The NFRP Presents the Fiscal Year 2018 Early Investigator Research Award Recipients

Author: Juan Mo, Ph.D.; Jean-Philipe Brosseau, Ph.D.; Yuan Pan, Ph.D.

Published On: 11/6/2019

The Neurofibromatosis Research Program (NFRP) Early Investigator Research Award (EIRA) mechanism was offered for the first time in fiscal year 2018 (FY18). The EIRA supports neurofibromatosis (NF)-focused research opportunities for individuals in the early stages of their careers, under the guidance of a designated Mentor. This opportunity allows early-stage investigators to develop a research project, investigate a problem or question in NF research, and further their intellectual development as a future independent NF researcher. These researchers bring novel concepts to the NF research community and aim to address a variety of NF research topic areas of interest. The NFRP is enthusiastic about supporting these investigators in performing their work and is looking forward to seeing their accomplishments and how they will benefit the NF community.

Dr. Juan Mo of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas was recruited to Dr. Lu Le’s laboratory to work on NF research in hopes of providing knowledge and therapeutics to aid the NF community. Dr. Mo’s research is focused on elucidating NF tumor origin and progression using a humanized mouse model of neurofibroma and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST). Using this EIRA award, Dr. Mo will investigate mechanisms that initiate and drive human cancer, using Neurofibromatosis type I (NF1) as a model, with the ultimate aim to develop novel and effective therapies to treat NF1- associated tumors. Dr. Mo hopes to become an independent researcher in the NF field and to generate new ideas, apply new techniques, and investigate the mechanisms that drive NF and human cancer.

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