The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

vimeo.comThe Mark Foundation for Cancer Research | Our ImpactLearn how The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research is accelerating progress in the fight against cancer.

3 Jan 2025

Hello, Bluesky! Follow along for updates on our work and the researchers we support. New to The Mark Foundation? Check out this video to learn how we accelerate progress in the fight against cancer. #CancerResearch #ResearchFunding vimeo.com/1013135446

🚨Now accepting grant proposals!🚨 In partnership with the Chordoma Foundation, we are launching the TBXT and Beyond ASPIRE Awards to accelerate novel therapeutic strategies targeting the chordoma surfaceome. 💵 Up to $500K over 24 months 🗓️ LOIs due: Dec 10 themarkfoundation.org/tbxt-and-bey... 🧵👇

🔬 Open to independent investigators at non-profit research institutions worldwide. Co-investigators welcome. Awardees will also be encouraged to leverage the Chordoma Foundation's suite of research-enabling tools and disease models to accelerate discovery.

themarkfoundation.orgTBXT and Beyond ASPIRE Awards: Request for Proposals | The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

For more details, eligibility requirements, and to start your application, view our full RFP: themarkfoundation.org/tbxt-and-bey...

Chordomas are defined by overexpression of TBXT (brachyury), an essential transcription factor that has proven difficult to drug directly. By targeting TBXT-derived peptides presented by MHC (pMHC), we aim to unlock a powerful new paradigm for chordoma and other TBXT-driven cancers.

We are seeking basic, translational, and preclinical proposals focused on: 🔹 Understanding & targeting TBXT pMHC 🔹 Expanding the targetable chordoma surfaceome 🔹 De-risking surface targeting approaches

inquirer.comPenn trial tests ultrafast form of radiation aimed at reducing cancer treatment side effectsThe trial marks the first time the technology, conformal FLASH proton therapy, is being tested in humans. The hope, ultimately, is to preserve quality of life in patients by reducing side effects.

Could delivering weeks’ worth of radiation in seconds reduce toxicity? This month, @penncancer.bsky.social launches a groundbreaking trial of FLASH radiation, developed with support from The Mark Foundation Center for Immunotherapy, Immune Signaling, and Radiation. www.inquirer.com/health/radia...

The new modality delivers radiation 100+x faster than traditional therapies—and in preclinical models, it promotes faster tissue recovery with less damage to healthy tissue. Trial doctors hope that FLASH radiation will reduce or eliminate harsh side effects induced by standard radiotherapy regimens.

themarkfoundation.orgEnhancing Anti-tumor Immunity Through Multidisciplinary Science | The Mark Foundation for Cancer ResearchAt The Mark Foundation Center for Immunotherapy, Immune Signaling, and Radiation at the University of Pennsylvania, multidisciplinary collaboration is driving meaningful research progress.

Learn more about the multidisciplinary work, including on FLASH radiation, that The Mark Foundation has supported at @upenn.edu: themarkfoundation.org/blog/enhanci...

Please share with European cancer researchers in your networks!

EACR - European Association for Cancer Research@helloeacr.bsky.social

Have an unfunded Score ‘A’ cancer-related project from the 2026 ERC Starting Grant calls? You can apply for the EACR - @themarkfdn.bsky.social - Pezcoller Foundation Rising Star Award 2027 to bridge the period before ERC re-submission. All the info you need here: eacr.org/rising-star-...

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research reposted

4 Sept

"Being part of this community has increased the visibility of our research and facilitated its dissemination to a wider audience." Julie Mazet is a 2025 recipient of an EACR-The Mark Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, read more here: magazine.eacr.org/julie-mazet-...

3 Sept

Congratulations to one of our first Endeavor Awardees, Tobias Janowitz! His work has significantly advanced our understanding of how the entire human body responds to cancer—a perspective that will be invaluable in this exciting new role.

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory@cshlnews.bsky.social

CSHL Associate Professor Tobias Janowitz has been appointed director of the Institute of Cancer Research, the oncology arm of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health. https://www.cshl.edu/janowitz-joins-feinstein-institutes/ #InspiringDiscovery #ScienceMakesLifeBetter

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research reposted

1 Sept

"This fellowship has provided crucial support for the development of my research programme." Christina Metoikidou is a 2025 recipient of an EACR- @themarkfdn.bsky.social Postdoctoral Fellowship - read more here: magazine.eacr.org/christina-me...

