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Research on altered von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) genes proved to be critical in revealing the mechanism by which cells sense and adapt to changing levels of oxygen – a fundamental cellular process that is particularly important in some kidney cancers. Dr. William Kaelin at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, Dr. Gregg Semenza at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland,…

Dr. Ed Reznik is a computational oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and a recipient of a 2019 Young Investigator Award to examine tumor metabolism as it relates to the tumor microenvironment (TME) of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Dr. Reznik, under the mentorship of Dr. Ari Hakimi, a surgeon at MSKCC, proposed that a better understanding of the…

Dr. Tian Zhang is a medical oncologist at the Duke Cancer Institute. She received a 2019 Young Investigator Award for research that could help doctors and patients make better decisions when selecting first-line therapies for metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Dr. Zhang will analyze how the tumor microenvironment (TME) responds to immunotherapy and investigate a panel of five genes and…

Led by Dr. Kathleen Mahoney in collaboration with Dr. Rupal Bhatt, both clinicians and scientists, and Dr. Gordon Freeman, a virologist and immunologist who contributed critical work to the discovery of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, this research team from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel-Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts received a 2019 Advanced Discovery Award. Their research will explore a…

Dr. Akash Kaushik is a postdoctoral researcher at the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern where he studies cancer cell metabolism, which includes all the processes that help cells take up nutrients and convert them to energy and other materials for growth. Dr. Kaushik received a 2019 Young Investigator Award for research that will take a closer look at the amino acid…

Dr. Scott Haake is a medical oncologist and PhD candidate in cancer biology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Dr. Haake received a 2019 Young Investigator Award for research that will investigate endogenous retrovirus (ERV) expression in papillary renal cell carcinoma (RCC), both type 1 and 2, and how ERV expression impacts anti-tumor response in this understudied RCC subtype. We spoke to Dr.…

HOUSTON – April 16, 2019 – The Kidney Cancer Association (KCA) is pleased to announce its Board of Directors recently approved $1.3 million in new grant funding to advance early detection and new treatments for kidney cancer. The application process opens on April 17 and closes on May 20. Award winners will be announced in the Fall of 2019. “The…

HOUSTON – March 19, 2019 – The Kidney Cancer Association (KCA) is pleased to announce that Kendall Monroe has joined the organization as its first Chief Advancement Officer (CAO). Monroe brings more than a decade of experience in development, fundraising and donor relations.  Monroe most recently worked as the director of planned giving and board management with the University of…

Four years ago, Joanne Romero, who lives in Texas, was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer when she was 26 weeks pregnant. Despite her challenges, Joanne remains positive and hopes her story serves as an inspiration to others.      My journey began on Feb. 16, 2015. I was currently 26 weeks pregnant. I was experiencing a cough that continued…