NewsAugust 30 2023

Cycle 4 of the Bragg Cancer Research Endowment Grants Announced

A man points toward graphics with the word "grant" in the middle

John Bell, MD, Director of The University of Tennessee Medical Center’s Cancer Institute, recently announced the fourth cycle of cancer research grant awards from the Bettie and Oscar Bragg Cancer Research Endowment. This year’s awards totaled $200,000 with six impactful research projects selected.

The Bettie and Oscar Bragg Cancer Research Endowment was created in 2015 with funds raised in a philanthropic campaign led by community volunteers Steve and Becky South. The endowment will continue to fund meaningful cancer research on the campus of the medical center and the UT Graduate School of Medicine.

Cycle 5 applications will be accepted beginning November 15, 2023, with awards announced in spring 2024.

For more information, visit the Cancer Institute or to make donation to the Bragg Cancer Research Endowment visit Ways to Give | UT Medical Center.

See the Cycle 4 winners and their project titles below.

Cycle 4 Principal Investigators and Project Titles

Manasi Balchandran

Manasi Balachandran, Ph.D

Ph. D, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine


Development of Novel Chimeric Antigen Receptor Macrophages (CAR-M) for Light Chain Amyloid Clearance

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Ashton Brooks, MD

Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery


The Impact of Patient Education and Pain Management Pathways on Opioid Utilization and Patient Reported Outcomes for Breast Surgery Patients

Laura M. Enomoto MD, MSc

Laura Enomoto, MD

Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery


AI-Enabled Robot for Genetic Risk Assessment Education in Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study

Joseph Jackson

Joseph Jackson, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine


Treatment of Murine GBM Using an Oncolytic HSV Engineered to Improve Immunogenic Tumor Destruction

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Kristopher Kimball, MD

Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology


Clinical Recommendations for Adult HPV Vaccination: Exploring Patient and Provider Perspectives

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Jillian Lloyd, MD, MPH

Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery


Understanding the Negative Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on Breast Cancer Treatment Complications: Exploring Mechanisms and Moderators to Inform Future Interventions for High-Risk Breast Cancer Patients