Mitchell Grants Awarded for Cancer Research

Three teams of University of South Alabama researchers, all working in collaboration with Mitchell Cancer Institute researchers, have been awarded grants by the Abraham A. Mitchell Cancer Research Fund.

The grants are part of an ongoing effort to link researchers at the University of South Alabama and Mitchell Cancer Institute with the longer established cancer research programs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Awards for 2015 were presented to:

• Dr. Glen Borchert, an assistant professor in the USA department of biology, for his work on “Discovery and Characterization of MicroRNAs with Undescribed Roles in Breast Cancer Pathology.” Borchert is collaborating with Dr. Yaguang Xi, an MCI faculty member.
• Dr. Luda Rachek, an assistant professor in the USA College of Medicine  department of pharmacology, for a project on “Targeting TAT-DNA repair enzymes into mitochondria as a novel therapeutic strategy for breast cancer progression.” Rachek is working in collaboration with Dr. Ming Tan, an MCI faculty member.
• Dr. Mark Taylor, an associate professor in the USA College of Medicine  department of physiology and cell biology, for his work on “Ca2+ Signal Patterning in Cancer.” Taylor works in collaboration with Dr. Garry Piazza from MCI and Dr. Lalita Shevde-Samant from UAB.

Abraham Mitchell created the fund with a $1 million gift to the University, hoping to encourage cancer-related and cancer-relevant research by scientists in many different University departments.