Morningside Center Research Awards

Repurposed Drug Research

The Morningside Research Awards support repurposed drug research across three areas:

Preclinical work to support clinical trials

Biomarker development for repurposed drug studies

Clinical trials ready for implementation

Current Funding Opportunities

I3 MORNINGSIDE CENTER FOR INNOVATIVE AND AFFORDABLE MEDICINE: REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTENT IN CANCER

Due December 15, 2023 by 5:00 pm

RFA Details: I3 Morningside Center Research Award

The current ecosystem around medical innovation focuses on unmet medical needs but rarely prioritizes ideas on the basis of affordability and accessibility. Expensive new drugs result, yet only a fraction of patients globally have access to and can afford these treatments. Ideas that could rapidly result in inexpensive new treatments lie unexplored largely because of a lack of financial incentive to do the research necessary to bring these treatments to market.  Emory’s Morningside Center for Innovative and Affordable Medicine focuses on affordable, effective, safe and readily accessible medical treatments that will reduce global disease burden.  This RFA will entertain cancer proposals.

I3 MORNINGSIDE CENTER RESEARCH AWARDS AND FUNDING AVAILABILITY: The Morningside Center anticipates awarding up to $1M across three areas and is soliciting proposals for studies in the following:

  1. PRECLINICAL WORK CRITICAL TO SUPPORT CLINICAL STUDIES
  2. BIOMARKER DEVELOPMENT FOR REPURPOSED DRUG STUDIES
  3. CLINICAL TRIALS READY FOR IMPLEMENTATION

Current Research Award Recipients include:

Preclinical work to support clinical trials

  • Repurposing CD26/DPP4 inhibitors for immunotherapy of cancer
    Principal Investigator: Gregory Lesinski (SOM: Hematology and Medical Oncology)

  • Indole-3-Carbinol Supplement for Prevention of Serious Acute Graft Versus Host Disease
    Principal Investigator: Edmund Waller (SOM: Medicine, Pathology, Hematology and Medical Oncology)

  • Repurposing Statin Drugs to Enhance Immunotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer
    Principal Investigator: Nicole Schmitt (SOM: Otolaryngology)

  • Repurposing Verteporfin for treatment of Pediatric High-grade Gliomas
    Principal Investigator: Renee Read (SOM: Pharmacology and Chemical Biology)


Biomarker development for repurposed drug studies

Targeting patients with breast adipose tissue inflammation for statin therapy to prevent breast cancer recurrence
Principal Investigator: Lauren McCullough (RSPH: Epidemiology)

Clinical trials ready for implementation

Levodopa Treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy
Principal Investigator: Andrew Hendrick (SOM: Opthalmology)

two researchers looking at vials