Research
MOCA. A leader in ovarian cancer research funding. Because of you.
MOCA is a national leader among private, non-profit organizations.
MOCA has awarded nearly $9 million in grants to professional researchers investigating various aspects of ovarian, fallopian and primary peritoneal cancer.
Every dollar directed to research means we’re getting closer to an early detection test, better treatments and, one day, a cure for ovarian cancer.
MOCA’s Research Funding
Since MOCA started funding research in 2001, MOCA has provided funding to more than 100 grants focused on ovarian cancer. We fund innovative research projects – based in Minnesota – that will help develop better treatments, an early detection test and a cure for ovarian cancer.
In an effort to continue our push for an early detection test for ovarian cancer, in 2017 MOCA launched our National Early Detection Research Awards. Each year, we provide funding to researchers outside Minnesota who are committed to the work of developing an early detection test for ovarian cancer.
Each year, a panel of national expert reviewers help advise MOCA on the scientific merit and national significance of each research proposal. A group of consumer advocates, made up of survivors and caregivers, also review our grants to ensure we are funding research that is most likely to have the biggest impact on our community.
If you would like to learn more about MOCA’s research funding efforts, contact MOCA Executive Director Kathleen Gavin at kgavin@mnovarian.org.
Hear from our researchers
MOCA’s research funding is vital to getting these promising projects off the ground. Hear it from the researchers themselves.
2019 MOCA-FUNDED Research
MOCA celebrated 20 years of progress – and new milestones in ovarian cancer research funding! – at our MOCA Annual Meeting in May 2019.
MOCA awarded $680,000 in funding to Minnesota and national researchers, putting our total amount of funding at nearly $9 million.
The 2019 MOCA-funded researchers include:
- Melissa Geller, M.D., M.S., University of Minnesota. “IL-15 superagonist ALT 803 maintenance therapy to prevent recurrence of advanced stage ovarian cancer.” $100,000 for one year.
- XInyan Wu, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic. “A humanized antibody against AXL receptor tyrosine kinase as a novel therapy for ovarian cancer.” $100,000 for one year.
- Emil Lou, M.D., Ph.D., University of Minnesota. “Targeting channels of ovarian tumor cell communication.” $80,000 for one year.
- Valentina Zanfagnin, M.D., Mayo Clinic. “Repurposing ceritinib to enhance the efficacy of Olaparib in ovarian cancer.” $100,000 for one year.
- Reuben Harris, Ph.D. University of Minnesota. “Diagnosing and targeting APOBEC3B in clear cell ovarian carcinoma.” $100,000 for one year.
- Amy Skubitz, Ph.D., University of Minnesota. “Verification of a biomarker panel for the early detection of ovarian cancer using serum samples from multiple sources.” $150,000 for one year.
- Naoko Sasamoto, M.D., M.P.H., Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA. “High throughput protemics profiling for identification of early detection biomarkers of high-grade serous ovarian cancer.” National Early Detection Research Grant Award. $50,000 for one year.
In addition to the 2019 funding awards, MOCA is also providing $475,000 this year to multi-year grant awards that were funded in 2017 and 2018.
Find past MOCA research funding awards here.
