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 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