumab in patients with muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder who are Cisplatin-eligible and are candidates for radical cystectomy Mar, Nataliya Systems, Pathways & Targets A Randomized Clinical Trial to Assess the Impact of a Remotely Administered Mediterranean Diet Intervention on Symptom Burden and Inflammatory Cytokines in Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Fleischman, Angela Systems, Pathways & Targets Pilot study of the safety and feasibility of immediate postoperative chemotherapy in patients with metastatic invasive colonic adenocarcinoma Jafari, Mehraneh Dorna Cancer Control Phase 2 Study of cabozantinib combined with ipilimumab/nivolumab and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who are not candidates for curative intent treatment Dayyani, Farshid Systems, Pathways & Targets Goal Directed Intervention for Adolescent Cancer Survivors Fortier, Michelle Cancer Control Clock-dependent inflammatory and metabolic alterations in colorectal cancer Masri, Selma Systems, Pathways & Targets Dissecting MAP4K kinases in cancer development and therapy Wang, Wenqi Systems, Pathways & Targets Developing the Next Generation Antibody Drug Conjugates Weiss, Gregory Biotechnology, Imaging & Drug Development Melanoma Screening and Staging with a Fiber Optical Device Hedde, Per Niklas Biotechnology, Imaging & Drug Development The burgeoning cannabis industry and availability of cheap tobacco in Orange County, CA Timberlake, David Cancer Control Restoring p53 activity in human cancer Qiao, Feng Systems, Pathways & Targets Pilot study for evaluating the multiphoton microscopy potential for non-invasive, early diagnosis of melanoma Kelly, Kristen Biotechnology, Imaging & Drug Development Factors Associated with Helicobacter Pylori Screening and Treatment among High-Risk Asians in Orange County: Mixed-Methods Research to Examine Stomach Cancer Disparity Lee, Sunmin Cancer Control 2018 Anti-Cancer Challenge Awardees Research Title Investigator Program Area A mechanistic study of age-dependent gender difference in melanoma risk Liu-Smith, Feng Cancer Control Development and Testing of a Mobile Application for Young Adults with Cancer Hoyt, Michael Cancer Control A Phase 1b study of TAS102 in combination with irinotecan in patients with advanced gastric and gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma Dayyani, Farshid Systems, Pathways & Targets Experimental Therapeutics for Primary Pediatric Brain Tumors Plant, Ashley Biotechnology, Imaging & Drug Development A phase I study of pitavastatin in combination with venetoclax for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) Brem, Elizabeth Systems, Pathways & Targets Control of B cell survival & transformation by the eIF4F translation initiation complex Fruman, David Systems, Pathways & Targets True multi-modal image-guided intervention system Nouizi, Farouk Biotechnology, Imaging & Drug Development UHRF1 as a therapeutic target for osteosarcoma Benavente, Claudia Systems, Pathways & Targets Molecular mechanism of APOBEC3B-Mediated Mutation Shower in Ovarian Cancer Buisson, Remi Systems, Pathways & Targets Advancing Oro-Pharyngeal Cancer Screening and Diagnosis to Overcome Disparities and Improve Control and Outcomes Wilder-Smith, Petra Biotechnology, Imaging & Drug Development Single-cell transcriptome analysis of human Merkel Cell Carcinoma heterogeneity by single-cell RNA sequencing Gao, Ling Biotechnology, Imaging & Drug Development Role of Phosphatase Methylation in One-Carbon Metabolism and Cancer Kaiser, Peter Systems, Pathways & Targets The relationship between the gut microbiome and the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with gynecologic malignancy Tewari, Krishnansu Cancer Control Improving Depression Screening in a Multi-ethnic Cancer Population Wenzel, Lari Cancer Control Macropinocytosis drives anabolism and drug resistance in breast cancer Edinger, Aimee Biotechnology, Imaging & Drug Development DNA methylation markers for exposures to BPA and related compounds and breast cancer risk Park, Hannah Lui Cancer Control 2017 Anti-Cancer Challenge Awardees Research Title Investigator Program Area Identifying the anti-neoplastic targets of SH-BC-893 Edinger, Aimee Biotechnology, Imaging & Drug Development Analysis of Hippo signaling in breast cancer development Wang, Wenqi Systems, Pathways & Targets Feasibility of a Family Focused Intergenerational Social Media Intervention for Orange County Vietnamese Families to Increase Preventive Cancer Screenings Hopfer, Suellen Cancer Control RhoJ Inhibitors- A Novel Treatment for Early Stage Melanoma Ganesan, Anand Biotechnology, Imaging & Drug Development Modulation of the Immune Response Against Metastatic Melanoma Using CD47 Blocking Antibodies Boiko, Alexander Systems, Pathways & Targets Pilot study of mirtazapine for the dual treatment of depression and temozolomide-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in newly-diagnosed glioma patients Bota, Daniela Biotechnology, Imaging & Drug Development Repurposing statins to enhance efficacy of BH3 mimetics in multiple myeloma "Brem, Elizabeth Fruman, David" Systems, Pathways & Targets Circadian Metabolic Deregulation of Colorectal Cancer Masri, Selma Systems, Pathways & Targets Immunotherapeutic’s targeting altered N-glycosylation in cancer Demetriou, Michael Biotechnology, Imaging & Drug Development Feasibility Study of a Mediterranean Diet Intervention to Reduce Inflammatory Cytokines in Patients with Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Fleischman, Angela Systems, Pathways & Targets Pilot Study of the Safety and Feasibility of Immediate Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients with Invasive Colonic Adenocarcinoma Pigazzi, Alessio Systems, Pathways & Targets Glutamine supplementation deters melanoma tumor growth via epigenetic reprogramming Kong, Mei Systems, Pathways & Targets