Donna Dang

Jun 18, 2024 | pewtrusts.org | Donna Dang

Biomedical researchers are on the front lines of scientific innovation. From responding to global pandemics to pioneering lifesaving cancer treatments, these researchers push past scientific boundaries to solve pressing health challenges. For nearly 40 years, The Pew Charitable Trusts has supported more than 1,000 early-career biomedical scientists committed to this discovery.

Jun 6, 2024 | pewtrusts.org | Donna Dang

In Dr. Quinton Smith’s lab at the University of California, Irvine, miniature models of human placentas could hold the key to understanding and treating preeclampsia, a common but potentially life-threatening condition that can occur during pregnancy. Preeclampsia occurs when the placenta—the organ grown in the uterus that delivers oxygen and nutrients to developing fetuses via the umbilical cord—can’t function properly. The condition affects about 5% to 8% of pregnancies.

Dec 19, 2023 | pewtrusts.org | Donna Dang

Cancer is one of the greatest challenges facing biomedical researchers today. Despite decades of breakthroughs, including lifesaving therapies and new methods of detecting disease, much work remains to find a cure. The Pew-Stewart Scholars Program for Cancer Research was created in 2013 to help meet this need. A joint effort between the Alexander and Margaret Stewart Trust and The Pew Charitable Trusts, the program funds early-career scientists leading the charge in cutting-edge cancer research.

Oct 24, 2023 | pewtrusts.org | Donna Dang |Kara Coleman

The Pew Charitable Trusts’ 2023 class of Innovation Fund investigators—12 accomplished scientists with expertise in cancer biology, neuroscience, immunology, and more—are pairing up to explore challenges in human health and medicine. Collaboration is at the heart of scientific advancement: From engineering innovative cancer therapies to developing new strategies to meet public health crises, scientists achieve breakthroughs when they reach across disciplines to unite for a common cause.

Aug 15, 2023 | pewtrusts.org | Kara Coleman |Donna Dang

In Laura Duvall’s lab at Columbia University in New York City, it’s always summer, with the temperature set at a toasty 84 degrees. The biologist says walking into her climate-controlled laboratory is like entering “the worst day in August.” But for the tens of thousands of mosquitoes that live there, the humid conditions are just right. Special artificial feeders satisfy the insects’ thirst for blood, and pans full of stagnant pond water offer a murky environment perfect for growing larvae.