COLOR IT PURPLE FOR PANCREAS DISEASE!
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November is Pancreas Disease Awareness Month, but, why should we wait until November to bring awareness when patients live every day in pain? That's why, every July, The National Pancreas Foundation
Colors It Purple through its annual challenge to raise awareness and encourage involvement in the fight to find a cure for pancreas disease.
In its 4th year, annual Color It Purple, the NPF asked patients and caregivers why they Color it Purple, and as you can see from the video, the whole family was involved. We encourage everyone to take the challenge and challenge friends, family and work colleagues to Color It Purple and post your picture on the Facebook group,
Annual Color It Purple
.
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THE NATIONAL PANCREAS FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2020 RESEARCH GRANT RECIPIENTS
The National Pancreas Foundation (NPF) is awarding $150,000 in research funds to deserving scientists for the 2020 grant cycle. Three grants of $50,000 will be distributed to researchers studying, pancreatic cancer, and pancreatitis. The NPF has funded 124 grants totaling over 4 million dollars towards research in pancreas disease. To see the full press release, please
CLICK HERE
.
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Q&A WITH NPF GRANTEE, ALEXANDER MUIR, PHD
In 280 twitter characters, tell us who you are.
My name is Alex Muir. I am a biochemist and cancer biologist at the University of Chicago. Our lab works on the chemistry of pancreatic cancers. Outside of work I enjoy hiking and exploring Chicago neighborhoods with my family!
In layman's terms, what is your grant project about?
Our grant is about finding out what nutrients pancreatic cancers eat, and how they digest or metabolize these nutrients. We are excited that knowing the nutrients and metabolism that pancreas tumors require could lead to better therapies for pancreatic cancer. For example, we could use this information to tailor diets to starve tumors of critical nutrients or find drugs to target tumor metabolism.
How did you think of this project?
Last year we developed new techniques to see what nutrients pancreas tumors have around to eat, in their pantry so to speak. We realized we could use this information to identify the nutrients pancreas cancers consume, and then how the cancer cells digest these nutrients.
Why do you think it's important?
What advice would you give young investigators who are looking to get started and have their research funded?
Our lab really tries to ask “the right questions” – the questions we think are most critical to understanding pancreatic cancer biology. We spend a lot of time reading papers and spitballing ideas with each other, until we finally have a question that is
the one
. I think this process is super critical for young researchers – not diving into it right away but learning to read a lot and work with your colleagues to refine your ideas.
Any current Netflix OR book recommendations as most of us are staying at home.
Really liked
Crip Camp
, and
The Metaphysical Club
and
Beyond the Hundredth Meridian
.
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Join the NPF and Ariel Precision Medicine on June 17th for the second webinar on Genetics and Pancreatitis. Clinical genetic testing can provide insight into the underlying causes of disease and optimized treatment for patients. In this webinar, we discuss the trade-offs, and some of the terminology and content you may find in a clinical genetic report. To register, please click on the image below.
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Did you miss the the PFDD meeting or the first webinar on genetics with Ariel Precision Medicine? You can catch all the videos here on the NPF YouTube Channel. We continually update all our videos on NPF education events on pancreas disease. Never miss a video - subscribe today!
CLICK HERE
to subscribe!
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Education and advocacy are part of the National Pancreas Foundation's (NPF) mission. Please see the list of events that are coming up throughout the year. We hope you are able to join us! For a complete list, please see our
Events Page
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PATIENT EDUCATION EVENTS
(Due to COVID-19 precautions, in-person events are being rescheduled; however, the NPF calls on its friends and supporters to explore virtual activities they can undertake to help raise funds for our mission. )
- Genetics and Pancreatitis Webinar with Ariel Precision Medicine | June 17, 2020
- Senior Health Fair | Fort Wayne IN, September 17, 2020
- Indiana Chapter Education Event | October 2020*
- Michigan Chapter Education Event | Oct. 17th, 2020*
*Save the date! More details to follow.
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SUPPORT GROUPS
(Due to COVID-19 precautions, in-person support groups are put on hold. Please click on the Chapter links for updates)
If you would like to establish a support group in your city, please contact National Chapter Manager, Patrick Salami at psalami@pancreasfoundation.org.
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CHAPTER & NPF EVENTS
*Save the date! More details to follow.
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Shop at smile.amazon.com Amazon will donate 0.5% of eligible purchases to the NPF!
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HEREDITARY PANCREATIS - AIDEL'S STORY
"When becoming symptomatic at such a young age, there wasn’t really a before diagnosis'. It’s a new normal that children with chronic disease somehow find a way to adapt, the before and after kind of blend into one narrative and a reality that we adapted to. Unfortunately, the plethora of support, research, and support that children with illnesses have access too didn’t exist really when I was diagnosed. We hardly understood my own disease, how can we expect the school, community, and friends to understand and support."
NPF Downstate NY Chapter Chair, Aidel Rosenberg shares her story as well as her two siblings stories with hereditary pancreatitis. To read more, please go
CLICK HERE.
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