ASCO’s Conquer Cancer Foundation has announced the recipients of its 2018 International Innovation Grants (IIG) and International Development and Education Awards (IDEA). Both the grant and award support oncology professionals in low-and middle-income countries, investing in either an innovative research project or formulating meaningful mentoring relationships that transcend borders.
“Cancer can affect anyone, anywhere,” said Thomas G. Roberts, Jr, MD, Chair of the Conquer Cancer Board of Directors. “By funding research, Conquer Cancer and its donors are working to improve the access and quality of cancer care not just in the United States, but worldwide. This year’s recipients of both the IIG and IDEA awards will continue to expand our knowledge of care in different settings and encourage international conversations about innovative and effective cancer care.”
International Innovation Grants
THE INTERNATIONAL Innovation Grants are 1-year grants of up to $20,000, given directly to each awardee’s nonprofit organization or government agency. The grants fund research projects aimed at improving cancer care in low- and middle-income countries that have the potential to be transferable to settings in other resource-constrained countries. This year, three International Innovation Grants will support innovative projects in India, Mexico, and Tanzania, focusing on broader access to palliative care, adherence to maintenance therapy of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and utilizing technology for early detection of skin cancers. The recipients selected for the 2018 IIG are:
- Sushma Bhatnagar, MD, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Palliative Care: Promoting Access and International Cancer Experience in India Collaborative (PC-PAICE India Collaborative)
- Laura Rodriguez Romo, MD, Centro Universitario Contra el Cáncer, Hospital Universitario “Dr. José Eleuterio González” U.A.N.L. Evaluation of 6MP Adherence in Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Mexico
- Fidel Rubagumya, MBBS, Ocean Road Cancer Institute Use of Smartphone Application for Early Detection of Skin Cancers in People With Albinism
International Development and Education Awards
THE INTERNATIONAL Development and Education Awards were established to connect early-career oncologists in low- and middle-income countries with oncology leaders based in Canada and the United States to establish mentoring relationships. The award includes attendance at the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting and a post-meeting visit to the mentor’s institution, with the aim of developing a long-term, knowledge-sharing relationship to improve cancer care in the mentee’s home country. New countries represented for the first time among recipients include Guatemala and Bangladesh. The International Development and Education Award in Palliative Care (IDEA-PC) provides this same opportunity for early-career oncologists with a specific interest in palliative medicine. This year, Conquer Cancer awarded 24 IDEA and IDEA-PC awards, totaling 352 IDEA and IDEA-PC awards to recipients in 62 countries over the past 16 years.
The 2018 IDEA recipients are:
- Ryan Anthony Agas, MD, Benavides Cancer Institute, University of Santo Tomas Hospital (Philippines)
- Rereloluwa Babalola, MBChB, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife (Nigeria)
- Jimmy Awisan Billod, MD, Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (Philippines)
- Arunangshu Das, MBBS, FCPS, Square Hospitals Ltd (Bangladesh)
- Jennifer Ivonne Dominguez, MD, MSc, (Guatemalan), Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición “Salvador Zubiran” (Mexico)
- Ivana Dusan Durutovic, MD, Clinical Center of Montenegro (Montenegro)
- Samir Fasih, MBBS, FCPS, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (Pakistan)
- Aynur Oktamovna Kenjaeva, MD, Kazakh Institute Oncology and Radiology (Kazakhstan)
- Ishmael Kyei, MBBS, MD, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (Ghana)
- Raúl Alejandro López, MD, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (Mexico)
- Vinícius Lorandi, MD, Hospital do Câncer Mãe de Deus (Brazil)
- Pesona Grace Lucksom, MBBS, MS, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences (India)
- Angela Awino Mcligeyo, MBBS, University of Nairobi (Kenya)
- Patience Musiwa-Mba, MBBS, MS, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals (Zimbabwe)
- Ram Vasudevan Nampoothiri, MBBS, MD, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (India)
- Sami Saleem Omar, MBBS, Rizgary Oncology Center (Iraq)
- Jitendra Pariyar, MD, Civil Service Hospital (Nepal)
- Andra Piciu, MD, PhD, “Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta” Institute of Oncology Cluj-Napoca (Romania)
- Raúl Rogelio Trejo Rosales, MD, Hospital Oncológico, Centro Medico Nacional Siglo XXI (Mexico)
- Edom Seife Woldetsadik, MD, Black Lion Hospital, Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia)
The 2018 IDEA-PC recipients are:
- Pauline Anne Cauton, MD, St. Luke’s Medical Center (Philippines)
- Anuja Damani, MBBS, MD, Tata Memorial Centre (India)
- Eunice Nkechi Omoyeni, MBBS, MPH, University College Hospital, Ibadan (Nigeria)
- Shristi Tiwari, MBBS, MD, Nepal Cancer Hospital and Research Center (Nepal)
Supporters*
THE 2018 IDEA is supported by Takeda Oncology. The 2018 IDEA-PC is supported by Conquer Cancer’s Mission Endowment. ■
* As of February 22, 2018
© 2018. American Society of Clinical Oncology. All rights reserved.
