Cheng Wang, Ph.D., assistant professor in the University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, has received a continuation grant in the amount of $40,000 from Colleen’s Dream Foundation.
Colleen’s Dream Foundation started in 2012 and funds ovarian cancer research with the primary goal of developing an accurate and accessible early detection test.
Dr. Wang’s research involves a quest to discover new and more effective ways to treat ovarian cancer. He has been working in the area of ovarian biology and ovarian cancer for more than 18 years and has published 38 peer-reviewed articles in this field. His research aims to identify new molecules and signaling pathways involved in the initiation and progression of epithelial ovarian cancers.
“Our goal is to provide evidence that the fallopian tube is the origin of a certain type of ovarian cancer that is the most malignant form of ovarian cancers and accounts for 70 percent of all ovarian cancer cases,” said Dr. Wang, who works in the Olson Center for Women’s Health at UNMC. “If we can identify certain cells as cell of origin of this cancer, we can potentially facilitate the prevention and early detection of ovarian cancer.”
Nicole Cundiff, CEO of Colleen’s Dream Foundation, said Colleen’s Dream is excited to continue to support the research being done by Dr. Wang.
“Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all gynecological cancers, and Dr. Wang’s commitment to studying why ovarian cancer initiates and progresses will hopefully lead to better treatment and also, one day, an early detection screening tool,” Cundiff said.
Colleen’s Dream is a qualified 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2012 by Nicole Cundiff and her husband, Billy, a 12-year veteran kicker in the NFL. Colleen’s Dream is dedicated to funding investigational scientific research with the primary goal of developing and establishing an accurate and accessible early detection test for ovarian cancer. For more information about Colleen’s Dream Foundation, or to donate call (480) 269-2266 or visit www.colleensdream.org.
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