(Cary, NC)--- The V Foundation for Cancer Research announced today that they have awarded the 2009 Translational grants to elite researchers across the United States. Translational grants transform basic scientific discoveries into clinical applications such as new diagnostics and treatments.  The contribution of funding to these research initiatives continuously brings science steps closer to conquering cancer.

"These grants will accelerate the development of personalized treatment for several forms of cancer, using innovative approaches to diagnosis and treatment,” said Robert C. Bast, Jr., M.D., Vice President for Translational Research at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board. “Once again The V Foundation has identified important and timely research at the interface between the laboratory and clinic.” 

Translational research serves as a bridge between the lab bench discoveries and the patient bedside. Information collected at the patient bedside can circle back to the laboratory to fuel additional discoveries. These grants are $600,000, three-year commitments.  This year’s eight recipients range in concentration from lung cancer to leukemia and pulmonary carcinoma.

“It is truly an honor to work with such renowned medical professionals,” said Nick Valvano, CEO of The V Foundation for Cancer Research.  “The V Foundation is proud to support the mission of those seeking breakthroughs in cancer research and commends these scientists for their passion and continued efforts.”

To learn more about The V Foundation and to find out how you can get involved, call 1-800-4JimmyV or log onto www.jimmyv.org.

About The V Foundation for Cancer Research

The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator. Since 1993, The Foundation has raised more than $90 million to fund cancer research grants nationwide. It awards 100 percent of all new direct cash donations and net proceeds of events directly to cancer research and related programs. The Foundation, which has received seven consecutive top 4-star ratings from Charity Navigator, awards grants through a competitive awards process strictly supervised by a Scientific Advisory Board. For more information on The V Foundation or to make a donation, please visit www.jimmyv.org.

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Editors Note:    A complete list of the 2009 V Foundation Translational grant recipients follows:

V Foundation 2009 Translational Grant Recipients

Stephen Gottschalk, M.D.

Nabil Ahmed, M.D., M.P.H

Lisa Lynn Wang, M.D.

Baylor College of Medicine

Houston, TX

Adoptive Immunotherapy for Osteosarcoma

Douglas V. Faller, Ph.D., M.D.

Susan Perrine, M.D.

Boston University School of Medicine

Boston, MA

Virus-targeted therapeutic for Epstein-Barr Virus-Associatd Lmphomas

Saiaowen David Hsu, M.D., Ph.D.

Anil Potti, M.D.

Duke University Medical Center

Durham, NC

Development of a paraffin-based assay to predict patients with early stage colorectal cancer at high risk for recurrence

Christine A. Iacobuzio-Donahue, M.D,. Ph.D.

Victor Velculescu, M.D., Ph.D.

Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions

Baltimore, MD

High Throughput Sequencing of Pancreatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia

 Alice Shaw, M.D., Ph.D.

Jeffrey Engelman, M.D., Ph.D.

Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center

Boston, MA

Novel Therapeutic and Diagnostic Approaches to Lung Cancers Harboring ALK Fusion Oncogenes

Anna R. Giuliano, Ph.D.

Soner Altiok, M.D., Ph.D.

Gerold Bepler, M.D., Ph.D.

Douglas Cress, Ph.D.

Hui-Yi Lin, Ph.D.

Matthew B. Schabath, Ph.D.

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center

Tampa, FL

Viruses in Pulmonary (VIP) Carcinoma

Feyruz Rassool, Ph.D.

Greenebaum Cancer Center

Univeristy of Maryland

Baltimore, MD

Targeting Abnormal DNA Repair Pathways in Leukemia

William Pao, M.D., Ph.D.

David Weaver, Ph.D.

Alex Waterson, Ph.D.

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center

Nashville, TN

Identification of Novel Small Molecule Inhibitors Selective Against A Major Drug Resistance Mutation in Lung Cancer