Microscopes for Briefcases?
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What if our young cancer researchers traded their microscopes for briefcases? ANNUAL REPORT | 2010 Today, most cancer researchers are not free to follow their own ideas until they are in their 40s. We are at risk The average age today's scientists gain independent funding is 42. 42 T of losing this N 41 GRA 40 01 R H I 39 38 generation’s The average age a Nobel Prize 37 winner in Medicine makes their 36 groundbreaking discovery is 37.8.* AVERAGE AGE OF FIRST N 35 top young talent. 34 1980 ’81 ’82 ’83 ’84 ’85 ’86 ’87 ’88 ’89 ’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 2009 YEAR *Data includes Nobel Prize winners in Physiology or Medicine between 1962 and 2009. They are actively discouraged from taking risks on bold ideas. Of the $30 billion the National Institutes of Health spends each year on biomedical research, less than 1% is spent on high-risk ideas. 1. The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation 2. 2010 annual report For more than 64 years, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation has been dedicated to keeping But we won’t the best young scientists in cancer research. Today, our role is even more important. Through let that happen. our innovative and highly prestigious award programs, we are: • Accelerating the careers of the most promising scientists • Funding their bold ideas Because the best young researchers drive breakthroughs. 3. The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation 4. 2010 annual report Igniting young minds to fight cancer. Accelerating Because of the Damon independence. Runyon Fellowship, The training of a biomedical researcher can take more I was allowed more free than a decade, and ends with a postdoctoral fellowship reign. It let me build working in the laboratory of a senior scientist. At a time the foundation for when their college friends are becoming managing an interesting course directors, vice presidents and partners, most postdocs of events that led are still working on someone else’s ideas. to where I am today. Not a Damon Runyon Fellow. We identify the most brilliant young scientists and provide them with GREGORY J. HANNON, PHD independent funding to pursue their own ideas. PROFESSOR AND HHMI INVESTIGATOR, Cold Spring Harbor LaboratorY, NY DAMON RUNYON FELLOW ’92-’94 Pioneer in the field of RNA interference (RNAi) and a key player in the discovery of microRNAs, which are now definitively linked to the development of cancer. Esquire Genius Issue 2005, Science ‘Breakthrough of the Decade’ At age 28, Greg Hannon knew that before him RNAi is now an essential tool for cancer scientists lay a long and difficult career. A young scientist’s worldwide, and Greg is a recognized leader in work life is one of extended hours, low pay, and this important field. His work has led to multiple a protracted training period during which one’s awards and accolades, and continues to inform own ideas take second place to those of senior and shape specific therapies that target cancer scientists. cells but leave healthy cells alone. “Science is a hard road. The work that we do is an Greg, now a Professor at Cold Spring Harbor exercise in tolerating failure with the occasional Laboratory and a Howard Hughes Medical reinforcement—if you’re lucky—of a spectacular Institute Investigator, stays closely connected to success. For the most part, people are encouraged Damon Runyon as a member of our Innovation to play it safe.” Award Committee. Recently, he returned to speak to the next generation of Damon Runyon Fellows Greg won his Damon Runyon Fellowship in 1992 at one of our annual scientific retreats. when he was in his late twenties. He was still in training, but now had his own funding, which “What the Fellowship offers young scientists is meant that he could set his own agenda and ask encouragement and an ability to renew their his own questions. focus. It gives them the confidence to do the hard experiments. “It was amazing getting the Fellowship. The great thing about it was that it gave me “It’s easy to do an experiment that will work, a lot of freedom. And the work I was doing in it’s easy to do the next logical step, it’s easy to the latter part of my Fellowship put me in the do something where you know there will be a mindset to really notice and see the potential payoff. What’s hard is taking the risk, taking of RNAi.” a path where the science is important but you’re not really sure of the outcome. And anything In 2001, Greg was among the first to describe and we can do to train people as early as possible to utilize a groundbreaking mechanism for studying reach for the big goal, I think we should do. cancer development. RNA interference (RNAi) enables scientists to turn off individual genes, “It’s programs like the Fellowship Award that and Greg began pioneering its use to identify new help give young scientists the confidence targets against cancer. to reach for the stars.” 