Ullman family gift supports novel breast cancer research

In honor of family patriarch Don Ullman, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2009, the Ullman family has long supported cancer research at the University of Chicago Medicine. Last year, their gift supported novel research through an award that recognizes the power of many minds working together — “team science.”

The outstanding care Don received at UChicago Medicine prolonged his life for four years, after an initial prognosis of only four months. In gratitude, the family established the Ullman Family Scholars Fund in Cancer Immunology, the Ullman Family Fund in Cancer and the Ullman Family Team Science Award.

“One in two men and one out of three women will get cancer,” said Justin Ullman, president of the University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation Board of Trustees. “I think about that when we gather as a family. Cancer has already taken too many loved ones from us.”

The power of team science lies in the collective work of researchers from an array of disciplines who tackle complex scientific challenges together. Ultimately, these teams can have a faster, larger impact than any one researcher working alone, shortening the timeline from laboratory research to clinical trials. In September 2022, seven researchers from diverse scientific backgrounds won the Ullman

Family Team Science Award for a proposal to investigate novel therapies for triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer is notoriously hard to treat since it does not respond to hormone therapy or the targeted anti-cancer drug Herceptin. Treatments are limited primarily to radiation and chemotherapy, which are hard on the patient.

The winning project will gather preliminary data on a novel therapy and drug delivery system to address these challenges. Chemists, cell biologists, cancer researchers, and cancer surgeons identified a type of protein, called a transcription factor, found in the cells of triplenegative breast cancer tumors as a potential target for therapy. They also proposed a cell-permeable drug delivery system, which could deliver the drug directly to a tumor and spare healthy tissue. The award provides seed money critical to starting the process of gathering data and testing theories, with the goal of bringing a new therapy to clinical trials.

Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center, who announced the award, said the goal of the research is improved treatment for patients. “The ultimate yardstick of our work is to be able to help people.”