Cycle for Survival is proud to support a wide range of rare cancer research initiatives that have the potential to transform bold ideas into lifesaving breakthroughs.
Each project that Cycle for Survival funds advances progress toward new and more effective ways to diagnose, treat, and cure people with a rare cancer. These MSK researchers were chosen by teams to receive funding in the areas specified below from the $30 million raised during Cycle for Survival’s 2023 season.
David Abramson, MD
Chief of the Ophthalmic Oncology Service
Retinoblastoma
Nadeem Abu-Rustum, MD
Chief of the Gynecology Service, Founder’s Chair
Gynecologic Cancer
Carol Aghajanian, MD
Chief of the Gynecologic Medical Oncology Service, Avon Chair in Gynecologic Oncology Research
Gynecologic Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma
Cristina Antonescu, MD
Director of Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology
Pediatric Sarcoma
Vinod Balachandran, MD
Pancreatic Cancer
Fiyinfolu Balogun, MD, PhD
Health Equity in Pancreatic Cancer
Carol Brown, MD
Senior Vice President, Chief Health Equity Officer, Vice Chair of Health Equity in the Department of Surgery, Nicholls-Biondi Chair for Health Equity
Health Equity in Endometrial Cancer
Matthew Buas, PhD
Esophageal Cancer
Debyani Chakravarty, PhD
Health Equity in Pancreatic Cancer
Sandra D’Angelo, MD
Synovial Sarcoma
Mark Dickson, MD
Liposarcoma
Ira Dunkel, MD
Pediatric Cancer
Joseph Erinjeri, MD, PhD
Interventional Radiology
Sameer Farouk Sait, MBBS
Pediatric Cancer
Darren Feldman, MD
Chair of Quality Assurance in the Department of Medicine, Section Head of Germ Cell Cancer
Testicular Cancer
Sergio Giralt, MD
Deputy Division Head of the Division of Hematologic Malignancies, Chief Medical Officer of MSK Direct, Melvin Berlin Family Chair in Multiple Myeloma
Multiple Myeloma, Immunotherapy
Julia Glade Bender, MD
Vice Chair for Clinical Research
Adolescent Sarcoma
Mrinal Gounder, MD
Physician Ambassador to India and Asia
CIC-DUX4 Sarcoma
Rachel Grisham, MD
Section Head of Ovarian Cancer, Director of Gynecologic Medical Oncology at MSK Westchester
Leiomyosarcoma
John Healey, MD
Stephen McDermott Chair in Surgery
Sarcoma Immunotherapy
Martee Hensley, MD
Associate Vice Chair of Academic Affairs, Chair of the Promotions Advisory Committee
Leiomyosarcoma
Alan Ho, MD, PhD
Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma
Christine Iacobuzio-Donahue, MD, PhD
Director of the David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, David M. Rubenstein Chair
Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine Research
Yelena Janjigian, MD
Chief of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Service
Esophageal Cancer, Gastrointestinal Cancer
William Jarnagin, MD
Chief of the Hepatobiliary Service, Leslie H. Blumgart Chair in Surgery
Hepatobiliary Cancer
Matthias Karajannis, MD
Chief of the Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Service
Pediatric Neuro-Oncology
Nancy Kemeny, MD (Endowed Chair)
Metastatic Colorectal and Liver Cancer Pump Research
T. Peter Kingham, MD
Director of the Global Cancer Disparities Initiatives
Hepatobiliary Cancer, Bile Duct Cancer
Alex Kentsis, MD, PhD
Director of the Tow Center for Developmental Oncology
Pediatric Cancer
Christopher Klebanoff, MD
Laboratory Head in the Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program, Member Investigator in the Center for Cell Engineering
Synovial Cell Carcinoma
Jason Konner, MD
Gynecologic Cancer, Ovarian Cancer
Andrew Kung, MD, PhD
Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, Lila Acheson Wallace Chair for Pediatric Research
Pediatric Cancer, Pediatric Fellow Support
Brian Kushner, MD
