The University of Louisville has been awarded $2.5 million from the Kentucky Pediatric Cancer Research Trust Fund to hire three new researchers who will help develop new therapeutics and conduct clinical trials for the UofL School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics and Norton Children’s Cancer Institute.
“This funding is another key resource in UofL and Norton Children’s ongoing work to build a cutting-edge pediatric cancer research program,” said Michael Ferguson, chief of the Division of Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation in the UofL School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics and chief of Norton Children’s Cancer Institute. “This will allow us to develop new pediatric cancer treatments and bring them to families in Kentucky and surrounding states before they are available anywhere else – ensuring children here have first access to the latest approved therapies.”
Previous grants funded some of the biggest findings within the UofL Department of Pediatrics and Norton Children’s Cancer Institute. One notable example is CAR T-cell immunotherapy research conducted by the late William Tse. The research involves reprogramming the immune cells of brain cancer patients to kill their own brain cancer cells that have resisted conventional therapy.
They also funded a basic science program that helps researchers better understand how certain chemotherapy drugs impact the heart and what adjustments can be made to prevent those side effects, along with work that is helping children manage pain during cancer treatment. Earlier this year, the Kentucky Pediatric Cancer Research Trust Fund also awarded a grant to help establish the Norton Children’s Cancer Institute Resource Center, a space to support patients and families through every step of their cancer journey.
“The partnership between the University of Louisville School of Medicine and Norton Children’s creates an unparalleled environment for pediatric cancer care and research in Louisville and beyond,” said Jeffrey Bumpous, dean of UofL School of Medicine and executive vice president for health affairs. “Through Norton Children’s Cancer Institute, our dually employed faculty are able to offer innovative treatments and clinical trials while advancing research for our most vulnerable cancer patients and training the next generation of physician-scientists.”
The new researchers are expected to join UofL in early 2026.
(Photo: Michael Ferguson, chief of the Division of Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation in the UofL School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics and chief of Norton Children’s Cancer Institute, courtesy of UofL via Kentucky Today)
By Tom Latek, Kentucky Today
