Announcing the 2024 Innovation and Collaboration Program Grant Recipient 

Linda Resar, MD, Professor of Medicine, Oncology, and Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Awarded 2024 Innovation and Collaboration Program Grant  

WOODBURY, N.Y., May 27, 2024 — The Lustgarten Foundation announced today that the 2024 Innovation and Collaboration Program grant will be awarded to Linda Resar, MD, Professor of Medicine, Oncology, and Pathology, Johns Hopkins University for her study “Targeting HMGA1 Tumor-Stromal Signaling Networks in Pancreatic Cancer.” The program is intended to attract new talent and new approaches to pancreatic cancer research by funding high-risk, high-reward projects addressing key outstanding questions.  

 “Lustgarten’s generous funding will allow my team to reveal new paradigms for the causes of pancreatic cancers and identify novel approaches to treat or prevent tumor progression,” said Dr. Resar. “Pancreatic cancer remains a highly lethal cancer type and we are committed to advancing research with the potential to save lives.”  

Dr. Resar is investigating therapies to target a protein called High Mobility Group A1 (HMGA1).  Her team discovered that HMGA1 functions as a “key” that “unlocks” regions of the genome to trigger tumor development and progression.  In pancreatic cancer, this protein activates genes that cause tumor cells to grow rapidly and secrete a factor called FGF19. Dr. Resar will examine the role of HMGA1 and FGF19 in pancreatic cancer and develop novel therapeutic strategies using cutting-edge genomic technologies. 

The Innovation and Collaboration Program provides seed funding for novel research projects with significant potential to accelerate the foundation’s mission to transform pancreatic cancer into a curable disease. Recipients are awarded a one-year, $110,000 grant for their pancreatic cancer research. 

“We know that solving the complexities of pancreatic cancer requires creativity,” said Linda Tantawi, CEO of the Lustgarten Foundation. “Dr. Resar’s study offers a fresh perspective on pancreatic cancer research, and we are excited for the discoveries that will undoubtedly emerge from her work.”  

Lustgarten’s Innovation and Collaboration Program reflects the foundation’s dedication to identifying more specific drug targets based on the understanding of the biology of pancreatic cancer initiation and progression, pushing forward preclinical and clinical testing of novel drugs and combinations using a science-driven approach.