Neuroblastoma Vaccine Trial
Michael La Quaglia, MD
Joseph H. Burchenal Chair in Pediatrics
Pediatric Cancer Surgery
Ross Levine, MD
Deputy Physician-in-Chief of Translational Research at Memorial Hospital, Laurence Joseph Dineen Chair in Leukemia Research With Special Emphasis on Leukemia in Children and Young People
Blood Cancer, Human Oncology and Pathogenesis Program
Vicky Makker, MD
Section Head of the Endometrial Cancer Program, Director of the Hematology-Medical Oncology Fellowship Training Program
Gynecologic Cancer
Ingo Mellinghoff, MD
Chair of the Department of Neurology, Chief of the Brain Tumor Service, Evnin Family Chair in Neuro-Oncology
Brain Cancer, Glioblastoma, Grade 2 Astrocytoma
Paul Meyers, MD
Robbins Family Chair in Pediatrics
Pediatric Sarcoma
Shakeel Modak, MD
Chief of the Neuroblastoma Service
Neuroblastoma
Daniela Molena, MD
Director of the Esophageal Surgery Program
Esophageal Cancer
Luc Morris, MD
Director of the Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery Fellowship Program, Head of the Laboratory of Experimental Cancer Immunogenomics
Head and Neck Cancer
Sujana Movva, MD
Uterine Leiomyosarcoma
Garrett Nash, MD, MPH
Vice Chair of Quality and Safety in the Department of Surgery
Mesothelioma
Roisin O’Cearbhaill, MD
Research Director of the Gynecologic Medical Oncology Service, Clinical Director of Solid Tumors in the Cellular Therapy Service
Gynecologic Cancer
Eileen O’Reilly, MD
Co-Director of Medical Initiatives in the David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, Section Head of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Neuroendocrine Cancers, Winthrop Rockefeller Endowed Chair of Medical Oncology
Pancreatic Cancer
Michael Ortiz, MD
Pediatric Sarcoma, Wilms Tumor
Jae Park, MD
Chief of the Cellular Therapy Service
Immunotherapy
Philip Paty, MD
Talcott Chair for Clinical Excellence
Appendiceal Cancer
Michael Postow, MD
Chief of the Melanoma Service, Co-Director of the Melanoma Disease Management Team
Melanoma
Raajit Rampal, MD, PhD
Director of the Center for Hematologic Malignancies, Director of the Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Program
Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Diane Reidy-Lagunes, MD
Vice Chair of Oncology Operations for the Regional Cancer Network, Creator and Host of the Cancer Straight Talk From MSK Podcast
Gastrointestinal Neuroendocrine Tumors
Mark Robson, MD
Chief of the Breast Medicine Service
Specified Project for Rare Cancer Research
Jonathan Rosenberg, MD
Chief of the Genitourinary Oncology Service, Enno W. Ercklentz, Jr. Chair
Bladder Cancer
Alexander Shoushtari, MD
Clinical Director of the Melanoma Service, Member of the Cellular Therapy Service
Eye Melanoma
Neerav Shukla, MD
Chief of the Pediatric Translational Medicine Service, Bristol-Myers Squibb/James D. Robinson III Junior Faculty Chair
Pediatric Cancer
Samuel Singer, MD
Chief of the Gastric and Mixed Tumor Service, Vincent Astor Chair of Clinical Research
Sarcoma
Emily Slotkin, MD
Pediatric Cancer, Rhabdomyosarcoma
David Solit, MD
Director of the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology, Geoffrey Beene Chair
Make-an-IMPACT Initiative, Bile Duct Cancer
Viviane Tabar, MD
Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, Theresa Feng Chair in Neurosurgery
Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma
William Tap, MD
Chief of the Sarcoma Medical Oncology Service
Sarcoma, Adolescent Sarcoma, Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor
Saad Usmani, MD, MBA
Chief of the Myeloma Service
Multiple Myeloma
Leonard Wexler, MD
Pediatric Sarcoma, Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, Rhabdomyosarcoma