Research
MOCA is a national leader in ovarian cancer research funding. Because of you.
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 more than $11 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.
2023 MOCA-FUNDED Research
MOCA presented our 2023 Research Awards at our Annual Meeting on Tuesday, May 16. We awarded an additional $450,000 to five innovative Minnesota-based research projects.
- Samira Azarin, PhD, University of Minnesota, “Development of nanomaterials for ultrasound-mediated destruction of metastatic ovarian tumors,” $100,000 for one year
- Martina Bazzaro, PhD, University of Minnesota, “Precision medicine for ARID1A-mutated ovarian cancer,” $100,000 for one year
- Gunda Georg, PhD, University of Minnesota, “Discovery and development of allosteric inhibitors of Cdk2/cyclin E as non-toxic ovarian cancer drugs,” $100,000 for one year
- Amy Skubitz, PhD, University of Minnesota, “A novel method to treat ovarian cancer: Increasing the effectiveness of chemotherapy to prevent ovarian cancer recurrence,” Funded in part by the Spin It Teal Research Award, $100,000 for one year
- Rachel Vogel, PhD, University of Minnesota, “Examining the associations between cytomegalovirus (CMV), inflammation, and ‘chemo brain’,” $50,000 for one year
