# Cell and Molecular Biology Research Program

> **NIH NIH P30** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $59,398

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY PROGRAM
The Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) Program of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University (Winship)
conducts highly innovative basic and translational research with a strong focus on catchment area priorities.
Formed in 2019 by restructuring the previous Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics (CGE) and Cancer Cell Biology
(CCB) programs into one research program, the scientific themes of CMB are: (1) Cancer Cell Metabolism aims
to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying metabolic alterations in cancer cells to exploit for novel
therapeutic interventions; (2) Cell Survival and Death Mechanisms aims to understand the mechanisms by which
cancer cells evade cell death and to identify novel therapeutic approaches to promote cell death; (3) Mechanisms
of Invasion and Metastasis aims to identify the key mediators of tumor growth and metastasis, and discover
mechanisms that drive tumor cell adhesion, communication, invasion, and metastasis, and; (4) Gene Regulation
aims to decipher the basic mechanisms by which genetic or epigenetic influences regulate gene expression and
contribute to oncogenesis. CMB leaders foster a rich research training environment contributing to the promotion
of biomedical scientific careers in underrepresented groups from middle school through college. CMB maintains
research focus on Winship’s catchment area priorities through strong engagement with Community Outreach
and Engagement (COE). Under the leadership of Wei Zhou, PhD (leader) and C.K. Qu, MD, PhD (co-leader),
the new CMB Program includes 46 core members representing 16 departments within the School of Medicine
(SOM), School of Public Health, and College of Arts and Sciences. This highly collaborative group of
researchers have published a total 317 cancer-relevant scientific articles during the current funding period
with 42 (13%) intra- and 139 (44%) inter-programmatic, 234 (74%) inter-institutional collaborations, and 94
(30%) published in journals with an impact factor ≥10. As of December 31, 2021, CMB members held $10.0
million (direct) in annual cancer-relevant research funding, of which $9.4 million is peer-reviewed with
$4.5 million (47%) from the NCI. Notable accomplishments during the funding cycle include 21 new R01
grants (11 NCI) that have developed into impactful CMB scientific contributions including: i) lestaurtinib as a
new MAST-1 inhibitor, ii) innovative “leader cell” identification for anti-metastasis target discovery and iii)
advancement of pilot grant funded basic research with a novel Drosophila glioma model to a phase I/II clinical
trial, and iv) pre-clinical development of the MCL1 inhibitor AZD5991 leading to first-in-human clinical trial at
Winship. CMB has greatly benefited from Winship’s shared resources, infrastructure for basic and translational
research, $2.1 million in pilot grant support during the present funding period, and engaging team science
environment with CMB member lead...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10848260
- **Project number:** 5P30CA138292-15
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Wei Zhou
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $59,398
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2009-04-07 → 2028-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10848260

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10848260, Cell and Molecular Biology Research Program (5P30CA138292-15). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10848260. Licensed CC0.

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