Dateline DFCI
Barr program celebrates 15 years of supporting basic research
Lynda Chin, MD, of Adult Oncology, a current Barr Program grant recipient, makes a presentation on her research.
Elisabetta Mueller, PhD, of Cancer Biology is exploring the function of a tiny structure in the nucleus of breast cells. James DeCaprio, MD, of Adult Oncology is probing aspects of how normal cells transform into cancerous ones. And Jonathan Duke-Cohan, PhD, of Cancer Immunology and AIDS hopes to shed additional light on the behavior of immune-system cells.
These researchers are pursuing different topics with support from a common source: the Institute's Claudia Adams Barr Program in Innovative Basic Cancer Research. They are among 15 scientists currently funded by the program, which since l987 has spent millions of dollars to aid investigators conducting basic research throughout DFCI. Barr awardees receive these funds at a critical time in their careers, when they are setting up their own laboratories or are pursuing novel research directions in exciting new areas.
Established by Trustees J. Wayne and Delores Weaver, the program honors Mrs. Weaver's late mother, who died of cancer in 1957. It receives considerable support from the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge, in which individuals who collect pledges have the opportunity to run in the historic Boston Marathon. The 2001 Challenge generated a record-breaking $2.85 million, bringing the total raised by its runners for the Barr Program to more than $13.25 million since 1989.
Jeremy Green, PhD, of Cancer Biology — who studies the mechanisms that control cell development in animals — credits the Barr grant he received from 1995 to 1997 with helping propel his research so he could apply for outside support. "It also funded research that led directly to my winning an American Cancer Society award," he recalled in an interview this past fall.
"During your start-up period as a Barr Investigator, you have a rare opportunity to be bold and innovative," Green reflected. "The freedom to innovate is really the reason for having basic science in a cancer hospital. Our role is to explore the frontiers in the hope of striking medical gold."
