Dr. Ripley Awarded NIH Funding to Study MOMP

Dr. R. Taylor Ripley, associate professor of surgery in the Division of General Thoracic Surgery, has received a near “perfect score” on the grant submission for the R21 Grant (Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant) from the National Institute of Health. The project titled, “Environmental Carcinogens Induce Minority MOMP to Initiate Carcinogenesis in Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma while Maintaining Apoptotic Resistance via Mcl-1”,  received an impact score of 14, which was within the top 1 percent of applicants. The goal through this research is to determine whether “mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP)” is a generalized, oncogenic mechanism associated with environmental carcinogens such as asbestos and cigarette smoke.  If so, then targeting this mechanism provides a novel approach to overcome cancer treatment resistance.  

The R21 grant aims to encourage investigative research by providing support for the early stages of ideas. This exploratory/developmental research grant should aim to lead to a breakthrough resulting in novel techniques, models, or methods that will make a difference in biomedical, behavioral, or clinical research.