Research Funding Timeline

31 grants $40M+ 2 SPOREs $30M ARPA-H
2011-2016 Early Career Funding
2020 Alliance Foundation PI Machine learning methods for biomarker-driven optimal treatment selection in metastatic colorectal cancer (2020-2023)
2020 NCI U01 Co-PI Integrating tumor and stroma to understand and predict treatment response (2020-2027)
2022 Pancreatic SPORE Core C Core Co-Director Integrated Quantitative Sciences Core (P50-CA257911)
2024 Breast SPORE Core B Core Co-Director Biostatistics & Bioinformatics Core (P50-CA058223)
2024 DOD PCARP PI Enhancing clinical trial discovery, matching, and enrollment in PDAC using fine-tuned LLMs ($311K, 2024-2026)
2025 ARPA-H TBCRC EVOLVE-BDT Co-PI Evolutionary clinical trial for novel biomarker-driven therapies ($30M) Bayesian adaptive platform for metastatic breast cancer, 12+ site network (2025-2031)
→ 2031

PI & Core Leadership Awards

ARPA-H ADAPT: TBCRC Evolutionary Clinical Trial For Novel Biomarker-Driven Therapies (EVOLVE-BDT)

Total $28,120,143
Period 05/2025–05/2028
Role MPI (1.8 CM)

Bayesian adaptive platform trial integrating serial tissue, ctDNA, imaging, and machine-learning allocation strategies for metastatic breast cancer. Responsible for trial design, adaptive randomization, and biomarker integration.

Enhancing clinical trial discovery, matching, and enrollment in PDAC using fine-tuned large language models

Total $311,000
Period 11/2024–10/2026
Role Principal Investigator (1.08 CM)

Fine-tuning a pretrained LLM on curated pancreatic cancer trial data matched to retrospective UNC cases to improve trial matching recommendations for prospectively recruited patients.

Integrating tumor and stroma to understand and predict treatment response

MPI with Jen Jen Yeh. Predictive models linking phenotypic responses in tissues to underlying changes in molecular states, built on transcriptomic, proteomic, and phosphoproteomic data from targeted treatments across tissue complexity.

SPORE in Breast Cancer — Core B: Biostatistics and Bioinformatics

Core Co-Leader with Katie Hoadley (P50-CA058223, 2024–2029). Biostatistics and bioinformatics support for 4 translational projects, TBCRC trial correlatives, and ctDNA resistance monitoring.

SPORE in Pancreatic Cancer — Core C: Integrated Quantitative Sciences

Core Co-Leader with Michael Kosorok (P50-CA257911, 2022–2027). Quantitative sciences support for 5 SPORE projects spanning organoid models, immunotherapy, and stromal reprogramming.

UNC Lineberger P30 LCCC Biostatistics Shared Resource

Associate Director (P30-CA016086). Trial design consultation, grant development support, and regulatory analytics for 40+ Lineberger investigators annually.

Completed PI / Core leadership awards
  • Alliance-5117778 (PI: Rashid, 2020–2023) — Machine learning methods for biomarker-driven optimal treatment selection in metastatic colorectal cancer. Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation, $199K.
  • GM105785-05 (Subcontract PI: Rashid, 2017–2018) — Statistical methods for RNA-seq data analysis. NIGMS/Fred Hutchinson, $46K.

Co-Investigator & Biostatistician Portfolio

Active

  • R01-CA270792 (PI: Earp/Pylayeva-Gupta, 2022–2027) — Divergent roles of MerTK, Tyro3, and Axl in pancreatic cancer and metastasis. NIH/NCI, $2.7M.
  • Lustgarten Foundation (PI: Yeh, 2023–2026) — PRO-CLAIM Study: mHealth tool promoting clinical trial engagement among Black patients with pancreatic cancer. $450K.
  • RSG-21-103-01 (PI: Pylayeva-Gupta, 2022–2025) — B cells as mediators of tumor eradication in pancreatic cancer. American Cancer Society, $792K.
  • OG22874046 (PI: Hoadley/Freedman, 2022–2025) — Ancestry-related RNA splicing and immune expression in metastatic breast cancer. Komen Foundation, $161K.
  • R37-C247676 (PI: Vincent, 2020–2025) — GvL mHA specific T cell responses prevent AML relapse following allogeneic stem cell transplantation. NIH/NCI, $2.6M.
  • R01-CA244361 (PI: Thaxton, 2020–2025) — Targeting chronic ER stress in T cells to improve cancer immunotherapy. NIH/NCI, $1.3M.
  • R01-CA241810 (PI: Kim, 2020–2025) — Chemotherapy and the bladder cancer immune microenvironment. NIH, $2.8M.
  • R01-CA248359 (PI: Thaxton, 2020–2025) — Exploitation of ER stress induced immune dysfunction to improve immunotherapy. NIH/NCI, $1.0M.