Safe to say he’s no longer just an “emerging” leader. 🚀 Huge congratulations to Dan Landau (@landau.bsky.social) on being named the inaugural Chair of the Department of Systems and Computational Biomedicine at @weillcornell.bsky.social! news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2026/08...

themarkfoundation.orgHarnessing Extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) and Aneuploidy Signals in Plasma Whole Genome for Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer | The Mark Foundation for Cancer ResearchOvarian cancer is notoriously difficult to detect early, with most patients diagnosed only once the disease has spread throughout the abdomen. At this advanced stage, treatment options are limited and...

Most recently, a multi-institution team led by Dan received an Early Detection Award for Ovarian Cancer supported by The Mark Foundation, @theaacr.bsky.social, @lustgarten.org, and @tinaswish.bsky.social. themarkfoundation.org/portfolio/ha...

Dan’s whole-genome, AI-driven approach to liquid biopsy cancer detection is already changing how physicians monitor and treat tumors, and we can’t wait to see what he achieves in this new role!

In addition to his 2022 Emerging Leader Award, we’re proud to have supported Dan with other grants, including the ASPIRE Award that led to his startup, C2i Genomics (acquired by Veracyte in 2024).

petermac.orgNew discovery sheds light on breast cancer treatment resistance - Peter MacCallum Cancer CentreResearchers at Peter Mac have discovered why breast cancer treatment stops working for some patients, uncovering the unexpected role of one of the body's most important cancer-fighting proteins.

CDK4/6 inhibitors, a cornerstone treatment for advanced HR+ breast cancer, were thought to work by reactivating Rb, a tumor suppressor that puts the brakes on cancer cell growth. In @nature.com, ASPIRE Awardee @shomgoel.bsky.social shows that isn’t the full story. www.petermac.org/about-us/new...

nature.comRb-driven transcription limits its tumour-suppressive effects in breast cancer - NatureCDK4/6 inhibition redirects Rb chromatin occupancy to activate oestrogen-responsive genes, counteracting its own ability to maintain therapeutic cell-cycle arrest.

This helps explain why CDK4/6 inhibitors work particularly well with endocrine therapies, and why they may be less effective in some treatment-resistant ESR1-mutant tumors. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

themarkfoundation.orgNovel Mouse Models to Accelerate the Development of Personalized Senotherapeutics | The Mark Foundation for Cancer ResearchCancer therapies aim to kill tumor cells, but many instead establish a state of cell cycle arrest known as therapy-induced senescence (TIS). Paradoxically, TIS may provide an escape route for tumor…

This work has broad implications for our understanding of cell cycle control, context-dependent chromatin activation, & the rationale for combining targeted therapies. Learn more about the project that led to this finding: themarkfoundation.org/portfolio/no...

The team found that while activated Rb suppresses most cell-cycle programs as expected, it can also switch on estrogen-related genes that promote cancer cell growth.

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research reposted

17 Aug

DEADLINE THIS WEEK: 2027 EACR-Mark Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships @themarkfdn.bsky.social Awarded for a period of 3 years in order to support excellent postdoctoral researchers in labs throughout Europe, the deadline to submit proposals is 19 Aug 2026 at 23.59 CEST. eacr.org/eacr-fellows...

30 July

There's still time to apply for this great opportunity - please share with your networks!

EACR - European Association for Cancer Research@helloeacr.bsky.social

EACR-@themarkfdn Postdoctoral Fellowships are awarded for a period of three years and support excellent postdoctoral researchers in laboratories throughout Europe. Is that you? 👀 Apply by 19 August: eacr.org/eacr-fellows...

nature.comNew hope in the fight against cachexia — cancer’s deadly co-conspiratorScientists are getting closer to understanding the wasting and fatigue that often accompanies cancer. Treatments could be on the horizon.

22 July

“I feel confident that we’ll uncover ways to treat cachexia that will make it more reversible. Ideally, we'll prevent it."—Mark Foundation CEO Ryan Schoenfeld Great feature in @nature.com on the insights changing our understanding of cancer’s deadly co-conspirator. www.nature.com/articles/d41...

19 June

So glad you enjoyed it!

Alberto Hernández Barranco@ahernandezb.bsky.social

So grateful for the support of the @helloeacr.bsky.social and the Mark Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships to attend the amazing 2026 annual EACR conference 🧪🧫 in Budapest with the @joycelab.bsky.social Already looking forward to the 2027 edition in Bilbao🇪🇸 !

