Dartmouth Cancer Researcher Selected for New General Motors Award

Hanover, NH - James DiRenzo, PhD, Dartmouth Medical School assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology, is an inaugural winner of a General Motors Cancer Research Scholars Award for 2002-2003. This prestigious award to young investigators promotes innovative cancer research as part of GM's ongoing support for cancer research.

DiRenzo, a member of the Norris Cotton Cancer Center's (NCCC) Research Program in Cancer Mechanisms, will study "Effect of p63 and p53 and Breast Cancer Growth." P63 is a relatively newly discovered member of the family of genes that includes p53, the most commonly mutated gene in all human cancers, including breast cancer. DiRenzo's project aims to understand the effect p63 has on the established functions of p53.

"I am extremely proud to be included in the General Motors Cancer Research Foundation's rich tradition of supporting cancer research," DiRenzo said, adding, "Support of this work by General Motors will allow us to characterize one of the earliest events in the developmental biology of the mammary gland, which is directly relevant to the initiation and progression of breast cancer." He also expressed gratitude to the leadership of the Norris Cotton Cancer Center for their nomination.

DiRenzo received his PhD from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine in 1995 and did post-doctoral training from 1995-99 in the Department of Adult Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard. He joined the Dartmouth faculty in the summer of 2001.

As part of its ongoing commitment and support for cancer research, General Motors established the GM Cancer Research Scholars Program, a new fund of $1 million per year to support research projects that are in progress. The program is part of GM's Cancer Research Foundation, formed to recognize basic and clinical scientists throughout the world who have been selected by their peers for hallmark achievements in research directed at the discovery of the causes, prevention and treatment of cancer.

GM also donates a vehicle to each winner's cancer center. "Currently, we are exploring ways to use the car to facilitate our mission of bringing state of the art cancer care to patients in sparsely populated, rural areas. This is an important challenge for Dartmouth," said Mark Israel, MD, director of NCCC.

The program is open to members of the National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers and awards grants of $100,000 to researchers at the assistant professor level.

"GM is not involved in fighting cancer just for show," said Rod Gillum, vice president of GM corporate relations and diversity. "We've made a serious commitment to the cause over the past several decades because it hits so close to home."

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