National Project: Cancer Research

Go the distance to give back in ways you’ve never thought of.

In 2023 the national membership voted to give $462K to six grant recipients.

Each doctor will receive more than $77K.

You may know us locally from our Holiday Boutique, Bags & Bingo event, or other past fundraisers around Tipton county, but we want to share a little bit about what Phi Beta Psi does on a national level.

Our National Project is Cancer Research – this can cover anything from new drug trials to potential treatment options and everything in between, for all types of cancer. Each chapter raises money every year and gives part of it to our National Project, then that money is awarded in grants to different doctors researching a cure for cancer.

Since 1941 when we started this National Project, Phi Beta Psi has given a GRAND TOTAL of $11,520,022 to the cause of finding a cure for cancer!

And the reason we have been able to do that is in huge part from each of our communities believing in our cause and making our fundraisers successful. We are proud of what we do and wanted to be able to share our wins with those who come out and support us every year.

2022 Grant Recipients

Kristen Muller, DO

Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Medical Center
PROJECT: BREAST CANCER
Expand current genetic understanding of papillary breast carcinomas by performing NGS on a 170 gene panel that will detect gene mutations, amplifications and fusions.
Ana Gomes, PhD

H Lee Moffitt Cancer Center
PROJECT: PANCREATIC CANCER
Investigate aging and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), specifically that aging leads to the accumulation in circulation of a nicotinic acid precursor that can be used by pancreatic cancer cells to progress.
Jashim Uddin, PhD

Vanderbilt University
PROJECT: COLON CANCER
Further develop a COX2 inhibitor, already tested with success in a murine model of colon cancer and found to be effective. The aims are to optimize the effectiveness of the agent and the approach used to deliver this agent.
Laura Sena, MD, PhD

Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
PROJECT: PROSTATE CANCER
Enhance efficacy and overcome resistance to Bipolar Androgen Therapy (BAT) for patients with advanced prostate cancer. Has potential to improve therapies for patients involved in the treatment – an administration of high dose testosterone.
Alexander Muir, Phd

Ben May Department for Cancer Research
PROJECT: PANCREATIC CANCER
Develop an understanding of how metabolism in the tumor microenvironment affects tumor cell proliferation. Developed a new approach to isolate tumor interstitial fluid (IF) allowing testing of the role of nutrients in the IF in regulating tumor cell metabolism.
Nawal Kassem, MD, MS

Indiana Cancer Pavilion
PROJECT: CASCADE TESTING
Optimize acceptability of family member testing for cancer predisposition genes in at risk individuals. Family genetic testing will contribute to achieving early diagnosis, treatment optimization and possible disease prevention.