Anita Hjelmeland is the recipient of the AACR-Novocure Cancer Research Grants 2024

Anita Hjelmeland is one of the recipients of the 2024 AACR-Novocure Cancer Research Grants. She has been awarded this grant for her innovative research focused on Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields).

Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) use low-energy electrical fields to disrupt the growth and division of cancer cells while sparing most healthy cells. Delivered through a portable device with skin-placed electrodes near the tumor, the treatment requires wearing the device for about 18 hours daily. The lightweight device allows users to maintain most of their daily activities.

The AACR-Novocure Cancer Research Grants are a collaborative initiative designed to support independent researchers conducting innovative studies on Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields), which are intermediate frequency, low-intensity alternating electric fields that disrupt cancer cell division.

These grants aim to deepen understanding of the mechanisms behind this novel cancer treatment and to encourage new investigators to explore the TTFields research area. The Inovitro® system, provided by Novocure if necessary, must be incorporated into the research design.

Each grant offers $350,000 over three years to cover various research-related expenses.

It includes the salary and benefits of the primary investigator, collaborators, postdoctoral or clinical fellows, graduate students, and research assistants; laboratory supplies; equipment; travel; manuscript publication fees; other research costs; and indirect expenses.

Anita Hjelmeland

Dr. Anita Hjelmeland holds multiple esteemed positions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where she has made significant contributions to the fields of neuroscience, cancer research, and cellular biology.
 

Since July 2013, she has served as a Professor in the Academic Joint Departments of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology (CDIB), while also holding key roles as an Assistant Professor in the School of Medicine’s Neurosurgery department and as a Scientist in various UAB research centers, including the Comprehensive Neuroscience Center, O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Center for Clinical and Translational Science.

Her expertise extends across several interdisciplinary fields, as she is an Associate Scientist in the Center for Glial Biology in Medicine, Civitan International Research Center, UAB Stem Cell Institute, and the Center for Free Radical Biology (CFRB).

Dr. Hjelmeland’s diverse academic and research appointments underscore her central role in advancing UAB’s research initiatives, particularly in understanding cancer and neurological diseases.

Education

Dr. Anita Hjelmeland holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Pharmacology from Duke University, where she completed her degree on May 11, 2003. Prior to this, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from North Carolina State University, graduating on May 11, 1997.

Her strong educational foundation in biochemistry and pharmacology has provided her with the expertise to make significant contributions to the fields of cancer research, neuroscience, and cellular biology throughout her career.

AACR:

“We congratulate Anita Hjelmeland, PhD, one of the 2024 AACR-Novocure Cancer Research Grant recipients. We look forward to her findings on kinase-mediated mechanisms of TTFields resistance and sensitivity in the context of GBM chemo- and radioresistance.”

Miriam Ratliff is the recipient of the AACR-Novocure Cancer Research Grants 2024