Cancer Research Foundation

Meet CRF 2026 Young Investigator Felipe Almeida de Pinho Ribeiro, PhD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology at

Through support from CRF's Young Investigator Award, Dr. Ribeiro is pursuing a bold idea that could reshape our understanding of how cancer spreads.

His research investigates whether metastatic cancer cells can hijack the body's own nerve repair systems to help them survive and grow in new locations. Early findings suggest that cancer cells may physically connect to sensory nerves and receive signals that mimic the body's natural healing response - creating an environment that supports metastatic growth.

By exploring how the nervous system influences cancers such as melanoma and lung cancer, Dr. Ribeiro hopes to uncover new therapeutic targets that could help prevent metastasis before it takes hold.

At CRF, we're proud to support early-career scientists like Dr. Ribeiro whose innovative ideas have the potential to drive the next generation of cancer breakthroughs.

Meet one of our 2026 Young Investigator Award recipients: Dr. Ryan B. Day of Washington University in St. Louis 👏

As an early-career physician-scientist, Dr. Day is tackling acute myeloid leukemia (AML) - an aggressive blood cancer with limited survival rates in adults. His research explores how disruptions in key proteins may give leukemia cells a dangerous advantage, opening the door to potential new treatments and earlier interventions.

This is exactly the kind of bold, innovative science the Young Investigator Award is designed to support. We’re proud to fund a record number of researchers pushing boundaries in cancer research.

Stay tuned as we introduce more of this year’s inspiring awardees in the coming weeks. 💡

🔬✨ Celebrating Women in Science this International Women’s Day!
Today we honor three scientists who are pushing boundaries and improving lives — and we’re proud to have supported their work.

👩‍🔬 Dr. Janet Rowley — Revolutionized how we understand cancer genetics.
📍 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Rowley

👩‍⚕️ Dr. Lucy Godley — Leading leukemia research toward personalized therapies.
📍 https://www.cancerresearchfdn.org/recipient/lucy-godley/

🧬 Dr. Abby Green — Advancing targeted cancer treatments with precision and heart.
📍 https://siteman.wustl.edu/doctor/green-abby/

Support more research like this: https://www.cancerresearchfdn.org/donate/

✨ When women scientists thrive, we all benefit.

January is month! Did you know? Cervical cancer is preventable! One common way of screening is known as a Pap test. The American Cancer Society recommends getting your first Pap test at age 21, then again every three years.

If you want to help spread the word, we've created some social media friendly graphics over on our website. Download them here: https://www.cancerresearchfdn.org/social-media-graphics/