Past Program Awardees

On September 13, 2004, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) announced a major commitment to develop and apply nanotechnology to cancer research. To carry out this initiative, the NCI, formed the NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer, a comprehensive, integrated initiative encompassing researchers, clinicians, and public and private organizations, to develop and translate cancer-related nanotechnology research into clinical practice.

Initial focus for this research was in the areas of:

• Molecular imaging and early detection
• In vivo nanotechnology imaging systems
• Reporters of efficacy
• Multifunctional therapeutics
• Prevention and control
• Research enablers

Follow the links below to view the past program awardees:

Centers of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (2005-2010)
Cancer Nanotechnology Platform Partnerships (2005-2010)
Multidisciplinary Research Training and Team Development (2005-2010)

Centers of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (2005-2010)

• Carolina Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence
  University of North Carolina
  Principal Investigator: Rudolph Juliano, Ph.D.

• Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence Focused on Therapy Response
  Stanford University
  Principal Investigator: Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, M.D., Ph.D.

• Center of Nanotechnology for Treatment, Understanding, and Monitoring of Cancer (NANO-TUMOR)
  University of California, San Diego
  Principal Investigator: Sadik Esener, Ph.D.

• Emory-Georgia Tech Nanotechnology Center for Personalized and Predictive Oncology
  Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology
  Principal Investigators: Shuming Nie, Ph.D.

• MIT-Harvard Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence
  MIT and Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital
  Principal Investigators: Robert Langer, Ph.D., and Ralph Weissleder, M.D., Ph.D.

• Nanomaterials for Cancer Diagnostics and Therapeutics
  Northwestern University
  Principal Investigator: Chad Mirkin, Ph.D.

• Nanosystems Biology Cancer Center (NSBCC)
  California Institute of Technology
  Principal Investigator: James Heath, Ph.D.

• The Siteman Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence
  Washington University
  Principal Investigator: Samuel Wickline, M.D.

Cancer Nanotechnology Platform Partnerships (2005-2010)

• Detecting Cancer Early with Targeted Nano-probes for Vascular Signatures
  University of California
  Principal Investigator: Douglas Hanahan, Ph.D.

• DNA-linked Dendrimer Nanoparticle Systems for Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
  University of Michigan
  Principal Investigator: James Baker Jr., M.D.

• Hybrid Nanoparticles in Imaging and Therapy of Prostate Cancer
  University of Missouri
  Principal Investigator: Kattesh Katti, Ph.D.

• Integrated System for Cancer Biomarker Detection
  Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  Principal Investigator: Scott Manalis, Ph.D.

• Metallofullerene Nanoplatform for Imaging and Treating Infiltrative Tumor
  Virginia Commonwealth University
  Principal Investigator: Panos Fatouros, Ph.D.

• Multifunctional Nanoparticles in Diagnosis and Therapy of Pancreatic Cancer
  State University of New York
  Principal Investigator: Paras Prasad, Ph.D.

• Nanotechnology Platform for Pediatric Brain Cancer Imaging and Therapy
  University of Washington
  Principal Investigator: Miqin Zhang, Ph.D.

• Nanotechnology Platform for Targeting Solid Tumors
  The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center
  Principal Investigator: Jan Schnitzer, M.D.

• Nanotherapeutic Strategy for Multidrug Resistant Tumors
  Northeastern University
  Principal Investigator: Mansoor Amiji, Ph.D.

• Near-Infrared Fluorescence Nanoparticles for Targeted Optical Imaging
  The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
  Principal Investigator: Chun Li, Ph.D.

• Novel Cancer Nanotechnology Platforms for Photodynamic Therapy and Imaging
  Roswell Park Cancer Institute
  Principal Investigator: Ravindra K. Pandey, Ph.D.

• Photodestruction of Ovarian Cancer: ErbB3 Targeted Aptamer-Nanoparticle Conjugate
  Massachusetts General Hospital
  Principal Investigator: Tayyaba Hasan, Ph.D.

Multidisciplinary Research Training and Team Development (2005-2010)

Multidisciplinary Research Training and Team Development Fellowship Awards were granted to the following postdoctoral trainees:

• Design of Affinity Capture Agents for Akt1 Using in situ Click Chemistry, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA
  Trainee: Steven W. Millward, Ph.D.

• Geldanamycin-Mediated Uptake of Nanoparticle Probes, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
  Trainee: Giselle M. Knudsen, Ph.D.

• Liposomal Delivery of High LET Emitters to Cell Nuclei, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
  Trainee: Yah-El Har-El, Ph.D.

• Nanolabels of Active Proteases for Cancer Detection, University of California, San Francisco, California
  Trainee: Mark D. Lim, Ph.D.

• Nanoparticle-Bioconjugates as Cancer-Treating Agents, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
  Trainee: Sofi Bin-Salamon, Ph.D.

• Nanoprobes and Integrated Nanodevices for Cancer Detection and Treatment, University of Colorado Health Services, Superior, CO
  Trainee: Wounjhang Park, Ph.D.

• Nanoscale Mechanisms of Hsp90 and Its Co-chaperones, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
  Trainee: Ivo P. Doudevski, Ph.D.

• Short-Interfering RNA-Gold Nanoparticle Bioconjugates: A New Cancer Therapy, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
  Trainee: Adam B. Braunschweig, Ph.D.

• Single Walled Carbon Nanotube Based Tumor Vaccines, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, New York, New York
  Trainee: Rena J. May, Ph.D.

• Targeted Delivery Via Protein-Carbohydrate Interactions, Liquidia, Inc., Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
  Trainee: Ashley L. Galloway, Ph.D.

• Targeted Photoactivated Nanopartcicles for the Treatment of Ovarian Cancer, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
  Trainee: Daniel Neuman, Ph.D.

NCI-NSF Training Grants were awarded in 2005 to establish training programs for U.S. science and engineering doctoral students through the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program (IGERT). The awarded programs were:

• Building Leadership for the Nanotechnology Workforce of Tomorrow, University of Washington
  Principal Investigator: Marjorie Olmstead, Ph.D.

• Integrative Nanoscience and Microsystems, University of New Mexico
  Principal Investigator: Diana Huffaker, Ph.D.

• Nanomedical Science and Technology, Northeastern University
  Principal Investigator: Srinivas Sridhar, Ph.D.

• NanoPharmaceutical Engineering and Science, Rutgers University
  Principal Investigator: Fernando Muzzio, Ph.D.