Cross-Collaborating to Fight Cancer

By studying the behavior of molecules, Gina Alesi 16G is working to understand how cancer spreads. Her ultimate goal is to find effective targets for anticancer medications. A doctoral student in Emory’s new Cancer Biology Graduate Program, Alesi is the first recipient of the William and Catherine Rice Endowed Research Award.

The award was created during Campaign Emory by alumnus William Rice 86PhD and his wife, and it is strengthening the new doctoral program, along with an endowment from the late Robert Wellborn 78AH, a graduate of Emory’s physician assistant program.

Part of the Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences in the Laney School of Graduate Studies, the program claims faculty from eleven departments across the university, many of whom also hold appointments in the Winship Cancer Institute. They collaborate to understand and develop cures for a host of malignancies, including breast cancer, multiple myeloma, lung and prostate cancers, and brain tumors in children and adults.