$225,000 Awarded to Penn State College of Medicine Researcher

Part of $21.2 Million Awarded in New Grants by the St. Baldrick’s Foundation

HERSHEY, Pa. (July 23, 2015) – The St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a volunteer-powered and donor-centered charity dedicated to raising money for childhood cancer research, is proud to award a $225,000, three-year St. Baldrick’s Scholar grant to support the work of Dr. George-Lucian Moldovan, a researcher at Penn State College of Medicine.

Many factors in the environment can promote leukemia in children by attacking their DNA and inducing mutations. Dr. Moldovan’s lab has discovered a novel mechanism employed by cells to repair their DNA, and found that leukemia cells alter this mechanism in order to acquire cancer-promoting mutations. Using his St. Baldrick’s grant, Dr. Moldovan will investigate innovative leukemia therapies aimed at reversing the process by targeting this DNA repair mechanism that is specifically altered in leukemia cells.

“This is a crucial time in the pediatric cancer community, with new discoveries on the horizon but limited funding to pursue scientific opportunities” says Kathleen Ruddy, chief executive officer of St. Baldrick’s, “St. Baldrick’s is honored to fund these remarkable projects that are led by the brightest minds in the field, so that all kids will have a chance to live long, healthy lives.”

To learn how you can get involved visit www.StBaldricks.org, and connect with St. Baldrick’s on social media via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Vimeo.

About St. Baldrick’s Foundation
The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-powered charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives. Since 2005, St. Baldrick’s has awarded more than $176 million to support lifesaving research, making the Foundation the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants. For more information about the St. Baldrick’s Foundation please call 1.888.899.BALD or visit www.StBaldricks.org.

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