News
Bleed for Brandon's Cause and 2016 Grant Awards
Bleed for a Cause
Once again it’s time to Bleed for Brandon’s (Gromada) Cause! Hoxworth Blood Center's Bleed for a Cause takes place between July 18 to August 13 at any Hoxworth Blood Center neighborhood donor centers or any blood drive, such as onsite work, or organizational drives or mobile blood drives.
Brandon Gromada’s Foundation receives points toward a monetary award, but donors must verbally provide a good portion of the foundation’s name when arriving to donate. (No Say, No Pay!) A donation of whole blood is worth 1 point, red cells or plasma earn 2 points, and platelets receive 3 points. An extra 2 points are added for first-time donors. (If you don’t qualify as a donor, PLEASE recruit new and seasoned donors!)
Roll up your sleeve! Whether donating at a neighborhood center, on-site blood drive or a Hoxworth Mobile Bus, make an appointment NOW online or by calling 513-451-0910. (Phone appointment is necessary for platelet donation. Also, phone coordinators can find donor sites closest to you for any type of blood donation.)
Last year Brandon’s Foundation won the second place $5000 award. Please help win the $10,000 top award to fund the research that will put an end to head and neck cancer!
The Board of Directors of Brandon's Foundation announced the 2016 research grant awardees on June 2, the four-year date of Brandon’s death. Recipients of a $20,000 renewal grant are Scott Langevin, PhD and Trisha Wise-Draper, MD, PhD of the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine for a renewal of Efficacy of an LSD1 Inhibitor (GSK2879552) for Treating Sinonasal Squamous Cancer. Neil Bhola, PhD and Jennifer Grandis, MD of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSD) are awarded a $10,000 grant to study Investigating the Therapeutic Role of BRD4 on Cetuximab Resistance in HNSCC, and Laura Conforti, PhD of the University of Cincinnati receives $6,000 to study Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Therapies.
Brandon's Foundation owes a real debt of gratitude to the experts in head and neck cancer who review submitted research proposals. The review process is "blinded," so reviewers do not know who submitted any proposal. Also, proposals are sent to experts outside of their own healthcare institution. This year's reviewers included: El Mustapha Bahassi, PhD (UC), Beth M. Beadle, MD, PhD (MDA), Lauren A. Byers, MD (MDA), Brenda Diergaarde, PhD (UPMC), Adam S. Garden, MD (MDA), Michael Gibson, MD, PhD (UH Cleveland), Jennifer Grandis, MD (UCSF), Stephen Y. Lai, MD, PhD (MDA), Mohan Natarajan, PhD (UTHSCSA), Jack Phan, MD, PhD (MDA), Timothy D. Struve, MD (UC), Theresa L. Whiteside, PhD (UPMC), John Yordy, MD, PhD (MDA). (A couple of reviewers preferred to remain anonymous.)
Congratulations to the recipients! Thank you to all of our Foundation donors and project committee members, and the research proposal reviewers who make these research grants possible! It would not happen without you!
Also, Brandon’s Foundation was acknowledged for its help in funding the research of Weg Ongkeko, MD, PhD (UCSD) leading to the report The Non-coding Landscape of Head & Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Oncotarget.
