Summer 2025
By Lucy McDonald
Dana-Farber received over $3,156,000 in grants from the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation in 2024 supporting 10 physician-scientists and researchers. This generous funding is part of the foundation’s decades-long support of Dana-Farber to assist early career investigators in pursuing their research endeavors.
For over 75 years, Damon Runyon has been identifying “brave and bold” early career scientists and providing them with resources to make the next breakthroughs in cancer research. The foundation has invested more than $450 million in nearly 4,000 young scientists nationwide who are engaged in high-risk, high-reward cancer research, encouraging them “to go where others haven’t.” The foundation’s approach not only accelerates the pace of discovery but also inspires a new generation of cancer researchers to push the boundaries of what is possible.
Damon Runyon’s support acknowledges the importance of safeguarding research time for early career investigators at Dana-Farber, who are essential to the “bench to bedside” process of transforming laboratory research into effective clinical treatments. Such funding enables Dana-Farber researchers and physician-scientists to focus on complex scientific questions and collaborate across disciplines, driving breakthroughs that enhance patient care.
The foundation notably honored three female researchers, Megan Insco, MD, PhD; Erin Parry, MD, PhD; and Lachelle Weeks, MD, PhD, with the Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award. Each year, this award recognizes physician-scientists who are engaged in disease-focused research characterized by exceptional innovation and creativity, aimed at advancing cancer treatment practices.
“Empowering young researchers fuels innovation and ensures a vibrant future for scientific discovery.”
Yung Lie, PhD, Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation
“Empowering young researchers fuels innovation and ensures a vibrant future for scientific discovery,” said Yung Lie, PhD, president and chief executive officer of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. “Supporting these gifted scientists to explore bold and critical questions in cancer research fills us with pride.”
Damon Runyon also made the following grants in 2024: Physician-Scientist Training Award to Rebecca Zon, MD; Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowships to James Morrow, MD, PhD; Geoffrey Smith, MD, PhD; and Lara Wahlster, MD, PhD; Scholars Program for Advancing Research and Knowledge grant to Katelyn King; Quantitative Biology Fellowship to Ahmed Roman, PhD; and Dale F. Frey Award to Xin Gu, PhD. These grants represent a diverse array of research areas including melanoma, various blood cancers, and osteosarcoma, reflecting the foundation’s holistic strategy to tackle cancer from multiple angles.