DeGregorio Family Foundation, 20th Anniversary
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2006 – Present

Two Decades of Funded Research

Press releases and published papers for each grant are available on the Foundation’s site. Follow-on funding is additional funding awarded at a later stage.

Katy Rezvani, MD, PhD · Brian D. Badgwell, MD
2025$500,000

Katy Rezvani, MD, PhD · Brian D. Badgwell, MD

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

TGFBR2 knockout, TROP2-targeting CAR NK cells in combination with zolbetuximab for gastric cancer with peritoneal metastases

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Eric Smith, MD, PhD · Andrew Aguirre, MD, PhD · Sam Klempner, MD
2025$750,000

Eric Smith, MD, PhD · Andrew Aguirre, MD, PhD · Sam Klempner, MD

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute · Massachusetts General Hospital

Clinical translation of a novel dual-targeted CAR T cell therapy for gastroesophageal cancer metastases

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Zheng Chen, MD, PhD
2025–2026$100,000

Zheng Chen, MD, PhD

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Validation of druggable targets in gastroesophageal cancers to optimize response to immune checkpoint blockade

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Timothy C. Wang, MD
2025–2027$500,000

Timothy C. Wang, MD

Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Modified Trefoil Factor Family 2 (TFF2-MSA) as a novel therapy for gastroesophageal cancer

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Eric S. Fischer, PhD
2024–2025$500,000

Eric S. Fischer, PhD

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

New targets for molecular glue degraders in gastroesophageal cancer

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David E. Avigan, MD
2024–2025$75,000

David E. Avigan, MD

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · Harvard Medical School

Development of a personalized dendritic cell/organoid based vaccine for the treatment of gastric cancer

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Anthony Capobianco, PhD
2023–2025$250,000

Anthony Capobianco, PhD

DeWitt Daughtry Department of Surgery · Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami

Targeting cancer stem cell populations by dual inhibition of Notch and Wnt pathways

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R. Taylor Ripley, MD
2023–2025$150,000

R. Taylor Ripley, MD

Baylor College of Medicine

Targeting mitochondrial resistance to apoptosis after neoadjuvant therapy in esophageal adenocarcinoma

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Paraskevi Giannakakou, PhD
2023–2025$250,000

Paraskevi Giannakakou, PhD

Weill Cornell Medicine

Targeting the novel MT +TIP variant CLIP-170S to reverse taxane resistance in gastroesophageal cancer

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Saar Gill, MD, PhD
2022–2025$1 million

Saar Gill, MD, PhD

University of Pennsylvania

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) macrophages for the treatment of gastroesophageal cancer

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Eric Smith, MD, PhD · Andrew Aguirre, MD, PhD · Sam Klempner, MD
2022–2025$1 million

Eric Smith, MD, PhD · Andrew Aguirre, MD, PhD · Sam Klempner, MD

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute · Massachusetts General Hospital

Dual-targeted CAR T cell strategy to enhance the durability of adoptive cellular therapy for gastric/esophageal cancers

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Joseph Caster, MD, PhD · Chandrikha Chandrasekharan, MD
2022–2025$250,000

Joseph Caster, MD, PhD · Chandrikha Chandrasekharan, MD

The University of Iowa

Manipulating redox metabolism with pharmacologic ascorbate and superoxide dismutase mimetics to enhance chemoradiation for locally advanced esophageal adenocarcinoma

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Dawit Kidane-Mulat, PhD
2022–2023$175,000

Dawit Kidane-Mulat, PhD

College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin

Harnessing DNA damage response to enhance immunotherapy response in XRCC1 deficient stomach cancer

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Neil J. Ganem, PhD
2021–2022$250,000

Neil J. Ganem, PhD

Boston University School of Medicine

Defining gene dependencies in whole-genome doubled esophageal adenocarcinomas

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Bryson Katona, MD, PhD
2021–2022$250,000

Bryson Katona, MD, PhD

University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine

Defining the phenotype and cancer penetrance of CTNNA1 loss-of-function germline variants

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Manish Shah, MD
2021–2022$230,000

Manish Shah, MD

Weill Cornell Medicine

Personalized drug development in gastroesophageal cancer with high-throughput drug screening of tumor-derived organoids

Follow-on Funding: Anonymous $3,314,581 (with team)
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Nilay Sethi, MD, PhD
2021–2022$200,000

Nilay Sethi, MD, PhD

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Therapeutic potential of DNA damage response inhibitors in gastroesophageal cancers

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Kishore Guda, DVM, PhD
2020–2021$200,000

