The Rivkin Center has awarded Dr. Zachary Watson, PhD, assistant professor at
University of Colorado School of Medicine, a $75,000 grant to investigate the development of ovarian
cancer in post-menopausal women. Rivkin Center Pilot Study Awards fund novel, innovative ideas that
are in the early stages of discovery.
About his research: Dr. Watson will investigate a potential driver of ovarian cancer development to lay
the foundation for discovering new early detection and treatment strategies. Ovarian cancer spreads
aggressively into abdominal fat deposits, which often increase after menopause. He found that a type
of abdominal fat cell called bone marrow-derived adipocytes (BMDAs) are inflammatory and make
ovarian cancer cells grow faster. He will test the hypothesis that BMDAs send signals to cancer cells to
turn off tumor suppressor proteins, change their metabolism, and make the cancer cells more
aggressive.
“For 25 years, the Rivkin Center’s early funding has helped launch the best new research and the most
promising new researchers throughout the world. This year, Dr. Watson’s research project rose to the
top of our applications,” said Rivkin Center CEO Molly O’Connor. “We are optimistic that Dr. Watson’s
results may help inform the development of new treatments, particularly for post-menopausal women
who often have worse disease.”
Ovarian cancer remains the deadliest gynecological cancer because there is still no test to detect it in
its earliest, most treatable and most survivable stages. While treatment options have improved, a late
diagnosis means that fewer than half of the women diagnosed with ovarian cancer will survive beyond
five years.
This year, the Rivkin Center also awarded a Pilot Study grant to Dr. Utthara Nayar, PhD, of Johns
Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Health, and two $200,000 grants to ovarian cancer
researchers based in Washington state as part of a new public-private partnership with the state’s Andy
Hill Cancer Research Endowment (CARE) Fund to invest $1M in ovarian cancer research in the next
two years.
Since 1999, the Rivkin Center has invested $16.4M in ovarian cancer research worldwide. At an
average return of $17.3 for every dollar the Rivkin Center invests, these initial funds have helped
researchers secure another nearly $280M in funding to continue their work.