Major new funding supports early career investigators working on cures for pancreatic cancer

AGA receives grant from The Bern Schwartz Family Foundation to fund pancreatic cancer research.

2024-02-26

(Press-News.org) Bethesda, MD (Feb. 26, 2024) — The AGA Research Foundation has announced a $1.4 million endowment grant from The Bern Schwartz Family Foundation. The AGA Institute will provide matching support, resulting in a $2.8 million endowment dedicated to advancing basic research in pancreatic cancer, the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.

The endowment will fund a second AGA-Bern Schwartz Family Fund Research Scholar Award in Pancreatic Cancer. The first award, created in 2013, will also continue. Both awards provide selected early career-investigators with $100,000 per year for three years to have protected time to focus on pancreatic cancer research. The award is named in honor of the late businessman and photographer, Bern Schwartz (1914-1978) who died from the disease.

Over the last two decades six researchers have received this prestigious award:

Kenneth Yu, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Kenneth Olive, PhD, Columbia University Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center

Laura D. Wood, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Florencia McAllister, MD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Jason R. Pitarresi, PhD, UMass Chan Medical School

Srinivas Gaddam, MD, MPH, Cedars-Sinai

“We believe that progress toward a cure for pancreatic cancer will come from the concentrated efforts of smart investigators who have the resources they need and enough dedicated time to do their work,” said Michael Camilleri, MD, DSc, AGAF, chair of the AGA Research Foundation. “We warmly thank The Bern Schwartz Family Foundation for their commitment to continuing this research.”

The Schwartz family added, “The AGA Research Foundation recognizes the critical need for young research talent that is focused on this area, and we are delighted to be their partner in creating a second Research Scholar Award.”

More information

Learn more about AGA Research Foundation.

Learn more about Bern Schwartz and The Bern Schwartz Family Foundation.

Donate to the AGA Research Foundation.

View all AGA Research Foundation awards.

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Contact for media: Mara Shapiro, media@gastro.org, 301-329-5709

About the AGA Institute

The American Gastroenterological Association is the trusted voice of the GI community. Founded in 1897, the AGA has grown to more than 16,000 members from around the globe who are involved in all aspects of the science, practice and advancement of gastroenterology. The AGA Institute administers the practice, research and educational programs of the organization. www.gastro.org

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About the AGA Research Foundation

The AGA Research Foundation is the cornerstone of AGA’s effort to expand digestive disease research funding. Since 1984, AGA, through its foundation, has provided more than $67 million in research grants to 1,263 scientists. The AGA Research Foundation serves as a bridge to the future of research in gastroenterology and hepatology by providing critical funding to advance the careers of talented researchers between the end of training and the establishment of credentials that earn National Institutes of Health grants. Learn more about the AGA Research Foundation or make a contribution at foundation.gastro.org.

About The Bern Schwartz Family Foundation

The Bern Schwartz Family Foundation sponsors photography exhibitions and educational initiatives in museums, libraries, and universities. Following a successful career in business, Bern Schwartz developed his photography skills and became a world-renowned portrait photographer. His portraits of British royalty, actors and politicians are in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London. His photography archive is at the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford. His portraits have been exhibited in museums and galleries in the US and Europe. https://bernschwartz.org

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