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research reposted

15 June

EACR-Mark Foundation for Cancer Research Postdoctoral Fellowships are awarded for a period of three years and support excellent postdoctoral researchers in laboratories throughout Europe. Is that you? 👀 Apply by 19 August: eacr.org/eacr-fellows...

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research reposted

8 June

Julie Marie Mazet delivers the EACR - @themarkfdn.bsky.social Postdoctoral Fellowship Award Lecture on unlocking CD8+ T cell anti-tumour activity in brain metastasis at #EACR2026

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research reposted

Martha Zarou

@marthamz.bsky.social

8 June

Very happy to present my work at #EACR2026, made possible through the support of EACR- @themarkfdn.bsky.social Postdoctoral Fellowship 😊 #womeninSTEM

EACR - European Association for Cancer Research@helloeacr.bsky.social

Martha Zarou delivers the EACR - @themarkfdn.bsky.social Postdoctoral Fellowship Award Lecture 'A role for mitochondrial one carbon metabolism in early pancreatic cancer development' #EACR2026

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research reposted

Christina Metoikidou

@christinamt.bsky.social

9 June

It was a pleasure to present my research at #EACR2026, supported by @helloeacr.bsky.social @themarkfdn.bsky.social postdoctoral fellowship. Thank you to all organizers & participants!

EACR - European Association for Cancer Research@helloeacr.bsky.social

Christina Metoikidou delivers the EACR - @themarkfdn.bsky.social Postdoctoral Fellowship Award Lecture on dissecting tissue-resident and circulating trajectories to CD8 T cell dysfunction in the tumour microenvironment at #EACR2026

theguardian.comDaily pill can double survival time for world’s deadliest cancer, trial showsExperts hail daraxonrasib as ‘gamechanger’ for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer

Clinical trial results don’t usually get standing ovations—but Brian Wolpin and his team truly deserved their reception at #ASCO26. Seeing Phase 3 data on the impact of daraxonrasib in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer sent chills through the entire room. 🧵 www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

The success of daraxonrasib comes through decades of dogged research to unlock a target that had been deemed “undruggable.” Now, we’re building on that momentum to help more patients sooner.

themarkfoundation.orgDetection and Interception of KRAS-Mutant Pancreatic Cancer Using Small Molecule RAS(ON) Inhibitors | The Mark Foundation for Cancer ResearchPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, largely because most patients are diagnosed only after the disease has reached an advanced…

In partnership with @lustgarten.org & @theaacr.bsky.social, we are funding Wolpin’s work using daraxonrasib for early detection & interception of pancreatic cancer—because the ultimate goal isn’t just extending life; it’s restoring cancer-free futures. themarkfoundation.org/portfolio/de...

theguardian.comDaily pill can double survival time for world’s deadliest cancer, trial showsExperts hail daraxonrasib as ‘gamechanger’ for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer

The hope & joy from every oncologist & researcher in the room was palpable, and the results are a historic triumph for a disease that has resisted countless targeted therapies. But while this breakthrough is a victory for late-stage patients, we need to keep looking ahead.

medicine.stanford.eduTeaching Pancreatic Cancer Cells to Self-DestructQ&A with Steven Corsello, MD, on a new approach to treating pancreatic cancer.

20 May

Great feature on Drug Discovery Award winner @corsello.bsky.social by @stanforddeptmed.bsky.social! Corsello and his collaborator, Nathanael Gray, are developing novel molecular glue degraders for #pancreaticcancer. medicine.stanford.edu/news/stories...

youtube.comHow Molecular Glue Drugs Could Change Pancreatic Cancer Treatment #medicine #cancertreatmentYouTube video by Stanford Department of Medicine

20 May

Curious about how this new type of experimental drug works? Check out this fun explainer video from @stanforddeptmed.bsky.social: www.youtube.com/shorts/Rwzcb...

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research reposted

Cancer Grand Challenges

@cancergrand.bsky.social

15 May

Exciting new work from Professor Chris Garcia, co-investigator on MATCHMAKERS 👏 Team MATCHMAKERS is funded through Cancer Grand Challenges by @cancerresearchuk.org, the National Cancer Institute and @themarkfdn.bsky.social

linkedin.comDeep peptide recognition profiling decodes TCR specificity and enables disease-associated antigen discovery - Nature Biotechnology | Cancer Grand ChallengesExciting new work from K. Christopher Garcia, co-investigator on MATCHMAKERS 👏 The study published in Nature Biotechnology shows that deep peptide-recognition profiling, combined with machine learni...

cell.comOncogenic and tumor-suppressive forces converge on a progenitor niche at the benign-to-malignant transitionOpposing oncogenic and tumor-suppressive forces establish a progenitor-like state that builds a self-reinforcing niche to drive benign-to-malignant transition in pancreatic cancer models. Disruption o...

