FFBW Honors Dr. Tatiana Hurtado de Mendoza with the 2023 Claugus Award

The Foundation For A Better World is excited to announce Dr. Tatiana Hurtado de Mendoza, researcher at the University of California San Diego at the Moores Cancer Center, as the recipient of the 2023 Claugus Award. 

Dr. Hurtado de Mendoza trained in molecular biology, cancer biology and immunology at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute. 

Hurtado de Mendoza and her team are researching a novel approach to treat pancreatic cancer with immunotherapies. Pancreatic cancer has a low mutational burden and an immunosuppressive microenvironment, making it more resistant to immunotherapies that have been transformational in treating many other types of cancer.

Hurtado de Mendoza’s research hopes to evoke an antitumor immune response in pancreatic tumors by delivering neoantigens followed by adoptive T cell transfer. Her team also attempts to redirect pre-existing adaptive immune responses to eradicate endogenous tumors.

Dr. Hurtado de Mendoza with the 2023 Claugus Award.

“I am so grateful to the Foundation For A Better World for their recognition and support,” Hurtado de Mendoza said in a press release. “It is difficult to obtain funding as a new investigator working on non-conventional approaches; the Foundation gave me a unique opportunity by funding my research and continuing their support with this award.”

Over the past decade, the five-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer has improved, going from 6 to 12 percent. Despite this progress, a 12 percent five-year survival rate is remarkably dismal. Pancreatic cancer is the third most common cause of death from cancer in America. The American Cancer Society estimates that 64,050 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year.

Dr. Hurtado de Mendoza’s work enables new treatments and better outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients. Her commitment to research and her tireless search for a cure for pancreatic cancer made her a prime candidate for this year’s award.

The $250,000 prize will be invested to further Dr. Hurtado’s research at USCD.

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