UCLA scientist receives prestigious grant to advance gastroenterology cancer research

Zev A. Wainberg, MD
Zev A. Wainberg, MD
2 min read

Dr. Zev Wainberg, an associate professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine and co-director of the UCLA Gastrointestinal Oncology Program, has been awarded the 2018 Fishman Family Seed Grant in memory of Martin Fishman by STOP CANCER. The grant will advance his research in the development and testing of new targeted therapies for the treatment of colorectal cancer.

The honor will be presented at the 2018 STOP CANCER Educational Forum and Research Awards Dinner on January 22 in Los Angeles, California.

The Fishman Family Seed Grant is awarded by STOP CANCER as part of its Research Career Development Awards (RCDA) and Seed Grants programs. The grants are given to the most promising scientists at each institution, and awardees are selected each year based on nominations of their respective cancer center’s internal peer review recommendations.

The 2018 Fishman Family Seed Grant is supported by The Fishman Family Foundation, a private not-for-profit organization founded in 1997 as a long-term philanthropic program. The Foundation’s broad charitable reflect the diverse interests of the Fishman Family, with a focus on medical research, education and cultural development of and for the Jewish Community.

Wainberg’s research focuses on designing gastroenterology (GI) cancer clinical trials. His current laboratory projects involve gene expression patterns in a variety of GI cancers and the molecular profiling of these cancers for novel therapies, and the targeting of GI prostate cancers with new antibody technologies.

The $25,000 grant will provide one year of support in the form of space, equipment, administrative and other services. In addition, the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center will match the amount with in-kind funds. With this matching support, the seed grant is valued at $50,000.