Major breakthroughs in cancer research can come from the most unexpected sources. This World Cancer Day, we celebrate the curiosity that drives our scientists to look for answers in unusual places.

A pediatric patient was able to walk again after a groundbreaking discovery by Damon Runyon alumni Michael E. Pacold, MD, PhD, and Robert S. Banh, PhD, led to an experimental therapy for his neurodevelopmental condition.

Shoutout to first author, Isabella Alves, a @damonrunyon.org SPARK postbaccalaureate fellow and rising star in hematology. Very proud to see this work in print and honored to have had the opportunity to review the original article and learn more about the coolness of ferroptosis🩸🔮

Last month, Arlene Sharpe and Gordon J. Freeman (Damon Runyon Fellow '79-'81) received the inaugural edition of the Gretener-Thürlemann Prize for their foundational work on the immune system, widening the field of immunology and demonstrating how important basic science is to medical breakthrough.

No one organization can fill the gaps created by federal funding cuts to research. But as an independent funder, Damon Runyon is committed to ensuring that our scientists can continue their lifesaving work in 2026 and beyond. Until midnight, all gifts will be fully matched: damonrunyon.org/donate

Recent research from former Damon Runyon–Dale F. Frey Breakthrough Scientist Abigail Overacre-Delgoffe, PhD, suggests that sucralose—a common artificial sweetener—may interfere with cancer immunotherapy. Read more: https://bit.ly/3MZvzv1

Our scientists explain what support from Damon Runyon has meant during a turbulent year for cancer research. To everyone in our Damon Runyon community, happy holidays and thank you!

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest diagnoses, with a 5-year survival rate of about 12%. But even amidst a federal funding crisis, Damon Runyon scientists are working to advance methods of detection and treatment.

Congratulations to Damon Runyon scientists Omar Abdel-Wahab, MD, Wendy S. Garrett, MD, PhD, and David G. Kirsch, MD, PhD, for their election to the National Academy of Medicine last month! 👏 Read the full press release here: bit.ly/4hnDYDH

A study from Damon Runyon scientists Eirini Papapetrou, MD, PhD, Piro Lito, MD, PhD, Elli Papaemmanuil, PhD, and Elvin Wagenblast, PhD, explains why RAS-mutant leukemias behave differently, and may offer a clue to overcoming their treatment resistance. Read more: https://bit.ly/4p61B6k

Earlier this month, we proudly welcomed the newest cohort of Damon Runyon Fellows! These 16 brilliant postdocs will receive four years of independent funding to advance their investigation of causes, treatments, and prevention strategies for all types of cancer. Read more: https://bit.ly/4nc25Hq

The recipient of the 2025 Damon Runyon-Jake Wetchler Award for Pediatric Innovation, recognizing work with great potential to impact pediatric cancers, is Pu Zheng, PhD, a Damon Runyon-Fayez Sarofim Fellow working on new technologies to visualize cancer cell behavior within its native environment.

Wanted to give a proper shout-out to @txrwang.bsky.social for earning a @damonrunyon.org QBio Fellowship! He is a perfect example of the next gen of scientists who think deeply and creatively across disciplines of biology and ML/AI. I learned a lot from him. www.damonrunyon.org/news/entries... 1/2

Creative Ways to Back Young Scientists. Listen to Yung Lie and Andy Rachleff of Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation on The Long Run podcast. timmermanreport.com/2025/07/crea...

Damon Runyon mentor-mentee duo Piro Lito, MD, PhD, and Antonio Cuevas-Navarro, PhD, have developed a new approach to treating RAS-driven cancers, such as colorectal and pancreatic. Rather than inhibiting the cancerous protein, their drug restores its natural function. Read more:

The Clinical Investigator Award program was designed to increase the number of physician-scientists capable of translating discoveries in the lab into new treatments for cancer patients. @tanaya-shree.bsky.social was recognized as one of five new @damonrunyon.org Clinical Investigators in 2025.

Congratulations to Dr. Tanaya Shree on receiving the 2025 @damonrunyon.org Clinical Investigator Award! The recipients of this award are outstanding, early-career physician-scientists conducting patient-oriented cancer research under the mentorship of the nation's leading scientists and clinicians.

Honored to be selected as a Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator among this group of incredible scientists and appreciative of the support to conduct patient-centered mechanistic research. @ohsunews.bsky.social @ohsuknight.bsky.social #CancerImmunotherapy #LymphomaResearch

Congratulations to the newest Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators! The five recipients of this prestigious award are exceptional early-career physician-scientists conducting patient-centered cancer research.

Out now: rdcu.be/evxCv We've used CoQ10 headgroup intermediates to treat mouse models of a mitochondrial disease and improve the neurological symptoms of a patient with this disease. Grateful for funding from @damonrunyon.org , Pershing Square Foundation, @americancancersoc.bsky.social, NIH!

Join me at 3 pm Mon. June 16 at the BIO International Convention's Storytelling Stage to hear about the past, present, and future of Timmerman Traverse for @lifesciencecares.bsky.social @damonrunyon.org convention.bio.org/program/bio-...

