Congressman Carter Celebrates Nearly $23 Million for Tulane University to Fight Cancer
EW ORLEANS, LA – Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) joined President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden to announce new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) awards. This funding will help develop technologies that will allow surgeons to provide more successful tumor-removal surgeries for people facing cancer. Tulane University is receiving up to $22.9 million as part of the first cohort of eight institutions working on these projects.
The Cancer Moonshot was established more than two years ago with the goal of reducing the cancer death rate in the United States by at least half. Last March, Congressman Carter toured the Louisiana Cancer Research Center with Dr. Biden to highlight these initiatives.
“This investment emphasizes our commitment to advancing life-saving technologies,” said Rep. Carter. “Tulane’s pioneering work on the MAGIC-SCAN system is a leap forward in cancer treatment, enabling surgeons to detect residual cancer cells during surgery and potentially eliminating the need for repeated procedures. I am proud to join President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden in announcing this support, which will bring hope to millions of patients and families battling this devastating disease. This funding highlights the innovation happening right here in Louisiana. Ending cancer as we know it is a big goal, but it is one worth fighting for.”
In its first two years, ARPA-H has invested more than $400 million to fast-track progress on how we prevent, detect, and treat cancer. Today, the President and First Lady announced up to $150 million in ARPA-H awards to develop technologies that will allow surgeons to provide more successful tumor-removal surgeries for people facing cancer. These awards will support researchers from eight teams across the country who are pursuing innovative ideas as part of ARPA-H’s Precision Surgical Interventions (PSI) program.
“This announcement in support of Tulane’s cancer research by President Biden and Dr. Biden is a historic moment for Tulane,” said Tulane President Michael A. Fitts. “Tulane is a proud partner in supporting the goal of the Biden Cancer Moonshot. This advancement will save lives. The President and First Lady have been relentless champions in the battle to end cancer. Today, we are celebrating the results of their commitment.”
Background
Tulane University is developing a groundbreaking imaging system MAGIC-SCAN (Machine-learning Assisted Gigantic Image Cancer margin SCANner) to revolutionize cancer treatment. This advanced technology will allow surgeons to scan a tumor during surgery and determine within minutes if any cancerous tissue remains, potentially eliminating the need for repeated invasive surgeries. The system, designed to visualize individual cells on the surface of removed tumors, combines innovations in microscopy, automation, computing infrastructure, and machine learning. Researchers from Tulane, alongside collaborators from the University of Georgia and the University of Utah, will lead these efforts to make this high-resolution tissue scanner a reality within five years.
Learn more about Tulane’s MAGIC-SCAN here.
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