Kishore Guda, DVM, PhD

Case Western Reserve University

Oncogenic TGFβ signaling as a new molecular paradigm and therapeutic vulnerability in esophageal cancer

Follow-on Funding: Anonymous $447,170
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Yan-Yi Jiang, PhD · H. Phillip Koeffler, MD
2020–2021$150,000

Yan-Yi Jiang, PhD · H. Phillip Koeffler, MD

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Master transcription factor TP63 governs immune evasion of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

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Stephen Meltzer, MD · Johannes Carolus (Hans) Clevers, MD, PhD
2019–2020$200,000

Stephen Meltzer, MD · Johannes Carolus (Hans) Clevers, MD, PhD

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine · Princess Máxima Center of Pediatric Oncology

Create tumor organoids (miniaturized and simplified versions of organs) that replicate the tumor in a petri dish

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Adam Snook, PhD
2018–2019$175,000

Adam Snook, PhD

Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center / Medical College

Study the effectiveness of CAR-T therapy as a treatment for gastroesophageal cancers

Follow-on Funding: Department of Defense $1,360,616
De-Chen Lin, PhD
2018–2019$175,000

De-Chen Lin, PhD

Cedars-Sinai Department of Medicine

Master transcription factor circuitry in esophageal cancer

Follow-on Funding: Cedars-Sinai $375K, Alan B. Slifka Foundation $260K, Department of Defense $819,100, NIH $1,325,500
Anisa Shaker, MD
2017–2018$175,000

Anisa Shaker, MD

Keck School of Medicine, USC

Human esophageal myofibroblast paracrine regulation of esophageal inflammation and carcinogenesis

Follow-on Funding: NIH $1.25M
William Grady, MD
2016–2017$180,000

William Grady, MD

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Screening study to better identify people at the highest risk for the most common form of esophageal cancer

Follow-on Funding: NIH $322,525; NIH $813,695; NIH $724,025; Evergreen Fund $50,000; Prevent Cancer Foundation $100,000
Ellen Beswick, PhD
2016–2017$215,000

Ellen Beswick, PhD

University of New Mexico (currently University of Utah)

Targeting MK2 for treatment of gastric cancer

Follow-on Funding: NIH $228,750, Anonymous $600,000
Adam Bass, MD · Timothy Wang, MD
2015–2016$200,000

Adam Bass, MD · Timothy Wang, MD

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute · Columbia University

The role of novel RHO pathway genomic alterations in diffuse gastric cancer

Follow-on Funding: DoD $75K, NIH ~$2.2M, Debbie’s Dream $50,000, Anonymous $999,094, The V Foundation $600K
Phillip D. Smith, MD
2014–2015$200,000

Phillip D. Smith, MD

University of Alabama, Birmingham

Elucidating protective mechanisms against gastric cancer

Follow-on Funding: NIH $275K, NIH $1.25M, Veterans Affairs $600K
Tony Godfrey, MD
2013–2014$225,000

Tony Godfrey, MD

Boston University

Evaluating the feasibility of a molecular cytology approach for management of patients with Barrett’s esophagus

Follow-on Funding: NIH $5M
Theresa Pizarro, PhD
2012–2013$220,000

Theresa Pizarro, PhD

Case Western Reserve University

Role of the novel IL-1 family member IL-33 in the gastric metaplasia–carcinoma sequence

Parry Guilford, MD
2012–2013$20,000

Parry Guilford, MD

University of Otago

Identification of new drugs for the treatment and prevention of diffuse gastric cancer using a high-throughput compound screening approach

Follow-on Funding: $1M
David Frank, MD, PhD
2011–2012$165,000

David Frank, MD, PhD

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Targeting gastroesophageal cancer through dual transcription inhibitors

Follow-on Funding: NIH $6M (with Drs. Bass and Rustgi), Anonymous $196,300
Manish Shah, MD
2011–2012$100,000

Manish Shah, MD

Weill Cornell Medical College

Next-generation sequencing to evaluate transcriptomic changes associated with H. pylori infection and gastric cancer carcinogenesis

Follow-on Funding: Advanced Digestive Care $100K, Starr Foundation $996K
Matthew Meyerson, MD, PhD · Adam Bass, MD
2009–2010$100,000

Matthew Meyerson, MD, PhD · Adam Bass, MD

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Investigations into the genes and genetic differences which are drivers of esophageal cancer

Follow-on Funding: NHGRI ~$1M and ~$1.2M, ACS ~$660,000 and ~$2M
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
2006–2009$500,000

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Early Onset and Familial Gastric Cancer Registry

Follow-on Funding: $408K