Research & Impact

The Research

Precision Medicine 101

Science, Precision, and Targeted Medicine

We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to cancer treatment. We fund innovative research in precision medicine. These personalized treatment plans enable Targeted medicine to identify genetic cellular “typos” with surgical accuracy, resulting in real hope and a longer, more fulfilling life for patients fighting solid tumors.

Current Projects

Turning Breakthroughs into Bedside Care

Breaking Through Resistance

Led by Dr. Shadia Jalal, this study focuses on the resilience of cancer cells and their ability to repair damage from initial treatments. By pioneering innovative combination therapies for patients with specific genetic mutations, the research aims to disrupt a tumor’s natural repair mechanisms. The goal is to prevent treatment resistance and provide a path toward lasting remission for lung and esophageal cancers.

The Patient "Avatar" Study

Led by Dr. Bryan Schneider, this project focuses on a data-driven leap toward personalized care. By monitoring real-time subjects that act as patient avatars, researchers study how genetics and social factors influence individual outcomes. This work empowers physicians to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach, predicting with incredible accuracy how a neighbor will respond to a specific drug at the right time.

Mapping the "Neighborhood"

Led by Dr. Bryan Schneider and Dr. Ashiq Masood, this groundbreaking study focuses on creating realistic 3D models of triple-negative breast cancer. By replicating the tumor’s neighborhood, which is the complex environment where it lives in the body, researchers observe how cancer behaves before and after treatment. These insights are vital for identifying new drug targets and making immunotherapy significantly more effective.

Local Home, "Global" Discovery

Your donations have a local home. A significant portion of your money is deposited into the IU Foundation and managed by the Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. This partnership ensures your support stays in Indiana, providing physician-scientists with specialized resources. By keeping our focus local, we help ensure that leading oncology experts remain in our community to care for our families, neighbors, and friends. While the funding supports our local researchers, the scientific knowledge gained from these studies is shared globally, impacting how cancer is treated far beyond our state lines.

Your donations have a local home. Every dollar raised is deposited into the IU Foundation and managed by the Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. This partnership ensures your support stays in Indiana, providing physician-scientists at Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center with specialized resources.

By keeping our focus local, we ensure that the best minds in oncology stay in our own backyard to care for our families, neighbors, and friends throughout our community. While the funding supports our local researchers, the scientific knowledge gained from these studies is shared globally, impacting how cancer is treated far beyond our state lines.