Gray Research Fund Announces First Grant Cycle Supporting BRCA-Related Malignancies Research

Gray Research Fund Launches Inaugural Awards to Advance BRCA Cancer Research.

In its first year, the Gray Research Fund for BRCA-Related Malignancies, led at Tel Aviv University through the Cancer Biology Research Center (CBRC), set out with a clear goal: to support bold ideas that have the potential to reshape how we understand and treat BRCA-associated cancers. Today, we are pleased to announce the awardees of this inaugural grant cycle.

The program was designed to encourage innovative, hypothesis-driven research that can open new directions in oncology and challenge existing paradigms. The response to the call reflected this vision, with a strong and highly competitive pool of proposals.

The selection process brought together international expertise and careful deliberation. Each application was evaluated by 3-5 leading experts in the field, followed by in-depth discussions by the Gray Research Grant Council. Throughout the process, particular emphasis was placed on scientific excellence, originality, and the potential to drive meaningful and translational impact. The process was coordinated by Dr. Yehudit Cohen, Israel Coordinator of the Gray Family Grants Review Committee.

Awardees

Research Grants (Two-Year Awards):

• Prof. Shamgar Ben-Eliyahu [Sagol School of Neuroscience & School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University], Dr. Yael Raz [Lis Maternity and Women’s Hospital; Medical Director, Multidisciplinary BRCA Clinic, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center], and Prof. Noam Shomron [Functional Genomics and Computational Biology, Gray Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University] - "Molecular characterization of BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer in the perioperative context".
   
• Prof. Amir Sonnenblick [Breast Cancer Unit, Oncology Division, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center] and Dr. Merav Cohen [Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Gray Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University], in collaboration with Dr. Yael Bar [Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center], Dr. Tal Sella [Sheba Medical Center], Dr. Einav Gal-Yam [Sheba Medical Center] - "Biomarkers for Neoadjuvant Treatment De-Escalation in BRCA-Related Triple-Negative Breast Cancer".
   
• Prof. Eric Shifrut [Gray Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences and Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University] and Dr. Yasmin Leshem [Breast and Skin Cancer Oncologist, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center] - "BRCA-dependent responses to TOP1-based antibody-drug conjugates and immune sensitization in breast cancer".

Seed Grants (One-Year Awards):

• Prof. Gili Bisker [School of Biomedical Engineering, Tel Aviv University] - "Optical Nanosensors for Real-Time Detection of Key Enzymes in BRCA Malignancies".
   
• Prof. Ran Elkon [Gray Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University], in collaboration with Dr. Rinat Bernstein-Molho [Oncogenetics Unit, Sheba Medical Center], Prof. Rinat Yerushalmi [Breast Cancer Unit, Rabin Medical Center], Prof. Hagit Baris Feldman [Genetics Institute and Genomic Center, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center], Prof. Ron Shamir [Blavatnik School of Computer Science and AI, Tel Aviv University], Prof. Eitan Friedman [Gray Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University], and Dr. Dana Madorsky Feldman [Meirav Center for Women's Health and High-Risk Clinic, Sheba Medical Center] - "Leveraging Extreme Phenotypes and Deep Neural Networks for Whole-Genome Genetic Risk Modeling in BRCA1 Carriers".

• Prof. Uri Ben-David [Gray Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University], and Prof. Talia Golan [Phase I Unit and Sheba Pancreatic Cancer Program, Sheba Medical Center] in collaboration with Prof. Ronit Satchi-Fainaro [Gray Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University] - "BRCA-driven PDAC: Innovative models to study mechanisms of resistance and novel treatment combinations".

We warmly congratulate the awardees, whose work stood out for its quality, creativity, and potential to move the field forward.

This milestone would not have been possible without the dedication of the Review Committee: Prof. Ronny Drapkin, Prof. Roger A. Greenberg, Prof. Angela M. Belcher, and Prof. Joan Brugge, who contributed their time, expertise, and thoughtful judgment to ensure a rigorous and fair evaluation process.

As the program moves forward, the Gray Research Fund, together with the Cancer Biology Research Center (CBRC) at Tel Aviv University, remains committed to supporting research that not only advances knowledge but also has the potential to transform it.

Researchers are warmly invited to submit proposals for the next funding cycle, expected to open in January 2027.