# Cancer Genetic and Epigenetic Mechanisms Research Program

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2021 · $102,002

## Abstract

UWCCC Cancer Genetic and Epigenetic Mechanisms (GEM) Program Summary 
 Co-Leaders: Emery Bresnick and Michael Newton 
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT 
As genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlie human cancer initiation and progression, components of these 
mechanisms represent extremely promising targets for cancer prevention, diagnosis, and therapy. Considering 
the multitude of regulatory factors involved, and the many unanswered mechanistic questions, our vision is that 
much of the mechanistic knowledge and druggable space remain to be discovered. Thus, from both 
fundamental and clinical/translational perspectives, elucidating cancer genetic and epigenetic mechanisms 
continues to hold great promise. The UWCCC Cancer Genetic and Epigenetic Mechanisms Program 
(GEM) consists of 27 highly collaborative members spanning 13 departments and 6 schools at UW-Madison. 
The program members include basic and translational scientists conducting multidisciplinary research, with 3 
members directing clinical cancer research programs and engaged in patient care. Senior members actively 
mentor junior faculty, and additional faculty recruitments are ongoing. During the prior funding period, GEM 
members published 453 papers, many of which appeared in high-impact journals including Cancer Cell, Mol. 
Cell, Science, Science Trans. Med., Nature Chem. Biol., J. Clin. Invest., and Genome Res. The 27 GEM 
members brought in a total of $9.98 M in direct cost cancer-relevant funding for which they are the PI (NIH 
total, $5.79 M, of which NCI, $1.25 M). GEM Thematic Aims are: 1) Discover and elucidate cancer genetic 
mechanisms; and 2) Discover and elucidate cancer epigenetic mechanisms. Multidisciplinary GEM teams are 
analyzing genetic and epigenetic mechanisms in breast, prostate, sarcoma, myeloid leukemia, and other 
cancers. The discoveries are used to develop new paradigms in cancer biology, and via new intra- and inter- 
programmatic collaborations, are applied toward clinical trials to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis, and 
therapy. GEM-derived methodological/technological innovations continue to dramatically enable GEM and 
broader UWCCC cancer research. An overarching theme is our invention and deployment of powerful 
strategies to discover and elucidate cancer mechanisms and enable diagnostic and therapeutic modalities 
unlikely to emerge from existing paradigms.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10147679
- **Project number:** 5P30CA014520-47
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** Emery H. Bresnick
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $102,002
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1997-04-25 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10147679

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10147679, Cancer Genetic and Epigenetic Mechanisms Research Program (5P30CA014520-47). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10147679. Licensed CC0.

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