Dr. Tiki Hayes, assistant professor of molecular and medical pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, has been awarded a three-year, $600,000 V Scholar Program grant from the V Foundation for Cancer Research, to find new ways to target rare EGFR mutations in lung cancer that currently have no effective treatments.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and the most common type, non-small cell lung cancer, often develops because of changes in a gene called EGFR. While targeted therapies exist for many EGFR mutations, patients with rare mutations in the extracellular domain of EGFR have no effective treatment options. These mutations, though less common, still affect thousands of people and remain poorly understood, creating an urgent need for new research and therapies.
The new funding will support Hayes in developing new lab models using human lung cells and 3D organoids to better understand how these rare EGFR mutations drive cancer growth. Her team will also use advanced genetic screening tools, including CRISPR, to uncover why current drugs fail and to identify new vulnerabilities that could be targeted with future therapies. The ultimate goal is to lay the groundwork for more effective treatment strategies for patients with these hard-to-treat lung cancers.
“I am deeply honored to receive this V Scholar grant, which provides critical support to pursue this research,” said Hayes, who is an investigator at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. “By focusing on these rare but devastating mutations, we hope to uncover new insights that can lead to better treatments and, ultimately, improved outcomes for patients who currently have very limited options.”