5. The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation 6. 2010 annual report Encouraging Ideas that can change the world. If this project hadn’t bold ideas. been funded by Funding of biomedical science is surprisingly risk- Damon Runyon, I averse. Most money goes to safe bets that lead to slow, think I’d be putting incremental progress. Damon Runyon seeks out bold my energies in other ideas. We encourage our scientists to ask “what if?” directions. And I doubt my work would have had the potential to impact so many lives. DAVid G. KIRSCH, MD, PHD Associate Professor, DUke UniversitY, NC DAMON RUNYON-RaCHLEff INNOVatOr ’07-’10 Radiation oncologist, physician-scientist and inventor, Dr. David G. Kirsch is building a novel device that could help thousands of patients avoid potentially harmful treatments. At age 31, David Kirsch, a resident in radiation Seeing the potential in David and his idea, oncology, saw firsthand the suffering of Damon Runyon granted him an Innovation patients going through radiation therapy and Award in 2007. David immediately began testing chemotherapy treatments. When he realized that fluorescent imaging probes that are activated these treatments were unnecessary for many in tumors. He also started work in collaboration patients, he was motivated to help. with engineers at MIT to build an imaging device that surgeons could use to visualize the activated “I saw that we were treating a lot of patients with probes in cancer cells. radiation therapy because we were worried that they would have a few cells left behind after Damon Runyon’s belief in him was well founded. surgery. We didn’t know one way or another. A short three years later, David reports that his We were treating a large population of patients device has already been used extensively to in order to save the handful who did have detect residual cancer cells in mice. He now has microscopic residual cancer.” more than half a million dollars of new grants to help translate this research into the operating David suggested that if surgeons could see room. The collaboration he formed with his whether residual cancer cells remained behind MIT colleagues has attracted venture capital after tumors were removed, they could then investment. He hopes to be conducting Phase I decide if a patient needed additional therapy. clinical trials in humans by fall of 2011. “When I told radiologists I had a goal to image If successful, David’s project will enable single cancer cells during surgery, they told thousands of patients to avoid the trauma of me it would never happen,” he says. radiation and chemotherapy. David had scant preliminary research for his David says of his Innovation Award funding: idea and only a short track record of excellent “If this project hadn’t been funded by Damon work in a related field. He knew he had no hope of Runyon, I think I’d be putting my energies in receiving funding from traditional sources, which other directions. And I doubt my work would favor low-risk research by senior scientists. have had the potential to impact so many lives.” 7. The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation 8. 2010 annual report DAMON RUNYON Board of Directors Steven J. Burakoff, MD Ronald Levy, MD Director, The Tisch Cancer Institute Chief, Division of Oncology Mount Sinai Medical Center Professor of Medicine New York, New York Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford, California William L. Carroll, MD Director Mr. David G. Marshall Keeping the NYU Cancer Institute Chairman and CEO New York, New York Amerimar Realty Company Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Mr. Gary E. Erlbaum best President Mr. John H. Myers Greentree Properties Senior Advisor in cancer research. Ardmore, Pennsylvania Angelo, Gordon & Company LP Each year, a select few of our Fellows greatly exceed our New York, New York Thomas J. Fahey, Jr., MD very high expectations. To reward and encourage these young Senior Vice President for Clinical Program Richard J. O’Reilly, MD Alan M. Leventhal, Development Chair, Department of Pediatrics scientists—and to keep them focused on fighting cancer—we have Chairman Director, International Center Chief, Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Service created the new Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists, New York, New York Claire L. Tow Chair in Pediatric Oncology CHAIRMAN Research named in tribute to our outgoing Chairman. Mr. Alan M. Leventhal Mr. Dale F. Frey Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Chairman and CEO Retired Chairman of the Board and New York, New York Beacon Capital Partners, LLC President This funding will catapult the careers and research of up to three Boston, Massachusetts General Electric Investment Corporation Mrs.