Jennifer Vega, PhD, a cognitive neuroscientist and research instructor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, has received a 2024 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Foundation Young Investigator Award.
She is one of only five chosen for the prestigious award from the NCCN Foundation that provides funding of up to $150,000 over two years. The award will support her research into neuroplasticity-based cognitive remediation for persistent cancer/chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment. Vega received her doctorate in Neuroscience from Vanderbilt University in 2018. Her dissertation work focused on investigating nicotine as a treatment for cognitive impairment secondary to chemotherapy in lymphoma, breast, ovarian and colon cancer survivors.
The NCCN Foundation has awarded more than $11.1 million since 2011 through the Young Investigator Award program, to a total of 75 researchers.
“It is always a great honor to be able to support up-and-coming talent in the field of cancer research,” said Crystal Denlinger, MD, chief executive officer of the NCCN, who is a former recipient of the award. “We have the honor of supporting people who are involved in exciting new research and giving them tools to take their careers — and our understanding of cancer — to an even higher level. I congratulate all five recipients and look forward to seeing what they do in the future.”
Results from studies conducted by the five NCCN Foundation Young Investigator Award recipients will be presented at a future NCCN Annual Conference.
“The Young Investigator Award program is a cornerstone of our work to advance cancer care,” said Patrick Delaney, executive director of the NCCN Foundation. “These awards help cultivate and encourage some of the nation’s top next-generation cancer researchers as they guide the course of treatment innovation and advancement.”