Summer 2026
By Stevie Snow
A steadfast supporter since 2013, the Edward P. Evans Foundation continued their generous contributions by investing $1.315 million in three Dana-Farber researchers over the past year. The grants focus on investigations into myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a rare group of blood disorders that prevent bone marrow from making enough healthy blood cells and increase risk of acute myeloid leukemia.
“Investing in promising, high-impact MDS research is the primary funding initiative for the Edward P. Evans Foundation,” said Timothy Graubert, MD, president of the foundation. “Supporting the researchers at Dana-Farber is an easy investment decision.”
Supporting the researchers at Dana-Farber is an easy investment decision.
Timothy Graubert, MD, Edward P. Evans Foundation
For Scott A. Armstrong, MD, PhD, senior vice president for drug discovery and chief research strategy officer and the Ted Williams Chair at Dana-Farber, the grant supports his research on TET2 mutations. By advancing our understanding of how these mutations alter blood stem cell function and allow mutant cells to outcompete healthy ones, his research aims to identify vulnerabilities that can be targeted with drugs. Even more than improving therapies, the results could lead to early treatments that prevent people with genetic mutations from developing MDS.
A leader in hematologic oncology and the Edward P. Evans Investigator in MDS research at Dana-Farber, Zuzana Tothova, MD, PhD, will use her grant to continue her ongoing research into the biology, genetics, and treatment of cohesin-mutant MDS. Her lab recently uncovered mechanisms by which STAG2 loss of function mutations activate innate immune signaling by driving R-loop accumulation, with significant therapeutic implications for individuals with MDS.
The Edward P. Evans Foundation also supported the biennial Workshop on Splicing Factor Mutations and RNA Biology in Cancer, which Tothova organized last May and brought together nearly 150 investigators and trainees across the field to share their newest discoveries and establish collaborations.
The foundation also awarded a grant to Rebecca Zon, MD––a postdoctoral fellow and emerging researcher specializing in hematology who received the EvansMDS Young Investigator Award in 2025––to support her investigation into bleeding outcomes in MDS patients.
MDS patients often develop life-threatening bleeding complications, and platelets are blood cells that help prevent and stop bleeding. Zon will evaluate potential connections between platelet dysfunction and other genetic mutations in MDS. Her findings will inform preventative measures and treatments to avoid catastrophic bleeding outcomes.
“We’re proud to support the variety of transformational blood cancer research happening at Dana-Farber,” Graubert said. “Every discovery means better diagnostics, therapy, and care for individuals and families impacted by MDS.