Rivkin Center awards grant for cognitive study

CONGRATULATIONS DR. GRAY!

Heidi Gray, MD

University of Washington

Behavioral and neural indices of cognitive rehabilitation in ovarian cancer

Millions of ovarian cancer survivors live with residual symptoms of impaired thinking and impaired memory severe enough to interfere with basic activities of daily living and work. However, very little is known about how to treat problems in cognition. Pharmacologic interventions have only been modestly helpful, if at all, and not all patients desire or are able to take medications. Dr. Gray will examine the ability of a 7-week cognitive rehabilitation intervention to improve memory and thinking abilities in ovarian cancer survivors. In addition, the project will measure changes in brain activity patterns from the treatment using neuroimaging.

The Rivkin Center is delighted to announce the recipients of its 2012 Scientific Grants. With another record-breaking year in grant funding, the Rivkin Center has awarded over $1 million in research grants to better understand and combat ovarian cancer. This year 3 Scientific Scholar Awards and 10 Pilot Study Awards were conferred in addition to funding for the second year of the two-year Challenge Grant.   A one-year award of $60,000, our Scientific Scholar Award is intended to assist promising young laboratory and clinical scientists in pursuing a career in ovarian cancer research. For more about our Scientific Scholars and their funded projects, click here.   Christina Gewinner, PhD Anne Noonan, MB BCh BAO Brigitte Theriault, PhD   2012 Skacel Family Scholar   2012 Gilman Family Scholar    University Health Network     xUniversity College London   National Cancer Institute   A one-year award of $75,000, our Pilot Study Program will support investigator-initiated pilot projects in all areas of ovarian cancer research. For more about our Pilot Study Awardees and their funded projects, click here.   Matjaz Barboric, PhD Lavakumar Karyampudi, PhD   University of Helsinki   Mayo Clinic  Heather Cunliffe, PhD Ilona Kryczek, PhD   Translational Genomics Research Institute   University of Michigan Tyler Curiel, MD, MPH Fang-Tsyr Lin, MD, PhD   Univ. of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio   Baylor College of Medicine Heidi Gray, MD Meera Nanjundan, BSc, PhD   University of Washington   University of South Florida  Shelley Hooks, PhD Jeremy Stark, PhD   University of Georgia   Beckman Research Inst. of the City of Hope   The 2011 Scientific Challenge Grant, a two-year, $150,000 research grant focuses on the origins of ovarian cancer with the goal of accelerating the early detection of ovarian cancer. For more about our Scientific Challenge Grant, click here.   David Bowtell, PhD   2011-2013 Lester and Bernice Smith Fellow   Peter MacCallum Cancer Center