Research Funded To Date

The Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation is dedicated to finding a cure for brain cancer. We strive in improve the quality of life and increase the life expectancy of those diagnosed with brain cancer by funding promising research that creates more diagnostics and treatments for patients.

Since 2008, we have funded 36 separate institutions with over 114 different research grants totaling over $165 million. These grants have involved research in phase 0 clinical trials, biomarkers, genomics, imaging, immunotherapy, stem cell, vaccines, and the development of possible new drugs.

2023

NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES INTERNSHIP PROGRAM AT TGEN DESIGNED TO GIVE HIGH SCHOOL AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS INTENSIVE, HANDS-ON RESEARCH EXPERIENCE WORKING ALONGSIDE A MENTOR-SCIENTIST TO LEARN ABOUT TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH WHILE INVESTIGATING QUESTIONS WITHIN THE NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES

PI: Kristen Kaus
Manager of Education and Outreach
Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGEN)

$110,218

DEVELOP QUANTITATIVE METHODS TO ASSESS METHIONNINE METABOLISM AND TEST THE EFFICACY OF METHIONNE-DIRECTED THERAPEUTICS IN MOUSE MODELS AND PATIENTS WITH GLIOBLASTOMA

PIs: Daniel Wahl, MD, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology
University of Michigan

Costas Andreas Lyssiotis, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology
University of Michigan

Wajd Al-Holou
Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery
University of Michigan

Deepak Nagrath
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
University of Michigan

$500,000 over two years

PHASE I CLINICAL TRIAL TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY, SAFETY, AND CLINICAL EFFICACY OF TGFβ-RESISTANT ILIRα2-CAR T CELLS FOR TREATMENT OF RECURRENT GLIOBLASTOMA

PIs: Christine Brown, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and Immuno-Oncology
City of Hope

Darya Alizadeh, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor, Department of Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and Immuno-Oncology
City of Hope

$600,000 over two years

DETERMINE THE STRUCTURAL BASIS AND MOLECULAR MECHANISM OF ACTION OF SUM01 DEGRADERS IN TREATMENT OF GLIOBLASTOMA, ALONE AND IN COMBINATION WITH CURRENT STANDARD CHEMO AND RADIOTHERAPY

PIs: Chunhai Charlie, MD, Ph.D.
Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Indiana University

Yuichiro Takagi, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Indiana University

Marc S. Mendonca, Ph.D.
Professor Radiation Oncology
Indiana University

Anita C. Bellail, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor Pathology and Lab Medicine
Indiana University

Chafiq Hamdouchi, Ph.D.
Co-Director Cancer Drug Discovery and Development
Indiana University

Thomas M. O’Connell, Ph.D.
Associate Professor Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Indiana University

$597,184 over two years

ENGINEERING A MULTI-ANTIGEN TARGETING CAR T THERAPY WITH CONFINED ACTIVITES WITHIN THE TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT TO TREAT ANTIGENICALLY HETEROGENOUS ADULT GLIOBLASTOMA

PI: Leyuan Ma, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

$600,000 over two years

DEVELOP SMALL MOLECULE INHIBITORS OF A NEWLY IDENTIFIED ONCOGENE IN GLIOBLASTOMA

PIs: Hui Li, Ph.D.
Professor Pathology and Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
University of Virginia

Michael Hilinski, Ph.D.
Professor Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
University of Virginia

$600,000 over two years

DEVELOP AND TEST NEW THERAPIES FOR GLIOBLASTOMA USING MICORNAS

PIs: Roger Abounader, MD, Ph.D.
Professor of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, Associate Director for Basic Research
University of Virginia

Jamie F. Mata, Ph.D.
Professor of Radiology and Medical Imaging, Assistant Director Center of In-vivo HPG MRI
University of Virginia

$600,000 over two years

DEVELOP AND DEPLOY STRATEGIES FOR LEVERAGING MRI-GUIDED FOCUSED ULTRASOUND THERAPY TO POTENTIATE CAR-T CELL THERAPY AGAINST ADULT HIGH-GRADE GLIOMAS

PIs: Natasha D. Sheybani, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Research Director, UVA Focused Ultrasound Cancer Immunotherapy Center
University of Virginia

Dalia Haydar, Ph.D.
Research Faculty and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
George Washington University

$600,000 over two years

AN INTERVENTION PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES EDUCATION AND LIFESTYLE IMPROVEMENT SKILLS AS WELL AS MEDICAL AND COUNSELING SERVICES TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WHO ARE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE AND/OR WHO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH DIABETES AND PREDIABETES.

PI: Elvia Lish, RDN, CDCES
Director, Ivy Family Wellness Program
Society of St. Vincent de Paul

$250,000