Since 2005, our Seed Grant Program has fostered an environment for research to bloom. As we mark 20 years since our first cohort of grantees, it is more exciting than ever to look back and see all that is being accomplished.
Andrea Bullock, MD, MPH, received a 2011 Seed Grant, a pivotal milestone that helped shape her career as an investigator dedicated to pancreatic cancer research. Now, as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a medical oncologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Dr. Bullock continues her work as an academic medical oncologist and clinical investigator.
Thanks to early funding from her Seed Grant award, Dr. Bullock was able to focus on pancreaticobiliary cancers, spearheading collaborations that continue to this day on translational early detection efforts. Her work contributed to significant clinical advancements, including the routine use of germline and somatic genetic testing, the integration of PARP inhibitors into treatment strategies, and an increased focus on homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) in pancreatic cancer. These efforts have directly influenced patient care and the development of targeted therapies.
Dr. Bullock is committed to understanding cancer pathogenesis and developing therapeutic strategies that can be rapidly translated into clinical practice. Her research explores the intersection of DNA repair mechanisms and mitogenetic signaling in pancreatic cancer, including the role of somatic BRCA mutations and receptor tyrosine kinase growth factor signaling in the EGFR and PI3K pathways. She oversees multiple phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials exploring novel targeted and immune therapies for pancreatic cancer. As a medical oncologist and clinical translational investigator, Dr. Bullock is dedicated to advancing research that enhances outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients.
Dr. Bullock envisions a future where early detection efforts are prioritized and immuno-oncology breakthroughs lead to durable responses for pancreatic cancer patients. Thanks to early-career funding from the Hirshberg Foundation’s Seed Grant Program, she continues to drive transformative research that brings hope to those affected by pancreatic cancer.
Thanks to your support, we’ve been planting seeds of hope through our Seed Grant Program for 20 years. It’s a delight to watch research grow from the lab to the clinic and bloom into clinical trials and new treatment options.
Help us continue to sow seeds of hope for a cancer-free future, donate today.
