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University Hospitals, Case Western researchers win NIH awards
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The NIH honored two researchers from University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine with Outstanding Investigators Awards, the highest honor and largest grant from the NIH.
Sanford Markowitz, MD, PhD, head of the gastrointestinal cancer genetics program at Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, professor of cancer genetics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and medical oncologist at UH Seidman Cancer Center, received a NCI Outstanding Investigator Award.
Markowitz’s research has identified two key colon cancer tumor suppressor genes — TGF-beta RII and 15-PGDHa — that explain why cancer develops in certain families. His research also has enhanced the understanding of why aspirin prevents colon cancer in some, but not all patients, and has lead to development of a novel drug that shows promise to speed tissue repair after injury, colitis and bone marrow transplantation.
The Outstanding Investigator Award will help fund the center’s gastrointestinal Specialized Program of Research Excellence to continue Markowitz’s research to improve the ability to identify individuals at high risk for colon cancer and to develop new treatments for prevention.
“Sandy’s work has transformed our understanding of how colon cancers develop, leading to new ways to assess risk and detect cancers early when they are highly curable.” Neal J. Meropol, MD, chief of the division of hematology and oncology at UH Cleveland Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and associate director for clinical research at Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, said in a press release. “This Outstanding Investigator Award will enable him to continue revolutionizing his field.”
Mukesh K. Jain, MD, chief scientific officer at University Hospitals and Harrington Discovery Institute, chief research officer at UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute and vice dean for medical sciences and professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, received a NHLBI Outstanding Investigator Award.
Jain is known for his identification of a family of proteins called Kruppel-like factors (KLFs), which are regulators of immunity and metabolism. His researchers lead to the discovery of their role in essential regulators of cardiovascular health and stress adaptation.
The award — based on Jain’s recent finding that KLFs control lifespan and general health — will be used to study which proteins are linked to aging. The research may provide a foundation for novel therapies that could delay or prevent age-related disorders.
“Mukesh’s lifelong commitment to investigating the molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases has led to discoveries that forever changed how we think about many fundamental biological processes that affect human health and aging,” Marco Costa, MD, PhD, president of Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute at UH Cleveland Medical Center, said in the press release. “Receiving this prestigious award is an acknowledgement of the breadth and depth of his work, and our promise to a healthier future for humankind.”