Completed

  • R01-CA229409 (PI: Carey, 2019–2024) — Optimizing HER2-targeting using RNA- and DNA-based predictive algorithms. NIH/NCI, $2.8M.
  • W81XWH2110693 (PI: Bryant, 2021–2024) — Targeting KRAS-dysregulated metabolism for novel therapeutic approaches. DOD, $658K.
  • U24-AR076730 (PI: Lavange, 2019–2024) — BACPAC Research Program Data Integration, Algorithm Development and Operations Management Center. NIH/NIASD, $52.2M.
  • R01-CA230786 (PI: Pylayeva-Gupta, 2019–2024) — Function of IL35+ B cells in pancreatic cancer. NIH/NCI, $2.2M.
  • SAB180006 (PI: Carey, 2018–2022) — Optimizing HER2-targeting using RNA and DNA-based predictive algorithms. Susan G. Komen, $400K.
  • R01-CA199064 (PI: Yeh, 2016–2021) — Tumor subtypes and therapy response in pancreatic cancer. NIH/NCI, $3.6M.
  • R21-CA246550 (PI: Dayton, 2020–2023) — Parametric optimization of ultrasound-mediated immuno-modulation for pancreatic cancer therapy. NIH/NCI, $394K.
  • P50-CA058223 Core B (PI: Perou, 1997–2023) — SPORE in Breast Cancer: Genomics, Biostatistics, and Bioinformatics Core. NIH/NCI.
  • P50-CA058223 Project 4 (PI: Perou, 1997–2023) — SPORE in Breast Cancer: Adaptive response to kinase inhibition in TNBC. NIH/NCI.
  • P01-CA203657 (PI: Der, 2016–2021) — Defining RAS isoform- and mutation-specific roles in oncogenesis. NIH/NCI, $7.9M.
  • V Foundation Bae-Jump (2017–2020) — Metabolic and molecular biomarkers of metformin response in obesity-driven endometrial cancer. $600K.
  • U54-CA198999 (PI: Huang, 2015–2020) — Nano approaches to modulate host cell response for cancer therapy: Administrative Core. NIH/NCI, $314K.
  • V Foundation Major (PI: Major, 2014–2018) — Team science approach for defining the activation state and dynamic reprogramming of the kinome in aerodigestive cancer. $499K.
  • P50-CA058223 Projects 2, 5 & Core B (PI: Earp, 1997–2018) — SPORE in Breast Cancer: immune cell infiltrate in claudin-low/basal breast cancer, kinome activity for novel TNBC therapies, and genomics/biostatistics core (multiple prior cycles). NIH/NCI.
  • AACR Yeh (PI: Yeh, 2016–2018) — Targeting macrophages to improve chemotherapy in metastatic pancreatic cancer. AACR, $228K.
  • P50-CA058223 Core B (PI: Earp, 2012–2017) — SPORE in Breast Cancer: Genomics and Data Analysis Core (earliest cycle). NIH/NCI, $143K.
  • 2015YIA LEE (PI: Lee, 2015–2016) — Combination CDK4/6 inhibitor and MEK inhibitor in KRAS mutant metastatic colorectal cancer. ASCO, $48K.
  • P30-CA016086 (PI: Sharpless, 2010–2020) — Cancer Center Core Support Grant: Biostatistics (prior cycles). NIH/NCI, $289K.

For collaboration inquiries, Lineberger members can request consultations at LCCC_BIOS@med.unc.edu.