On Feb. 19, 2020, the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) announced it had awarded 55 grants totaling over $78 million consisting of 41 academic research grant awards, 10 prevention awards, and 4 product development research awards.ﾠ

Childhood cancer projects represent seven percent of the academic research awards. One promising award includes research with potential to have a major impact on developing new targeted therapies for rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a soft tissue tumor in children and adolescents by renowned muscle disease researcher Eric Olson, PhD at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern).

Four Seed Awards approved should assist new companies introduce disruptive technologies to the market. Three tobacco cessation-related grants target high-risk populations. An academic research clinical studies grant to the University of Houston (UH) will explore why modern smoking cessation methods are ineffective on those with emotional disorders to improve success rates to these at-risk individuals.