The University of Cincinnati Cancer Center’s Office of Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) is proud to announce the selection of the 2026 Dr. Peter Stambrook pilot grant awardees, supported by the American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant Program. Through the Institutional Research Grant Program, the American Cancer Society funds major cancer centers throughout the country to establish a pilot grant program specifically dedicated to early-stage investigators working in cancer-related fields. With matching funding provided by the Cancer Center, each funded investigator will receive $80,000 in research support.

Congratulations to the awardees!

2026 Dr. Peter Stambrook Pilot Awardees

Molecular Pathways and Niche Signaling in Mucinous Carcinomas Across Organs

Minzhe Guo, PhD Associate Member, Pediatrics Research Program University of Cincinnati Cancer Center Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

“Mucinous carcinomas (MCs) are responsible for over 10,000 deaths each year in the United States and can develop in multiple organs,” said Minzhe Guo, PhD, associate member of the Pediatrics Research Program at the Cancer Center. “Although these tumors share a common histological appearance, their clinical outcomes vary depending on the organ of origin.”

Mucinous carcinoma is an epithelial malignancy characterized by abundant extracellular mucin production. It can arise in multiple organs, such as the breast, lung, appendix, ovary, colon, and pancreas; however, its prognosis varies by organ site and stage.

Primary treatments include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. However, current treatments are largely ineffective for unresectable or metastatic mucinous carcinomas (MCs), suggesting that these cancers may be driven by distinct molecular mechanisms not addressed by existing therapies. Therefore, a deeper molecular understanding of MCs is critical, but characterization efforts have been inconsistent across organ sites and lack integrative, cross-organ analysis, underscoring the need for a comprehensive, multi-organ approach.

“The goal of this study is to conduct a large-scale integrative analysis of bulk, single-cell and spatial transcriptomic data to identify both shared and organ-specific molecular pathways and niche signaling patterns in MCs,” explained Guo. “We hypothesize that MCs exhibit a conserved set of transcriptional and signaling programs underlying their shared phenotype, alongside organ-specific gene expression and spatial signaling contexts that influence tumor behavior.”

Guo and his team will test this hypothesis by identifying shared and organ-specific pathways and mapping niche signaling across organs. These efforts aim to generate insights that support improved therapeutic strategies for mucinous carcinomas (MCs).

By integrating large-scale datasets across organ systems, this research positions Guo and his team to uncover insights that could meaningfully impact how mucinous carcinomas are understood and treated. The ACS IRG Award provides key support to help drive this work forward and broaden its potential impact.

“This award is both a great honor and a tremendous encouragement for our research,” Guo shared. “It will support the generation of critical primary data and accelerate the development of omics resources and computational approaches to identify shared and organ-specific molecular patterns across these tumors. The award also provides valuable opportunities to engage with the Cancer Center and ACS research communities, strengthening the interdisciplinary collaborations and mentorship that are vital to the next stage of my career. The data generated will serve as a foundation for future grant applications and larger-scale studies, ultimately advancing efforts to improve treatment for mucinous carcinomas.”

Beyond the direct impact of the award, Guo highlighted how the Cancer Center has played a key role in supporting and strengthening his research efforts.

“My Cancer Center membership has provided valuable opportunities to engage with a highly collaborative community of investigators whose expertise spans cancer biology, genomics and translational research,” he said. “Access to collaboration, constructive feedback and shared resources has strengthened both the scientific rigor and clinical relevance of my work. For instance, through the Cancer Center’s Biospecimen Shared Resource, access to mucinous carcinoma tissue samples from multiple organs has enabled the molecular profiling and validation studies proposed in this project. Additionally, regular Cancer Center communications have helped keep me informed about these resources and opportunities. Collectively, these experiences have supported the continued growth and advancement of my research on mucinous carcinomas.”

Inflammatory Survival Dependencies Under 7+3 in Monocytic AML

Eric Vick, MD, PhD Member, Experimental Therapeutics Research Program University of Cincinnati Cancer Center Instructor, Division of Hematology & Oncology Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a fast-growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow that creates immature "blasts," preventing healthy blood cell production. The standard first-line treatment, known as “7+3,” combines two chemotherapy agents, but some patients do not respond or quickly relapse.

“Prior research, including our own and findings from publicly available datasets, suggests that these monocytic cells often exhibit pre-existing activation of inflammatory pathways,” explained Eric Vick, MD, PhD, member of the Experimental Therapeutics Research Program at the Cancer Center. “In addition, studies have shown that chemotherapy can induce a survival response in leukemia cells through activation of the NF-κB pathway, enabling persistence and eventual relapse.”

This study addresses two key questions: whether monocytic acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells are inherently less responsive to 7+3 compared to other AML subtypes and which inflammation-related genes contribute to their survival. Vick and his team will conduct in vitro experiments to evaluate treatment response, monitor NF-κB activity, and perform a targeted genetic screen to identify critical survival regulators, followed by validation studies.

Together, these efforts aim to define mechanisms of resistance and identify new therapeutic targets to improve outcomes for patients with AML. At this pivotal stage in his career, Vick emphasized the importance of the award in supporting his transition to independence and advancing research that directly impacts patient care.

“This award comes at a pivotal moment as I transition into my own lab,” he shared. “My career goal is to build a research program that directly improves outcomes for patients with aggressive blood cancers, and the ACS IRG Pilot Grant is precisely the kind of targeted support that allows an early-career physician-scientist to generate the rigorous feasibility data needed to compete for larger, sustained funding. As someone who cares for blood cancers, including AML, this award creates a direct bridge between what I observe at the bedside and what I can investigate at the bench. Without pilot funding, the preliminary data to pursue further funding cannot be generated. This grant is, in a real sense, the launchpad for the next phase of my independent research program.”

Beyond the support of the award, he credited the Cancer Center with providing the collaborative infrastructure and resources needed to help bring his research program to fruition.

“My Cancer Center membership has been instrumental to my development as a physician and scientist independently. The Cancer Center environment has also facilitated critical collaborative relationships, particularly with the Starczynowski and Volk laboratories at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, which have aided in mentorship, the PDX models, CRISPR platforms and xenotransplant expertise central to this project. Beyond resources, Cancer Center membership has connected me to a community of investigators for scientific feedback, J-club and co-investigator opportunities that are shaping my research program moving forward.”

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About the ACS IRG

The American Cancer Society awards Institutional Research Grants to academic and nonprofit organizations that have a track record of outstanding cancer research and a pool of experienced researchers who can mentor junior faculty. The purpose is to support early-stage faculty investigators in initiating cancer research projects so they can obtain preliminary results that will enable them to compete successfully for national research grants.

“The American Cancer Society is committed to investing in the careers of the best and the brightest early-stage investigators who can bring innovative ideas to the forefront. By supporting institutions with seed funding for newly independent investigators to initiate cancer research projects, these institutions can utilize the preliminary results to successfully compete for national research grants,” said Natasha Coleman, MPH, Vice President of Community Impact, American Cancer Society. “We are confident that this institutional research grant, under the mentorship of our long-time collaborators and established leaders at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, will launch new researchers who can further our understanding of cancer and its treatment.”

Cancer Center member David Plas, PhD, is the primary investigator for the grant, with members Maria Czyzyk-Krzeska, MD, PhD, and Kathryn Wikenheiser-Brokamp, MD, PhD, serving as co-principal investigators.