WPI researcher granted $300K for cancer tissue research
New England Council member, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, had one of their researchers, and assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering Catherine Whittington receive nearly $300,000 for her research on the role tissue stiffening plays in pancreatic cancer, cancer metastasis, and lymphedema. This grant was awarded grants from three different organizations for her research.
The funding will support undergraduate and graduate student researchers in her lab beginning this summer. The grants consisted of $147,257 from the National Cancer Institute, $199,995 from the National Science Foundation, and $50,000 from the University of Michigan. The last piece of funding, the $50,000 grant, is a part of a national initiative aimed at addressing historical discrepancies in the amount of federal grant money awarded to Black scientists. This grant will allow Whittington to offer paid research positions to students in her lab over the summer, this, in turn, giving out more opportunities to people who may not have otherwise had as much access.
“These awards help build out project areas where undergraduate and master’s students can participate in research into cancer or the lymphatic system,” Whittington said in a written statement. “In addition, some of the funding will provide wages so students can continue their research in the lab over summer breaks, bringing greater continuity to their experiences and the lab’s progress.”
The New England Council would like to congratulate Worcester Polytechnic Institute on having one of their researchers win such a prestigious award.
Read more in the Worcester Business Journal.