University of Virginia researcher Natasha D. Sheybani, PhD, has received $5.5 million from the federal Department of Defense to support her cutting-edge efforts to use focused sound waves to improve our immune system's ability to battle breast cancer.
Sheybani, the research director of UVA's Focused Ultrasound Cancer Immunotherapy Center, was the only scientist in the nation selected to receive a Breast Cancer Research Program Era of Hope Scholar Award in the latest funding round; she is UVA's first recipient of the award. She will use the grant to advance her research into the potential of focused ultrasound to improve the safety, effectiveness and precision of immunotherapy drugs for patients with breast cancer.
She also plans to bring together cancer doctors, researchers and trainees with survivors, caregivers and patient advocates for important conversations about cancer research, cancer care and survivorship. These conversations have the potential to improve breast cancer research awareness and care not just at UVA Cancer Center but across Virginia and beyond.
"My hope is that this work will catalyze a new era of personalized, non-invasive cancer care – one where we can harness the power of sound to not only enhance the efficacy of treatment but also empower patients and providers with safer, more precise options," said Sheybani, of UVA's Department of Biomedical Engineering, a joint program of UVA's School of Medicine and School of Engineering and Applied Science. "There is often a disconnect between the worlds of basic science and patient advocacy. We are taking thoughtful steps to bridge those worlds in recognition of our ultimate goal, which is to do science that will translate into meaningful and desired outcomes for patients. The hard work is not done until we have achieved renewed hope for individuals and families facing breast cancer."
Era of Hope Scholar Award
The Era of Hope Scholar Award supports early career researchers who have demonstrated great potential to improve our ability to treat breast cancer and are emerging leaders in the battle against cancer. According to the Department of Defense, recipients must be "exceptionally talented scientists who have shown that they are the 'best and brightest' … through extraordinary creativity, vision, innovation and productivity."
Having served on the parent committee of the DOD BCRP for the last two years, I can say unequivocally that the Era of Hope Award is one of the most prestigious of all of the awards in the program's portfolio. In receiving this award, Dr. Sheybani has not only solidified her position as a rising star in the breast cancer research field, but she also brings significant distinction to UVA and [UVA] Cancer Center."
Amy Bouton, PhD, a professor emerita at UVA's School of Medicine
About focused ultrasound at UVA
UVA Health was one of the earliest pioneers in the field of focused ultrasound. Research by UVA's Jeff Elias, MD, and colleagues has already paved the way for the federal Food and Drug Administration's approval of the technology to treat Parkinson's disease symptoms and essential tremor, a common movement disorder. UVA's expertise has led to a robust research program that is examining the use of focused ultrasound to treat many conditions, including cancer.
The tremendous promise of focused ultrasound prompted UVA Health and the Charlottesville-based Focused Ultrasound Foundation to launch the Focused Ultrasound Cancer Immunotherapy Center, the world's first center dedicated specifically to advancing a focused ultrasound and cancer immunotherapy treatment approach that could revolutionize cancer care for the 21st century.
Sheybani was selected as the center's inaugural research director based on her exceptional work with the technology.
Radiation from CT scans linked to future cancer risks in children and adults