12 May

When do cells shift from benign to malignant? In @cellcellpress.bsky.social, Endeavor Awardees Scott Lowe, @danapeer.bsky.social, and Paul Romesser use spatial mapping to identify a "progenitor" state that could be targeted for early interception of pancreatic cancer. www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

1 in 100 women in the US will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in their lifetime. For more than half, that diagnosis will come once the disease has already spread, when treatment options are limited. Two of our recent grants aim to change that reality. #WorldOvarianCancerDay.

Mark Foundation-@theaacr.bsky.social-@lustgarten.org- Break Through Cancer Early Detection Award recipients Peter Sorger, David Walt, Sandro Santagata, & @rdrapkin8-penn.bsky.social are mapping ovarian cancer precursors in fallopian tubes to enable treatment while the disease is localized.

Early detection saves lives—and we are proud to be supporting science that gives us real hope for a brighter, healthier future for #ovariancancer patients.

Through the Mark Foundation - @theaacr.bsky.social-@lustgarten.org-@tinaswish.bsky.social Early Detection Award for Ovarian Cancer, @landau.bsky.social, @rdrapkin8-penn.bsky.social, Adam Widman, & Paul Mischel are searching for early signs of ovarian cancer that can be detected in a blood test.

4 May

📢 Funding opportunity: $500,000 grants for aging & cancer research!📢 With the Waxman Institute, @theaacr.bsky.social @bloodcancerunited.bsky.social, @bloodcanceruk.bsky.social & the Mike and Sofia Segal Foundation, we are seeking proposals that examine the fundamental role of aging in cancer.

4 May

Eligibility: 👥Open to teams of 2 investigators from different institutions. 🌎No geographic restrictions 🧪Cross-disciplinary expertise encouraged 🔬Projects should address the role of aging in cancer—we are especially interested in inflammaging & immunosenescence

waxmaninstitute.orgOpen Grant Opportunities

4 May

🗓️1-page letters of intent are due by June 12! For more details and additional eligibility requirements, visit our website: www.waxmaninstitute.org/our-research... #CancerResearch #ScienceFunding

nature.comEvolutionary characterization of lung cancer metastasis - NatureDNA-sequencing data from primary tumours and paired metastases from participants in the TRACERx lung study and PEACE autopsy programme are used to analyse the metastatic diversity of advanced non-smal...

1 May

How does lung cancer actually spread? In @Nature, ASPIRE Awardee @charlesswanton.bsky.social sequenced 501 tumor samples to trace how cancer advances from diagnosis to death. One key finding: >50% of metastases were seeded by other metastases. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

themarkfoundation.orgEmerging Leader Award | The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

20 Apr

Are you in years 3-8 of an independent faculty position? The Emerging Leader Award was built to give you the research runway you need. The award now offers $1M over 4 years and is open to investigators worldwide!🌎 Apply by April 30: themarkfoundation.org/emerging-lea... #ResearchFunding

themarkfoundation.orgMark Foundation Grantees at AACR 2026: Highlighting Research Advancements | The Mark Foundation for Cancer ResearchEach year, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) convenes researchers at the leading edge of oncology at its Annual Meeting. This year, the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research is proud…

17 Apr

We're proud that over 60 members of the Mark Foundation community are presenting or chairing sessions at #AACR26! Headed to San Diego? We've made a list of their talks to help you plan your weekend: themarkfoundation.org/blog/mark-fo...

themarkfoundation.orgEmerging Leader Award | The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

13 Apr

Do you know an early-career scientist pushing the boundaries of cancer research?🧬 Our Emerging Leader Award offers $1M in #researchfunding to investigators worldwide. Tag a colleague or share this post to help us spread the word! LOI deadline is April 30.

themarkfoundation.orgEmerging Leader Award | The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

8 Apr

Did you catch our news during #MarkSymposium? We’re accepting applications for our 2026 Emerging Leader Awards, now offering $1 million over 4 years & open to investigators worldwide! Submit your LOI by April 30: themarkfoundation.org/emerging-lea... #ResearchFunding