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Through its Discovery Boost and Mission Boost grant mechanisms, the American Cancer Society has awarded 26 new Discovery Boost Grants at 25 institutions and six new Mission Boost Grants at six institutions as part of its recently announced Spring 2026 grant slate.?Designed to support exploratory, high?risk research, Discovery Boost Grants give investigators at any career stage the flexibility to pursue innovative ideas that could open new directions in cancer science. Mission Boost Grants extend this approach through a staged funding model that helps move promising research findings toward the testing of tangible clinical interventions. Together, these programs reflect º¬Ðß²ÝÓ°Ôº¡¯s continued investment in research approaches designed to bridge bold discovery and potential clinical impact.

¡°It is highly rewarding to see talented investigators move research projects forward when they¡¯re given the opportunity to explore,¡± said Douglas Hurst, PhD, scientific director for Biochemistry and Immunology at the American Cancer Society. ¡°Discovery Boost and Mission Boost Grants support researchers who are approaching complex cancer challenges with imagination and rigor, and who are eager to translate that thinking into meaningful advances.¡±?

Today we are highlighting the exciting work of several of our new innovation grantees that are part of the larger Spring 2026 grant slate. The full list of new Discovery Boost and Mission Boost grantees can be found at the link above.

Discovery Boost Grants

Sergei Grivennikov, Ph.D.?
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Discovery Boost Grant
Project Title: ¡°Sex dependent differences in anti-tumor immunity in colorectal cancer liver metastasis¡±

The research focuses on how male and female sex hormones influence the immune system¡¯s ability to control colorectal cancer growth once it has metastasized to the liver. By studying how hormones affect immune cells and testing whether adjusting hormone signals can improve immunotherapy, the study aims to uncover new ways to make immune treatments more effective. This work could lead to more personalized immune-based therapies and better survival for patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

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Michelle Hildebrandt, Ph.D.?
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Discovery Boost Grant
Project Title: ¡°GEM Study (Gen¨¦tica y Epidemiolog¨ªa del Myeloma Study): Investigating diversity in myeloma risk, clinical attributes, and outcomes¡±

This project will investigate why multiple myeloma affects people differently across racial and ethnic groups, with a special focus on the understudied Hispanic population. By examining genetic ancestry in large patient groups from Latin America and the United States, the study aims to identify inherited risk factors that influence who develops myeloma, how the disease behaves, and patient outcomes. Understanding these differences could improve how doctors assess risk and predict prognosis for Hispanic patients. This work could help reduce disparities and lead to more equitable, personalized care for people with multiple myeloma worldwide.

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Carla Kim, Ph.D.?
Boston Children¡¯s Hospital
Discovery Boost Grant
Project Title: ¡°Cellular States in Early-Stage Lung Cancer¡±

This project will study the very earliest stages of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), focusing on how normal lung stem cells change after injury and how those same changes can be hijacked by cancer?causing mutations. The research builds on evidence that a temporary ¡°transitional¡± repair state in lung cells (normally used to heal damaged tissue) may become locked on by KRAS mutations and drive lung cancer development. By testing whether a key gene that controls this transitional state is required for cancer to start, the study aims to identify new opportunities to stop cancer before it becomes advanced. This work could open the door to cancer prevention strategies not only for lung cancer, but also for other cancers driven by the same genetic mutations.

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Hua La, M.D., Ph.D.?
Tulane University Health Sciences Center
Discovery Boost Grant
Project Title: ¡°Targeting VCP-Dependent Stabilization of Mutant p53 in Pancreatic Cancer¡±

This project will uncover how pancreatic cancer cells protect a powerful cancer?promoting protein that normally should be destroyed. The study focuses on why mutated TP53 - a gene altered in most pancreatic cancers - becomes abnormally stable in pancreatic cancer cells and helps tumors survive and grow. By understanding how cancer cells trick the normal protein?cleanup system to preserve mutant p53, the research aims to reveal a new vulnerability unique to cancer cells. This work could lead to treatments that selectively eliminate mutant p53 and improve outcomes for patients with pancreatic and other aggressive cancers.

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Nilay Sethi, M.D., Ph.D.?
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Discovery Boost Grant
Project Title: ¡°Paralyzing plasticity: Developing a SOX9 inhibitor for colorectal cancer treatment¡±

This project will develop a new way to treat colorectal cancer by targeting tumor cell plasticity, the ability of cancer cells to change their identity and behavior in order to evade treatment. The research focuses on a protein called SOX9 that keeps cancer cells in a more primitive, stem?like state that allows them to grow and spread. By identifying drug?like molecules that block SOX9, the study aims to force cancer cells to mature into less aggressive forms. This approach could lead to an entirely new class of treatments that reduce resistance, slow disease progression, and improve survival for patients with colorectal cancer.

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Emily Williams, Ph.D.?
University of Washington
Discovery Boost Grant
Project Title: ¡°Adaptation and Pilot Testing of an Avatar-Delivered Alcohol Reduction Intervention for Women at Risk for Incidence and Recurrence of Breast Cancer¡±

This project will test a new way to reduce breast cancer risk by addressing alcohol use at the time women receive routine mammography screening. Alcohol is a common and changeable risk factor for breast cancer, but many women are unaware of the link and are rarely asked about their drinking in clinical settings. By offering a brief, easy?to?access alcohol reduction intervention at the time of screening, the study aims to reach women when prevention is most relevant. This approach could lower breast cancer risk and recurrence by integrating cancer prevention into everyday healthcare.

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Tingting Yao, Ph.D.?
Colorado State University
Discovery Boost Grant
Project Title: ¡°Function of BRCA1/BARD1-mediated histone ubiquitylation¡±

This project will improve our understanding of how mutations in the BRCA1 gene increase cancer risk. The study focuses on the N-terminal RING domain of BRCA1, a critical region where many cancer?linked mutations occur, but whose function has been difficult to study in living cells. By developing a new tool that can track one of BRCA1¡¯s key molecular activities in real time, the research aims to clarify why changes in this region disrupt normal cell regulation and promote cancer. These insights could help doctors better interpret genetic test results and refine cancer risk assessment and treatment decisions.