Dr. David Lyden, the Stavros S. Niarchos Associate Professor in Pediatric Cardiology, an investigator in the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, and associate professor of cell and development biology at Weill Cornell Medical College, has been named one of only 12 winners of the Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Awards for his work in cancer research.
Dr. Lyden and his team of researchers have recently begun studying permissive microenvironments, or the metastatic niches, that form in particular tissues located far from the primary tumor, well before full metastasis takes hold.
"In cancer, it is metastatic disease that causes morbidity and mortality," Dr. Lyden said. "At our lab, we're developing a strategic approach to studying metastasis. Our goal is ultimately to be able to predict and pre-empt the process — early, if possible, but even in advanced metastasis."
Dr. Lyden believes his lab's discoveries could open doors leading to the development of new cancer treatments that target each step along the metastatic pathway. "We can envision a time in the not-too-distant future when we'll be able to prevent metastasis through a new approach for early detection and treatment," he says. "That's why we're studying the earliest changes in the pre-metastatic niche in such depth."
The Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Awards provide each investigator $100,000 per year for three years. The 12 award-winning research proposals from 2008 represent innovative and cutting-edge technology from disciplines that include molecular biology, diagnostics, imaging, infectious disease, tissue engineering and neurobiology.
In selecting awardees, the Hartwell Foundation takes into account the nature of the proposed innovation, the extent to which a translational approach might promote rapid clinical application of research results, the supportive role and extent of collaboration in the proposed research, and the institutional commitment to provide encouragement and technical support to the investigator.
Dr. Brian Lamon, a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, received a $100,000 Biomedical Research Fellowship from the Hartwell Foundation as well. The award offers support for two years ($50,000 per year) to scientists in the early stages of their research careers by enabling them to pursue further specialized training as part of their professional development. Dr. Lamon's current research focus is on the regulation and role of cyclooxygenase (COX) in inflammatory vascular disease.
Dr. Lamon's award is the second year in a row that a Weill Cornell faculty member has received a Hartwell Foundation grant. Last year, Dr. Charles Glatt, assistant professor in psychiatry, and Dr. Anjali Rajadhyaksha, assistant professor of neurology and neuroscience at Weill Cornell, both received Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Awards for translational biomedical research aimed at helping children.