WashU Medicine investigator at Siteman Cancer Center aims to study how chemical modifications to RNA contribute to the progression of multiple myeloma
Jessica Silva-Fisher, PhD, a WashU Medicine scientist at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, has received a Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society (ACS) — one of only 15 investigators nationally to receive the award this grant cycle.
Research Scholar Grants provide critical support for investigators in the early years of their independent careers, allowing them to pursue bold ideas and generate the foundational discoveries that can shape the future of cancer research.
Silva-Fisher will use the award to study how chemical modifications to RNA contribute to the progression of multiple myeloma and the development of treatment resistance. The research builds on her previous work identifying a modified RNA molecule called LINC00342 that is elevated in relapsed disease and promotes cancer cell survival. With the ACS grant, she will study how these RNA modifications influence tumor growth and identify other modified RNA molecules associated with disease progression. This work could reveal new therapeutic targets and lead to novel treatment strategies for patients with relapsed or treatment-resistant multiple myeloma.
The ACS announced the award Aug. 26. Through the current grant cycle, ACS is awarding more than $14 million total in new Research Scholar Grants to 15 investigators. Additionally, the ACS announced three recipients of Mission Boost Grants, which go to current and former ACS grantees to move their discoveries into the clinic. Both award types aim to transform innovative ideas into advances that improve the lives of people affected by cancer.
“Together, these awards reflect our commitment to fostering innovation across the research continuum and moving the most promising science closer to real-world impact,” said Douglas Hurst, PhD, scientific director of the Biochemistry and Immunology of Cancer research program at the ACS. “Advancing cancer research requires both innovative ideas and sustained investment in the researchers who bring those ideas to life.”