UC Irvine - Cancer In Focus

Print This Issue

Events | Funding Opportunities | Announcements | News | Research Services | Resources

March 5, 2026

Events

MARCH 14, 8:00 AM–2:00 PM

Members, Dan Cooper, MD, Gary Deng, MD, Jaime Landman, MD, Roshan Patel, MD - UC Irvine Kidney Stone Day

Beall Applied Innovation at the Cove

MARCH 24, 5:00 PM

Member, Mahtab Jafari, PharmD

UC Irvine Research Associates Madeline Martin Swinden Memorial Lecture. Research Innovations in Brain Health – Part I

MARCH 27–29

Digestive Health Summit - Leading-Edge Science, Surgical Advances, & Clinical Expertise

UCI Health Chao Digestive Health Institute. Registration fees.

March 30, 4–5:00 PM

Gatien Moriceau, PhD, Visiting Scientist, UCLA

Beyond First-Generation Success: Rethinking Melanoma Therapy in the Era of Resistance. Gross Hall, 4th Floor or Zoom.

APRIL 7, 12–1:30 PM

Members, Jason A. Douglas, PhD, Marizen Ramirez, PhD, Alana LeBrón, PhD, Jun Wu, PhD.

From Research to Impact: Community Voices Shaping Public Health

APRIL 14–15

Members, Kai Zheng, PhD, Dan Cooper, MD

University of California Health Conference 2026 – Thriving Through Change: Adapting, Advancing, Achieving

JUNE 22–26

10th Annual NCI R25-Funded Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer (TREC)

5-day transdisciplinary research, early career investigators & post doc fellows.

Funding Opportunities

Anti-Cancer Challenge Supported Pilot Projects

1. Early Stage Investigator Award ($20,000)
2. Standard Award (Up to $50,000)
3. Re-entry After Dependent Care Award ($40,000)
4. Multi-PI (Team Science) Award ($60,000)
Apply by March 20

Seed Funding Opportunity - American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant

1 year | Up to $60,000
Early-stage investigators
Submit by March 25, 2026

CRCC Faculty Seed Grants and Fellowships – UC Research Initiatives

Cancer Research Coordinating Committee
Faculty Seed Grants - 1 year | Up to $100,000 (up to $50,000 per year)
Full proposals deadline April 2, 12:00 PM PDT
Start date: October 1, 2026

Program scope and priorities questions UCRI@ucop.edu
Application process questions RGPOGrants@ucop.edu

Robert A. Winn Career Development Award – For early-career physician-researchers

Excellence in Clinical Trials Award Program – Flyer
Career Development Award – 2 years | $120,000 per year
Application period: January 5 – May 4
Program questions gemmaa@vcu.edu

Research Support Opportunity

1 year | $2,500
UC Irvine Genetic Epidemiology Research Institute
Funds research using NIH All of Us data to advance precision medicine.
Rolling Deadline

A1 Bridge Funding

1 year | $20,000
UC Irvine Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
Supports cancer research with strong potential to improve treatment, diagnosis, prevention, and patient outcomes. Designed to strengthen and resubmit NIH grant applications.
Rolling Deadline

Announcements

Big Data Training for Cancer Research (BigCARE), Two-Week Program

No cost for tuition & on-campus housing! Accepting applications. Deadline March 16

Congratulations to Amanda Atkinson on Her Promotion!

Amanda has been promoted to Clinical Research Business Manager for the clinical research business unit, bringing many years of experience, and oversees time to activation for new research while ensuring timely activation. aatkins2@hs.uci.edu

Congratulations to Angel Huerta on His Promotion!

Angel joined the Cancer Center in 2021 in the protocol review and monitoring unit, supports seven disease-oriented teams and tumor boards, and conducted quality and data review for the Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG). huertaa1@hs.uci.edu

ICTS K-Club Grant Writing Series

Intended for early-career faculty and postdoctoral scholars preparing to submit applications for NIH Mentored Career Development awards. Series of four workshops in March and April.

Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE)

Strengthen your research impact, enhance clinical trial success, gain trusted community insights, increase study relevance, and accelerate accruals.

News

Member, Lauren Albrecht, PhD

Researchers Reveal Cellular Process Driving Muscle Repair

Member, Mihaela Balu, PhD

A Laser Focus on Melanoma

Members - Herdeline Ann Ardonña, PhD; Seunghyun Sim, PhD

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Names Two Faculty as 2026 Fellows

Member, Lauren Albrecht, PhD

How muscle stem cells "flip a switch" to rebuild damaged muscle

Member, Matthew Landry PhD, RDN

The 8 Best Fermented Foods for Gut Health, According to Experts

Member, Peter Chang MD

Tapping AI to Boost Cancer Detection and Treatment

Member, Gillian Hayes, PhD

Peer Review Is Breaking Under Its Own Weight

Members – Congratulations on being awarded up to $100,000 in critical funding!

Suellen Hopfer, PhD; Rongsheng Jin, PhD; Brian Wong, MD; Jianhua Yu, PhD; Brian Paegel, PhD; Shivashankar, D.V.M, PhD; Timothy Downing, PhD; Abraham Lee, PhD; Petra Wilder-Smith, DDS, PhD; Xiaoyu Shi, PhD; Maksim Plikus, PhD; Eric Potma, PhD; Peter Kaiser, PhD; Dan Cooper, MD; Enrico Gratton, PhD; Michelle Digman, PhD; Rongshen Jin, PhD; Christopher Hughes, PhD; Weian Zhao, PhD; Aimee Edinger, VMD, PhD; Elliot Botvinick, PhD; Anand Ganesan, MD, PhD; Kenneth Shea, PhD

Member, Min Zhang MD, PhD

First-of-Its-Kind Map of Alzheimer's Reveals Hidden Gene Activity

Member, Maksim Plikus PhD

Sleep Disruption Damages Gut's Self-Repair Ability via Stress Signals from Brain

RESEARCH SERVICES

Transgenic Mouse Facility

Recharge-based services for genetically modified mice and stem cells, expert consultation, and training for research use.

Optical Biology Core

Cutting-edge imaging and cytometry technologies with expert support for analyzing cancer biology from molecule to organism.

Genomics Research & Technology Hub

End-to-end genomic services and analysis using emerging nucleic acid technologies for gene expression and sequencing.

Mass Spectrometry

Three facilities offering advanced MS for proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, structural analysis, and biomarker discovery.

In Vivo Functional Onco-Imaging

Imaging technologies and multi-modality platforms for tracking tumors, evaluating therapies, and designing molecular probes.

Experimental Tissue Resource

Provides human and animal tissue procurement, histology, immunohistochemistry, pathology, and consultations.

Biostatistics Shared Resource

Statistical expertise for study design, data analysis, and interpretation across laboratory, clinical, and population research.

Biobehavioral Shared Resource

Consultative support for integrating patient-reported outcomes, behavioral measures, and quality-of-life data into research.

Resources

Research Programs
Leadership
Advisory Boards
Resources & Funding
Centers & Institutes

Cancer In Focus prior to June 2025

Contact Information

UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, 200 S. Manchester Ave, Orange, CA 92868, US

cfccccommunications@hs.uci.edu
Phone 714-456-8000

PAST ISSUES

February 18, 2026
February 4, 2026
January 21, 2026
January 7, 2026
All Past Issues

View in Browser | Forward to a Colleague | Subscribe | Unsubscribe
© 2026 UC Irvine. All rights reserved. Click here to contact us.