PHILADELPHIA (January 17, 2025) — The Pancreatic Cancer Cure Foundation is proud to announce that Dr. Jaye Gardiner, a postdoctoral researcher at Fox Chase Cancer Center, has been awarded a $20,000 research grant as part of Uplifting Athletes’ 2025 Young Investigator Draft.
Dr. Gardiner is one of only 10 researchers nationwide selected for this prestigious recognition, which will be awarded during the Young Investigator Draft on February 1, 2025, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The Pancreatic Cancer Cure Foundation had the privilege of nominating Dr. Gardiner for her dedication to advancing pancreatic cancer research and bringing hope to patients and families impacted by this devastating disease.
“Closing out my postdoc at Fox Chase Cancer Center with a bang! Thanks to a nomination by the Pancreatic Cancer Cure Foundation, Inc. I’ve been selected by Uplifting Athletes as 1 of 10 Young Investigators dedicated to rare disease research for the 2025 Young Investigator Draft!”
“It may not seem like it as the third leading cause of cancer related deaths, but pancreatic cancer affects less than 15 people per 100,000 each year in the US. Even still, a number of friends and colleagues in my life have been impacted by pancreatic cancer. So I’m very grateful for my work to be recognized as I get ready to launch my own research group in the fall at Tufts University Department of Biology. ” (LinkedIn)
Modeled after the NFL Draft, the Young Investigator Draft shifts the focus from athletic talent to recognizing the next generation of promising medical researchers working to tackle rare diseases. Uplifting Athletes, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the rare disease community, has awarded over $1 million in grants since the program’s inception, raising awareness and generating funds for rare disease research.
The Pancreatic Cancer Cure Foundation congratulates Dr. Gardiner on this well-deserved recognition and is honored to support researchers like her who bring us closer to breakthroughs in pancreatic cancer research.
For more information about Uplifting Athletes and the Young Investigator Draft, visit www.upliftingathletes.org.