September 27, 2021

Women’s Global Health Institute announces 2021 Catherine Peachey Breast Cancer Research Program Awards

Luis Solorio Luis Solorio

The Purdue Women’s Global Health Institute (WGHI) together with the Catherine Peachey Fund is announcing awards to two breast cancer research projects led by Luis Solorio, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, and Michael Wendt, associate professor of medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology.

Luis Solorio’s winning project is titled “Evaluating the impact of complex extracellular matrix proteins using a high-throughput magnetically actuated 3D microtumor environment for more precise breast cancer drug screening." The project uses an innovative and unique approach to evaluate the effect of the mechanical properties of extracellular environment on metastatic breast cancer growth and drug responsiveness. The impact of this study on breast cancer is expected to be significant, according to reviewers from the WGHI and Catherine Peachey Fund.

Michael Wendt Michael Wendt

Michael Wendt’s winning project is titled “Understanding the role of obesity in facilitating resistance to HER2- targeted therapies." The project will investigate how obesity-driven metastasis regulates lipid metabolism, leading to an acquired resistance to breast cancer treatment, and how to overcome such drug resistance. This work focuses on an important issue with much needed attention and has an excellent translational potential in breast cancer treatment, according to reviewers from the WGHI and Catherine Peachey Fund.

WGHI launched the program in partnership with the Catherine Peachey Fund in 2021, built on the shared interests and goals to promote advances in breast cancer research and treatment and to support research that are best positioned to move from the bench to the clinic. The Catherine Peachey Fund was established in memory of Cathy Peachey, one of the founders of the Indiana Breast Cancer Coalition.

This joint program provides annual research funding that includes a variety of disciplines addressing prevention, early detection, and treatment of breast cancer. The next call for proposals will be in April and is posted on the WGHI website.

About WGHI

The Women’s Global Health Institute, a partner of the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, serves as a nexus of interdisciplinary research to create partnerships, promote research and develop training opportunities to improve the health and quality of life for women through the prevention and early detection of disease.


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