Sanjeevani Arora Receives Cancer Research Grant from Department of Defense

Sanjeevani Arora, PhD

Sanjeevani Arora, PhD

The US Department of Defense (DOD) has selected Sanjeevani Arora, PhD, as the recipient of the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) Career Development award and grant for fiscal year 2017. The grant will be used to fund clinical efforts benefiting both military and civilian patients.

Arora is an assistant research professor in the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Her research has primarily focused on DNA damage repair as a potential predictive biomarker for the effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

She strives to establish this biomarker to guide in the individualized treatment of patients with colorectal cancer, including preventing patients from receiving unnecessary treatments. She hopes this research can have an impact on other cancers as well, outside of colorectal cancer.

The PRCRP Career Development grant, which provides up to $650,000 over a 3-year period, fosters the idea of young and experienced cancer researchers alike can work together.

Arora credits her research to guidance she has received from mentors such as Margie L. Clapper, PhD, and Joshua Meyer, MD, from Fox Chase. She’s also accepted advice from other experts in the field, including Michael Hall, MD, Roland L. Dunbrack, PhD, Margret Einarson, PhD, Elizabeth Handorf, PhD, and Yan Zhou, PhD.

“Thementorship I’m receiving, along with the resources and time gifted to me by this grant, is invaluable as a young investigator,” Arora said in a statement.

The PRCRP aims to advance the availability of cancer care to service members, their families, and the American public and to improve their quality of life by decreasing the burden of cancer. The PRCRP Career Development award is awarded annually.

“My hope is that this grant will be a springboard to further my career and allow me to continue pursing research that is important in cancer prevention and control,” Arora said.