Wednesday, July 2, 2025 7/2/2025

Curing Through Collaboration: Utilizing Cooperative Groups in the Fight Against Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and B-cell Lymphomas

Award Number: R50CA275929
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 03/06/2023
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 02/29/2028

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Curing Through Collaboration: Utilizing Cooperative Groups in the Fight Against Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and B-cell Lymphomas - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Deborah Stephens, DO is an Assistant Professor (to be Associate in July 2022) at the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) who focuses on clinical investigation for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and B- cell lymphoma, the most common adult blood cancers. Despite recent advances in the field, CLL and relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphomas are mostly considered incurable. Resistance to therapy is common resulting in poor clinical outcomes. Dr. Stephens’s research is focused on CLL and lymphoma patient care and survival through development and management of a clinical trial portfolio at HCI that includes National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored investigator-initiated trials. The scope of this program is significant, improves the care of local patients and has produced has changed the standard of care for patients internationally. Through several national and local leadership roles, Dr. Stephens dedicates 40% of her time to performing and promoting NCI-sponsored clinical trials. This work, currently not funded, would be supported by the R50 Research Scientist award and support the continuation and development of Dr. Stephens’s work. She is the CLL Lead for the SWOG Leukemia Working Group, which encompasses her roles as the national principal investigator (PI) for the S1925 EVOLVE CLL trial (NCT04269902) and leader of a task force to develop the next SWOG trial for CLL patients. Through the SWOG Lymphoma Working Group, Dr. Stephens has analyzed and published (as first author) the long-term follow-up of several pivotal lymphoma studies. She serves as the local PI for numerous NCI-sponsored CLL and lymphoma studies, which has resulting in placing HCI among leaders in national accrual in several studies including S1925, EA9161, and A041702 (CLL) and EA4151 and EA4181 (mantle cell lymphoma). At HCI, she serves on several committees dedicated to hematology clinical research, including HCI Hematology Disease Center (Interim Director), Hematology Clinical Trials Research Group (Physician Leader), Independent Protocol Review Committee (member), and the Center for Investigational Therapeutics (member). Building upon connections from her fellowship and extensive clinical trial collaboration with investigators at The Ohio State University (OSU), she developed a partnership with OSU and the University of Kentucky that enabled HCI’s successful UM1 ETCTN program application and resulted in grant 60075822 (Carson). She serves as the Hematology Expert for HCI on the ETCTN Executive Committee. The R50 Grant, would support Dr. Stephens to continue her work and plans for meeting the objectives of the NCI-funded clinical trials research program by (1) translation of HCI research into NCI-sponsored clinical trials and expand collaborative grant opportunities through advocating for targeted recruitment of key collaborating scientists, (2) expanding access to phase 1/2 clinical trials to all patients in HCI’s catchment areas, and (3) increasing the number of under-represented minorities and women through collaborations with HCI’s Community Outreach and Education and Patient Navigation Programs.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $168,361 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL	104 AIRPORT DR STE 2200	CHAPEL HILL	NC	27599	ORANGE	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	002	4	2/28/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$168,361
2025	2023	UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL	104 AIRPORT DR STE 2200	CHAPEL HILL	NC	27599	ORANGE	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	001	2	2/14/2025	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$14,504
2025	2023	UNIVERSITY OF UTAH	201 PRESIDENTS CIR	SALT LAKE CITY	UT	84112	SALT LAKE	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	000	1	2/14/2025	NEW	-$14,504
														Subtotal = $168,361

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $168,360 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL	104 AIRPORT DR STE 2200	CHAPEL HILL	NC	27599	ORANGE	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	002	3	2/7/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$168,361
2024	2023	UNIVERSITY OF UTAH	201 PRESIDENTS CIR	SALT LAKE CITY	UT	84112	SALT LAKE	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	000	1	1/11/2024	NEW	-$84,302
2024	2023	UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL	104 AIRPORT DR STE 2200	CHAPEL HILL	NC	27599	ORANGE	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	001	2	1/11/2024	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$84,301
														Subtotal = $168,360

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $168,132 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF UTAH	201 PRESIDENTS CIR	SALT LAKE CITY	UT	84112	SALT LAKE	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	000	1	3/6/2023	NEW	$168,132
														Subtotal = $168,132

Grand Total All Awards = $504,853

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Curing Through Collaboration: Utilizing Cooperative Groups in the Fight Against Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and B-cell Lymphomas

Award Number: R50CA275929

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 03/06/2023

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 02/29/2028

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer