The Specialized Cardiac and Vascular IGNITE award supports innovative early-phase, proof-of-concept investigations on sex-differences in cardiac and vascular diseases, including studies on disease mechanisms, biomarkers, diagnostics and therapeutics.
The Cardiac and Vascular IGNITE Award is funded by the Scott Schoen and Nancy Adams Research Fund in Women’s Vascular Disease.
The Gayle Brinkenhoff IGNITE Award for Cancer Research supports innovative early-phase, proof-of-concept investigations related to breast cancer.
The Gayle Brinkenhoff Award for Cancer Research is made possible through funding from the Philanthropy Division of RevitaLash Cosmetics.
One $50,000 award will be distributed for each of these awards. The award total is inclusive of indirect costs. Applicants must have an HMS appointment and BWH listed as the primary affiliation.
Leilah Grant, PhD and Louisa Sylvia, PhD
2025 Connors BWH-MGB Collaborative Cardiovascular IGNITE Awardees
Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, BWH and Dauten Family Center for Bipolar Treatment Innovation, MGH respectively
“Time-Restricted Eating to Improve Body Weight and Mood in Peri- and Postmenopausal Women”
During menopause, many women experience changes in their weight, mood, and heart health. We want to see if limiting daily eating to an 8-hour period each day (known as time-restricted eating) is practical and helps improve these health issues. We are recruiting 40 women aged 40-59 who are experiencing menopause and have obesity and depression. Participants are randomly assigned to restrict eating to an 8-hour window each day for 8 weeks or to continue their usual eating habits. We measure how well participants follow the diet and any improvements in their weight, mood, sleep, and overall quality of life. Our findings could lead to a simple, affordable approach for managing the symptoms of menopause.
Sungwook Jung, PhD
2025 Gayle Brinkenhoff IGNITE Pilot Award for Breast Cancer Research Awardee
Investigator, Division of Renal Medicine
“Clathrin Light Chain Proteins: A Tool to Improve Drug Delivery and Efficacy in Metastatic Breast Cancer”
Breast cancer is a leading and deadly cancer affecting women’s health today. Although treatments have improved, a big challenge remains: reaching drugs deep into tumors and areas where cancer has spread, called metastases. Many current treatments struggle to reach these areas, reducing their effectiveness. Dr. Jung’s project will innovatively incorporate a small protein into a drug delivery system to penetrate deep into tumors, enhance drug stability in circulation, and improve drugs delivery to cancer cells located in distant areas from the original tumor. The research success could develop innovative breast cancer therapies which both reduce tumor size and strengthen the body’s immune response against the disease. The research has the potential to provide treatment options for patients who have breast cancer that does not respond well to standard therapies or has metastasized to different body areas.
Shashi Kant, PhD, FAHA
2024 Specialized Cardiac & Vascular IGNITE Awardee
Associate Scientist, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
“Sex-differential role of Sortilin1 in the regulation of endothelium-dependent vascular homeostasis”
Cardiovascular disease progression differs between men and women, with women at higher risk of developing specific atherosclerotic vascular diseases compared to men. Endothelial cells play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases, with additional evidence of a strong association between variants of the Sortilin1 gene and CVD risk. However, the contribution of molecular factors involved in endothelial function in these sex differences remains underdeveloped. The current study will explore how the Sortilin1 gene affects endothelial cell function under varying sex hormone exposures, leading to novel sex-specific treatment targets for cardiovascular disease.
Aditi Hazra, PhD, MPH
2024 Gayle Brinkenhoff IGNITE Pilot Award for Breast Cancer Research Awardee
Associate Genomic Epidemiologist, Division of Preventive Medicine
“Leveraging artificial intelligence to improve shared decision-making among African-American women diagnosed with non-invasive ductal carcinoma in situ”
Biomarkers related to the varied cell types and genes within cancerous tumors have been associated with increased recurrence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). These biomarkers are less studied in African-American women, who experience higher rates of breast cancer mortality. In partnership with AfroPink, a non-profit dedicated to early detection of breast cancer within the African-American community, this study will utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to unravel molecular mechanisms to identify DCIS and develop a novel algorithm for predicting outcomes. With a commitment for community-based participatory research, successful completion of project aims will advance the incorporation of this group in shared decision-making for DCIS treatment and vaccine options.
