Rebecca Dodd, PhD, Assistant Professor in Hematology, Oncology, and Blood & Marrow Transplantation, has received the Neurofibromatosis New Investigator Award. This research program is funded by the US Department of Defense through the office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). With her three-year, $686,239 award funds, Dr. Dodd hopes to identify new therapeutic targets that can be used to help people with Neurofibromatosis Type 1, a condition characterized by the growth of cancerous tumors along the nerves.

Dr. Dodd explains the project this award will fund:

The aims will focus on 1) defining the role of myeloid cells in the growth of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs), an aggressive soft-tissue sarcoma, and 2) dissecting the molecular mechanisms contributing to their function.

This work builds off of previous studies where we designed a unique mouse that uses Cre-loxP technology to reflect the distinct genetics of stromal cells found in patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 1. Our proposed studies will use combinations of Cre-loxP and new CRIPSR/Cas9 mouse models to dissect the impact of genetic events in specific immune cell populations on MPNST biology.

For more info on the CDMRP and NF: http://cdmrp.army.mil/nfrp/default

For more info on Dr. Rebecca Dodd’s research, her lab members, and recent publications: https://dodd.lab.uiowa.edu/