🎉 Congratulations to #MSKPostdoc Paul Klauser (@paulklauser.bsky.social), mentored by @lewislabmskcc.bsky.social & @caleblareau.bsky.social, on being awarded the prestigious Damon Runyon Quantitative Biology Fellowship! 👏

Congrats to IICD postdoc Aaron Zweig (@elhamazizi.bsky.social and @davidaknowles.bsky.social groups), awarded the prestigious Damon Runyon Quantitative Biology Fellowship @damonrunyon.org—one of only five granted this year! 🔗 bit.ly/3TeK7GQ #CancerResearch #QuantBio

Congratulations to the newest Damon Runyon Quantitative Biology Fellows, five exceptional early-career scientists who are using state-of-the-art computational tools to bring cancer biology into high resolution!

Starting now!

Now up to almost $1700 raised for @damonrunyon.org during Day Two of #ArvCon2025, join us at 5:15 p.m. EDT for the next TTRPG session with the Expedition from the Mysterious Peaks crew! www.twitch.tv/arvaneleron

And the day has arrived! Tonight at 9 p.m. EDT, please join us for Day One of #ArvCon2025 to benefit @damonrunyon.org, featuring a TTRPG one-shot with the amazing Arvocalists!

Coming up this weekend - it's going to be a good one!

We all made it! The Timmerman Traverse for Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation team arrived at Everest Base Camp (elev. 17,600 feet) on Apr. 23, 2025. Another awe-inspiring day in the mountains, supporting brave and bold cancer research. Thanks to all who supported this marvelous experience.

Day 5 - Trek to Dengboche with incredible views of Mt. Everest with the Timmerman Traverse for @damonrunyon.org team!

Timmerman Traverse for @damonrunyon.org. Trekking to Everest Base Camp with our first sight of the top of the world today in Syangboche! Absolutely epic!

After testing 1.2 billion (yes - with a b!) drug candidates, Damon Runyon Fellow Fangyu Liu, PhD, and her colleagues may have discovered a safer way to target CaSR, a protein that has been implicated in several cancers. Read more: www.damonrunyon.org/our-impact/n...

Exciting work from former Damon Runyon Fellow and 2022 Damon Runyon-Jake Wetchler Award for Pediatric Innovation winner @anandpatellab.bsky.social 👇 bsky.app/profile/stju...

Excited to contribute to the pioneering work at @damonrunyon.org @hhmi.org @elowitzlab.bsky.social!

Thrilled to be part of the Damon Runyon community and to receive this funding. It really helps a lot in these uncertain times! Thank you to my mentor Dr. Valerie Weaver for her unwavering support! #ucsf

Honored to be part of the Damon Runyon community and to receive this funding to perform life changing cancer research. Thank you my mentors @mvhlab.bsky.social and @transactivator.bsky.social for their continual support. @mitboston.bsky.social @utswtxid.bsky.social

Honored to be named an HHMI Fellow of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation among these amazing scientists! Very grateful for the support for my postdoctoral research in the Rudensky lab @mskcancercenter.bsky.social! @damonrunyon.org @hhmi.org

We are delighted to announce our most recent class of Damon Runyon Fellows! These 13 scientists will receive four years of independent funding to investigate cancer causes, mechanisms, therapies, and prevention. Read more: www.damonrunyon.org/news/entries...

Congratulations to the newest class of Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellows! Damon Runyon and @stjuderesearch.bsky.social have joined forces to invest $1.8 million in these brilliant young scientists. More about the new Fellows:

"This partnership between Damon Runyon and St. Jude was created to give the top researchers across the U.S. the support they need to pursue the most promising breakthroughs for children with cancer," said James R. Downing, MD, St. Jude president and CEO.

Thank you so much @damonrunyon.org for supporting our work, especially in these uncertain times. We are incredibly grateful!!!

The entire Farnung lab is delighted that we receive continued support from @damonrunyon.org!

I am continually in awe of the innovative ideas and work being done by members of my lab @mskcancercenter.bsky.social I just come up with the rare dumb idea. They prove me wrong, which leads to even more interesting things. Thank you @damonrunyon.org for acknowledging their work.

Extremely grateful to Damon Runyon for this funding, especially with todays news on NIH grants. See a green macrophage nibbling on a pink cancer cell 👇

We're very thankful to the foundation's long time and continued support - we're excited to be advancing these new mechanisms towards useful applications in cancer biology!

So happy to finally announce that the obrownlab.com has received the @damonrunyon.org Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award to study the role of the #BBB in glioblastoma treatment! (www.damonrunyon.org/news/) This was some much needed good news in these dark times of lab funding

Congratulations to the recipients of the 2025 Damon Runyon-Rachleff Innovation Award! Five exceptional scientists received initial grants, and three previous awardees were given Stage 2 support to continue their critical work. Read more: www.damonrunyon.org/news/entries...

Former Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator @tcellsrus.bsky.social is sending T cells into space to study the effects of microgravity on their function. His team’s findings may inform the development of new cancer immunotherapies right back here on Earth. Read more: bit.ly/3YSSYSn

Sun, fresh air, great people. Terrific start to 2025 with Timmerman Traverse alumni hike. Includes recruits training for Everest Base Camp in Apr. for @damonrunyon.org and those looking forward to the PNW in Aug. for @lifesciencecares.bsky.social Thanks Jen McNealey for organizing.

Starting 2025 with gratitude for @damonrunyon.org and all those who support our quest to understand and develop more effective treatments for metastatic cancer.