UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Magazine E-Edition 2016 | Page 9

Letter from the Young Supporters Board The 2015-2016 year for the Young Supporters Board of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center is coming to close. We have had a phenomenal year supporting the Cancer Center and the patients and families who come through its doors. This year’s Fiesta Ball was a huge success as we raised more than $128,000 to support the Mary Ann Harvard Young Investigator Grant as well as patient and family services at the Cancer Center. Because of the support from our generous sponsors and community, and the hard work and dedication of our members and the Cancer Center’s staff, we Mary-Margaret Brown were able to raise enough money to fund three Young Investigator Grants and gift the UAB Patient Navigator program with $22,150 to be used to provide important services to patients and caregivers in need. We are thrilled to be able to support the amazing navigators at the Cancer Center who are dedicated to helping patients overcome physical, emotional, social and financial barriers to receiving timely cancer treatment. Because federal funding for cancer research is so competitive and difficult to receive, the Young Investigator Grants are extremely important in helping young cancer scientists to jumpstart their research and launch their careers. We recently completed our grant review process to award our latest grants, and I’m proud to announce that the three recipients are Catherine Parker, M.D., Jaskula-Sztul Renata, Ph.D., and Jason Warram, Ph.D. We are excited to fund these rising scientists and look forward to following their progress as they evolve in their career. It has been an honor serving as the 2015-2016 president of the Young Supporters Board. Our members have much to be proud of, and I know we have impacted the Cancer Center in a meaningful way. To learn more about the YSB or to get involved, please visit the Cancer Center’s website at www.uab.edu/cancer. MARY-MARGARET BROWN 2015-16 YOUNG SUPPORTERS BOARD PRESIDENT # K N O W U A B C C C • U A B . E D U / C A N C E R 9