WASHINGTON, May 2, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In conjunction with the kickoff of National Cancer Research Month, the Colon Cancer Alliance has announced its first-ever recipient of the Blue Hope Research Award. Through the support of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) peer-review process, Marios Giannakis, M.D., Ph.D., was selected to receive funding to further his research dedicated to personalized care for colorectal cancer patients.
Dr. Giannakis is a Medical Oncology Fellow at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) and also performs colorectal cancer research at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. His work focuses on biomarker research associated with the treatment of colorectal cancer. These genetic indicators are the key to unlocking more personalized care in order to provide treatments with a higher likelihood of effectiveness, ultimately saving more lives.
"There has not been a more exciting time in cancer research in terms of what we can understand about tumors and their biology," says Dr. Giannakis. "I love what I do because I believe the colorectal cancer research we are performing at the DFCI and Broad Institute has the potential to help create better therapies, supporting those affected by cancer. I cannot think of a better accomplishment than having the privilege of taking care of people with cancer and being successful in research to better fight this disease."
The proposal submitted by Dr. Giannakis was one of 42 awarded grants out of the 950 submitted proposals. Colon Cancer Alliance CEO Eric Hargis presented Dr. Giannakis with the award at the recent AACR Annual Meeting.
"Biomarkers are helping pave the way to personalized medicine," says Eric Hargis, Colon Cancer Alliance CEO. "The future of cancer study and treatment is going to be about matching the right therapies – the ones we have stronger evidence will work – with the right individual. Through projects like that of Dr. Giannakis, we will continue pushing the envelope and uncovering improved treatment options that lead to better patient outcomes and extended survivorship."
The Colon Cancer Alliance is committed to supporting cutting-edge research through their annual Blue Hope Research Award. To learn more about biomarkers or the Colon Cancer Alliance's research initiatives, visit www.ccalliance.org/research/.
The Colon Cancer Alliance's mission is to knock colon cancer out of the top three cancer killers. This mission is being accomplished by championing prevention, funding cutting-edge research and providing the highest quality patient support services. Learn more at ccalliance.org.
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