University of Colorado
School of Medicine
Early Career Development Grant

On behalf of The North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (NANETS) it is a pleasure to announce the selection of Lauren Fishbein, MD, PhD, as the recipient of the 2012 Early Career Development award in the amount of $50,000.

Her research proposal is titled “Somatic Mutations in Pheochromocytomas and Paragangliomas” and proposes to use cutting edge “next generation” sequencing techniques to identify somatic mutations which contribute to tumorigenesis or malignant transformation.
Dr. Fishebein says "Our hope is to determine if distinct patterns of somatic mutations are associated with different inherited mutations. Since pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas are tumors associated with high morbidity and mortality with limited treatments for recurrent or metastatic disease, it is critical to understand tumorigenesis in order to identify novel molecular markers for future therapeutic targets."

This award is supported by Novartis with the goal to improve patient outcomes in NETs. This collaborative partnership and the assistance of Novartis in funding research will be a critical component of improving the lives of people with carcinoid/NET cancers. Their continued support and commitment to assist NANETS in fulfilling our mission is critical to the success of the NANETS organization.