Chakroborty wins Mayer Mitchell Award for Excellence in Cancer Research
The Mayer Mitchell Award for Excellence in Cancer Research recognizes those whose discoveries are helping identify potential new approaches to cancer treatment for USA Health patients and communities.
By Amanda Gibson
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On Oct. 14, the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute (MCI) recognized Debanjan Chakroborty, Ph.D., as the recipient of the 17th annual Mayer Mitchell Award for Excellence in Cancer Research. Chakroborty is an associate professor of pathology at MCI, and his work focuses on helping scientists better understand how cancers grow, spread and respond to treatment, paving the way for future advances in cancer care.
Established in 2009 in memory of Mayer Mitchell, founding champion of MCI and a longtime University of South Alabama trustee, the award honors a promising scholar-scientist selected by the director of the Mitchell Cancer Institute upon recommendation of an MCI faculty committee. The award provides unrestricted support and may be used for research-related needs such as equipment, travel, expenses and personnel support.
Chakroborty's research has uncovered new ways that the body's natural signaling systems influence cancer progression. Among his most significant findings are discoveries showing that dopamine, a chemical messenger best known for its role in the brain, also plays an important role in cancer development. His studies demonstrated that dopamine levels decrease during gastric cancer progression and that restoring dopamine signaling can slow tumor growth and limit the formation of blood vessels that help tumors survive.
More recently, his research has focused on understanding metastasis, the process by which cancer spreads from one part of the body to another. One of his latest discoveries found that blocking a specific signaling pathway may help reduce the spread of gastric cancer by strengthening the connections between cells and helping maintain the body's natural tissue barriers.
The impact of this work extends beyond scientific discovery. By identifying new pathways involved in cancer growth and metastasis, discoveries like these bring the USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute one step closer to new approaches for preventing, treating and ultimately overcoming cancer for patients and communities throughout the Gulf Coast
