Announcing CPRIT’s New Website and 2018 Annual Report

Yesterday I delivered CPRIT’s 2018 Annual Report to state leadership and the Texas Legislature. It can be accessed here on CPRIT’s new website.

This new website is a platform for sharing news and information on CPRIT’s investments and advances in cancer research, product development and prevention. The newsroom features our grantees and current CPRIT events, with access to our social media channels. New features include sections on CPRIT’s impact, greater detail on CPRIT Scholar recruitments and CPRIT-funded core facilities at Texas’ academic institutions. Also available are current reports used to inform the public, legislators and media.

CPRIT Legislation Filed – 86th Texas Legislature

With the 86^th Texas Legislature in full swing, here is a summary of filed legislation concerning CPRIT. Please click on the links for more information.

House Joint Resolution 12 (Rep. John Zerwas) - Authorizes a second $3 billion in General Obligation Bonds for cancer research and prevention to be submitted to voters at the general election on November 5, 2019.

House Bill 39 (Rep. John Zerwas) - Removes restriction against new grant awards in FY 2023 in the event additional General Obligation Bonds are authorized by voters or another funding source is used for FY 2023 and beyond.

Senate Bill 438 (Senator Jane Nelson) – Senate companion to House Bill 39.

Senate Bill 200 (Senator Charles Schwertner) - Requires CPRIT to develop a plan for self-sufficiency once 2007 General Obligation Bond funds expire.

CPRIT Presents Legislative Appropriations Request to the Senate Finance Committee

(AUSTIN) – Today, CPRIT leadership presented the agency’s legislative appropriations request (LAR) to the Senate Finance Committee. Among the highlights is the agency’s exceptional item request of $164 million in General Revenue to maintain grant program current services through FY 2021. Chief Executive Officer Wayne Roberts and Chief Operating Officer Heidi McConnell appeared before the committee to testify on behalf of CPRIT. See the presentation submitted to the committee.

New CPRIT Scholar Grants Recruit Talent to Texas Institutions

AUSTIN — Today, four new CPRIT Scholar grants totaling $16 million were awarded. The grants will support the recruitment of investigators researching cancers of the brain and digestive system as well as experts in the field of immunotherapy.

“CPRIT Scholars are key to the momentum Texas has achieved in building a cancer-fighting ecosystem,” said Wayne Roberts, CPRIT CEO. “Attracting top talent to our state ensures that Texas institutions are at the cutting-edge of cancer research.”

CPRIT Scholar Morrison Elected to the National Academy of Medicine

(AUSTIN) – CPRIT Scholar Sean Morrison, Ph.D. of The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Election to the Academy, considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine, recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.

CPRIT Grantee Eberlin earns “Genius” Award for Innovative Cancer-detecting Device

(AUSTIN) – Livia Schiavinato Eberlin Ph.D., an assistant professor of chemistry at The University of Texas at Austin, has won a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, sometimes called a “Genius” award with a no-strings attached prize of $625,000. The fellowship results from her invention of the “MasSpec Pen,” a handheld device that identifies cancerous tissue within 10 seconds during surgical procedures. The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas provides the funding to determine if her innovation has practical application. Earlier this year, her work on the device earned an Innovation Award from South by Southwest Interactive, and she consulted on an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” that featured the “MasSpec Pen.”